Adding Categories

Why Use Categories?

Categories provide several benefits:

• Easier browsing: Customers can filter products by type
• Better organization: Clear structure improves navigation
• Store pages: Each category gets its own dedicated page
• SEO benefits: Categories create organized URLs for search engines
• Quick filtering: Customers find what they need faster

Category Limits

• Maximum 25 categories per store
• Category name: max 25 characters
• Category code: max 25 characters

Creating Categories

Assigning Products to Categories

When Adding a New Product

While creating a product:

1. Find the Category dropdown in the Basic Information section
2. Select an existing category from the list
3. Or select "+ Create New Category" to create one on the fly

For Existing Products

To change a product's category:

1. Go to Products in the sidebar
2. Click the Edit icon for the product you want to update
3. Change the category in the Category dropdown
4. Click Save at the bottom of the page

Category Pages

Each active category has its own dedicated page showing all products in that category. The URL structure is:

e2c.store/your-store-name/categories/category-code

Category pages include:

• Category name as the page title
• All active products assigned to the category
• Product grid with images and prices
• Standard store navigation
• Optimized for mobile and desktop viewing

You can view your category page by clicking on the category name in the categories table—it will open in a new tab.

Category Best Practices

Keep It Simple

• Start with 3-7 main categories: Don't overwhelm customers with too many options
• Add more as you grow: Expand your category structure as your product catalog grows
• Stay under the limit: Remember, you can have up to 25 categories total
• Avoid overlap: Make sure categories are distinct from each other

Use Clear Names

• Customer-focused: Use terms your customers would search for
• Consistent naming: Keep naming conventions uniform (e.g., all plural: "Shirts", "Shoes", "Accessories")
• Avoid jargon: Unless your audience is specialized, use common language
• Be concise: You have 25 characters—make them count

Organize Logically

• Group similar items: Products in a category should be closely related
• Consider shopping behavior: Think about how customers browse for products
• Test navigation: Ask friends to browse your store and give feedback on organization

Category Naming Examples

Good category names:

• "Clothing"
• "Home Decor"
• "Digital Downloads"
• "Handmade Jewelry"
• "Art Prints"

Avoid:

• "Stuff for Sale"
• "Miscellaneous"
• "Products"
• "Things"
• Names with special characters: "Clothing & Accessories!!!"

Troubleshooting

"Category Name is required"

• Category name cannot be empty
• Maximum 25 characters allowed
• Make sure you've filled in the field before saving

"Category Code is required"

• Category code cannot be empty
• Maximum 25 characters allowed
• Click the Generate button to auto-create from the category name
• Or manually enter a code using letters, numbers, and hyphens

"Category Code already exists"

• Category codes must be unique across all your categories
• Click the Generate button to create a unique code
• Or manually add numbers/letters to make it unique (e.g., "clothing-2")

"Category Code contains invalid characters"

• Category codes can only contain letters, numbers, and hyphens
• No spaces, special characters, underscores, or emojis allowed
• Valid: "home-decor", "electronics", "art-prints"
• Invalid: "home_decor", "electronics!", "art prints"

"Category Not Showing on Store"

• Check that the category status is Active (not Inactive)
• Ensure the category has at least one active product assigned to it
• Empty categories won't display on your store navigation
• Clear your browser cache and refresh the page

Can't Delete Category

• Make sure you've confirmed the deletion in the popup
• If the category has products assigned, you will not be able to delete the category. Unassign the category from those products first.

Can't Add More Categories

• E2C Store has a limit of 25 categories per store
• If you've reached this limit, you'll need to delete unused categories before adding new ones
• Consider deactivating categories you're not currently using instead of creating new ones

Category Link Not Working

• Verify the category status is Active
• Check that the category has products assigned to it
• The category code in the URL must match exactly (it's case-sensitive)
• Try accessing it from your store's category navigation instead

What's Next?

Now that you know how to create categories:

1. Add products and assign them to categories
2. Manage categories to keep them organized
3. Customize your homepage to feature specific categories
4. Configure payment methods to start accepting orders

A well-organized store makes shopping easier and increases sales!