Category Management

Category Management allows administrators to create, edit, organize, publish, and manage product categories used in the iShop storefront. Categories are used to group products and help customers browse products more easily.

Categories are part of the storefront navigation and product organization structure. A well-designed category structure improves browsing, SEO, and product discoverability.

Overview

The Category Management screen provides a list of all product categories and allows administrators to create new categories, edit existing categories, enable or disable categories, and manage category visibility.

Area	Description
Category List	Displays all registered categories with status, slug, sort order, and management buttons.
New Category	Opens the category creation screen.
Status Filter	Filters categories by status.
Collapse / Expand	Collapses or expands the category hierarchy when nested categories are used.
Category Edit	Used to configure category information, SEO, content, visibility, settings, and images.

Category List

The Category List screen shows all categories currently registered in the system. Administrators can review category names, slugs, sort order, status, and available actions.

Column	Description
ID	The internal category identifier.
Category Name	The display name of the category.
Slug	The URL-friendly identifier used in category URLs.
Sort	Controls the display order of categories.
Status	Shows whether the category is active, disabled, or published depending on the configuration.
Actions	Provides management actions such as Edit or Disable.

Status Filter

The status filter allows administrators to view categories by status. For example, you can view all categories, active categories, disabled categories, or other available status groups.

Select a status from the dropdown.
Click Apply.
The list will reload using the selected filter.

Collapse and Expand

The Collapse and Expand buttons are useful when categories have parent and child relationships.

Button	Purpose
Collapse	Collapses the category tree and hides child categories.
Expand	Expands the category tree and displays child categories.

Create a New Category

Click New Category to create a new product category.

Open Admin > iShop > Category.
Click New Category.
Enter the category name.
Enter or confirm the slug.
Select a parent category if this category should be a subcategory.
Configure SEO information.
Enter category description content.
Set visibility and status options.
Upload or enter featured image information if needed.
Click Save.

Category Edit Screen

The Category Edit screen is used to create or modify category details. It includes category information, slug history, SEO, content, featured image, visibility, and settings.

Category Section

Field	Description
Category Name	The name displayed to customers on the storefront.
Slug	The URL-friendly value used in the category page URL. Lowercase letters and hyphens are recommended.
Slug History	Stores previous slugs automatically for redirect or SEO history purposes.
Parent Category	Registers the current category as a subcategory when a parent category is selected.

Category Name

Enter a clear category name that customers can easily understand.

Examples:
Beauty
Electronics
Men's Clothing
Accessories
Camera

Slug

The slug is used in the category URL. It should be short, readable, and URL-safe.

Recommended:
beauty
electronics
mens-clothing
camera-accessories

Avoid:
Men's Clothing!!!
category name with spaces
상품 카테고리 ###

Slugs should be changed carefully. Changing a slug may affect existing links, search engine indexing, and customer bookmarks.

Slug History

Slug History is automatically saved when a category slug changes. It helps preserve SEO history and may be used for redirect handling.

Slug history is usually not deleted for SEO reasons. Existing links and search traffic may be lost if redirects are not handled properly.

Parent Category

Parent Category is used to create a category hierarchy. When a parent category is selected, the current category becomes a subcategory.

Example:
Electronics
└── Cameras
    └── Mirrorless Cameras

SEO Section

The SEO section controls how the category may appear in search results and social previews.

Field	Description
SEO Title	The title used for search engines and browser title output.
Meta Description	A short search result description. A length of 120 to 160 characters is recommended.
Google Preview	Shows an example of how the category may appear in search results.

SEO Title

Use a short and descriptive SEO title that includes the category name and important keywords.

Example:
Men's Clothing | Brand Fashion

Meta Description

Write a concise description of the category. The recommended length is usually between 120 and 160 characters.

Example:
Shop men's clothing including shirts, jackets, pants, and accessories from selected brands.

Content Section

The Content section allows administrators to enter a category description using the HTML editor. This content is usually displayed at the top of the category page.

Category Description

The category description can include formatted text, links, images, tables, and HTML depending on editor settings.

Use the category description to introduce the category, explain product types, and include useful SEO content.

Featured Image

A featured image can be used as the main visual image for a category.

Field	Description
Featured Image URL	The image path or full URL used as the category image.
Featured Image ALT	Alternative text for accessibility and SEO.

Featured Image URL example:
/uploads/category/mens.jpg

Featured Image ALT example:
Men's Fashion Category

Visibility Section

The Visibility panel controls category publishing status and scheduled publishing.

Field	Description
Publish Status	Controls whether the category is published, draft, scheduled, or otherwise configured.
Publish At	Optional scheduled publishing date and time.

Enter a publish date only when scheduled publishing is required.

Settings Section

The Settings panel controls the category status and display order.

Field	Description
Status	Controls whether the category is active or disabled.
Sort	Controls the category display order.
Last Modified	Shows when the category was last updated.
Updated By	Shows the administrator or user who last updated the category.

Enable, Disable, and Delete Behavior

Category status controls whether a category is available for storefront use. Disabling a category usually hides or deactivates it without permanently removing its data.

Active: The category is enabled and available for use.
Disabled: The category is not available or hidden depending on storefront configuration.
Edit: Opens the category edit screen.
Disable: Disables the category without deleting it.

Disabling a category is safer than deleting it because related products, URLs, and SEO history may still depend on it.

Recommended Workflow

Create the main categories first.
Create subcategories by selecting a parent category.
Use clear category names and URL-safe slugs.
Enter SEO title and meta description.
Add category description content.
Add a featured image and ALT text if needed.
Set publish status and category status.
Set sort order.
Save the category.
Check the category page on the storefront.

Common Use Cases

Use Case	Recommended Action
Create a top-level category	Create a new category with no parent category selected.
Create a subcategory	Select a parent category before saving.
Improve SEO	Enter SEO Title, Meta Description, and category description content.
Temporarily hide a category	Set the category status to disabled or use the Disable action.
Control category order	Use the Sort field. Lower numbers usually appear first.

Important Notes

Create categories before assigning products to them.
Use stable slugs after the category is published.
Changing a slug can affect existing category URLs.
Do not disable categories that are actively used in storefront navigation unless intended.
Featured image ALT text should describe the image clearly.
Always test category pages after changing parent category, slug, or status.

Best Practices

Keep category names short and understandable.
Use lowercase English slugs with hyphens.
Avoid duplicate or confusing category names.
Use parent categories to create a clear product hierarchy.
Write unique SEO titles and meta descriptions for important categories.
Use category descriptions to provide useful content for customers and search engines.

Category Management directly affects product browsing and storefront SEO. Plan the category hierarchy before registering a large number of products.