Product Categories
Manage hierarchical categories for your products.
This guide explains how to organize your products using the Product Category hierarchy system, allowing for structured organization and reporting.
What are Product Categories?
Product Categories enable you to:
- Organize products into logical groups (e.g., Electronics > Computers > Laptops).
- Manage hierarchical relationships (Parent/Child).
- Ensure data integrity with built-in validation preventing circular dependencies.
Where to find it in the UI
Navigate to Products -> Product Categories in the main navigation.
Managing Categories
Creating a Category
- Click New Product Category.
- Enter the Name of the category.
- (Optional) Select a Parent Category to nest this category under another.
- Click Create or Create & Create Another.
Hierarchy & Validation
The system includes robust validation to maintain hierarchy integrity:
- Self-Reference: You cannot set a category as its own parent.
- Circular Dependency: You cannot create a loop (e.g., A is parent of B, B cannot be parent of A). The system will prevent saving if a cycle is detected.
- Deletion Protection: You cannot delete a category that has children. You must first re-parent or delete the child categories.
Viewing the Hierarchy
The list view displays the Name and Parent Category, allowing you to see the structure at a glance. You can filter and search by name or parent.