Product Categories

The product categories are used to generate the main navigation menu. And are how our users navigate to products lists. This menu is entirely generated from the product categories in the system.

Category Menu Generation

Any category item that exists as active, approved, and has a product assigned will be generated as a menu item. This dynamic generation ensures that only relevant and populated items are displayed.

• Active: The item must be marked as active.
• Approved: The item must be approved for display.
• Product Assigned: The item must have at least one product assigned to it.

Tip

To exclude a menu item from view, use the ‘Visible On Menu’ checkbox. Unchecking this box will hide the item from the menu without deleting it from the system, even if it meets all of the normal criteria.

This is useful for pages not ready for public display.

Category Menu levels

The category menu is generated in a hierarchical manner. The first level of the menu is the ‘lvl1’ category.

Level 1 Menu

A Level 1 menu should have no more than 9 items. These items should represent the core content type for each segment, ensuring the main areas of the website are easily accessible.

Ideally there should be no overlap with other items.

Blog or Related Content

For each Level 1 item, plan a blog or related content page. This content will be utilized in the content panel and can be included in the Related Content Section. This approach not only enhances SEO but also provides additional value to users by linking to relevant articles or resources.

Direct Links and Children Items

• Direct Links: A Level 1 item with no children will generate a direct link. This means that clicking on the item will take the user directly to the associated content page.
• Children Items: If a Level 1 item has children, the first content item with children will be selected for the Level 2 active panel on load. This pre-selection ensures users are presented with relevant subcategories immediately upon interaction.

Sorting Order

The sorting order for Level 1 items is DESC (descending), as described on the content page. The sort order is determined by the following priorities:

1. Sort Order: Highest priority when sorting.
2. Name: If sort order values are identical, items are sorted alphabetically by name.
3. Content ID: As a last resort, items are sorted by their content ID.

Level 2 Menu

The Level 2 menu should ideally include no more than 9 items. However, this number can be affected by the number of Level 3 children. It is important to consider the vertical height of the menu to ensure it remains user-friendly and visually appealing.

Level 3 Menu

The Level 3 menu should ideally include between 3 and 6 items. This limited number ensures that the menu remains concise and easy to navigate, providing users with clear and direct access to subcategories or specific items without causing descision fatigue.