What it is
The grouping of products into categories so you can organise your catalogue. A category can contain subcategories (nested levels) or products directly, and it is identified by a name and a representative image. The catalogue can be viewed as a grid of cards or as a hierarchical tree.
What it is for
- Organising the catalogue into coherent groups.
- Creating a hierarchy of categories and subcategories so you can browse by levels.
- Making searching and reporting easier.
- Controlling what is shown in the public catalogue (visibility) and what is synced with WordPress.
- Selecting products and launching a quote with the Create Quote button.
How to use it
- Open it from Home.
- Create categories with the Categories button, or add existing products with Products.
- Edit each category (name, image, WordPress) with the edit icon.
- Reorder by dragging the items in sorting mode (the Edit button).
- Switch between the grid view and the Tree view with the Tree button.
- You can also assign categories to a product from the product form.
Buttons and actions — what each one does
The literal text the user sees on screen. For toggles, both states are documented.
| Button / Control (on-screen text) | What it does |
|---|---|
| Settings | Opens the sales settings panel. |
| Edit | Enters and leaves sorting mode: it lets you reorder categories and products by dragging them. In this mode the items show a distinct header background. Click it again to leave. |
| Categories | Opens the modal to create a new category (name, image, WordPress). |
| Products | Opens the modal to add existing products to this category. |
| Tree | Switches between the grid view (cards) and the Tree view (a vertical hierarchy of categories, subcategories and products). |
| ERP only / WordPress only / All (button, only with the WordPress integration active) | Filters the catalogue and cycles through three states each time you click it: ERP only (shows only what is NOT marked as available in WordPress), WordPress only (only what has the WP toggle switched on) and All (the default option: no filter). Each state has its own colour and icon so you can recognise it at a glance: ERP only in teal (shop icon), WordPress only in violet (globe icon) and All in grey (infinity icon). Your choice is remembered in the browser for your next visit. In sorting mode the filter does not apply (everything is shown so you can manage it). |
| Create Quote | Opens the sales form to generate a quote with the selected items. |
| edit (icon) | Opens the modal to edit the selected category. |
| visibility / visibility_off (icon) | Status toggle. visibility = the category/product is shown in the catalogue · visibility_off = it is hidden from the public catalogue, but it can still be edited. |
| Hidden (red badge, only in sorting mode) | A warning that this category or product is hidden and will disappear when you leave Edit mode. The card (and its row in the Tree view) is also dimmed in grey. This is why an item shows while you are editing and stops showing once you turn Edit off: it has not been deleted, it is hidden. To bring it back, click the visibility_off icon on that card until it reads visibility. |
| WP (toggle) | "Available in WordPress". On = the category/product is synced with the integrated WordPress site (WP badge) · Off = it is not synced. |
| delete (icon) | Removes the category or product from the list. A confirmation modal opens first. |
| Name (field) | A mandatory text field with the name of the category. |
| Category image (field) | Uploads the representative image of the category (the photo/icon shown on its card). |
| WordPress module (toggle) | Switches on or off whether the category is available in the WordPress module. States: Enable / Disable. |
| Delete | Removes the current category. It only appears once the category exists (it has an id). |
| Cancel | Closes the modal without saving any changes. |
| Save | Saves the form changes: name, image and WordPress status. |
| Tree view (heading) | Identifies the section holding the hierarchical category tree. |
| No items | The message shown when a branch of the tree is expanded but contains no subcategories or products. |
Key concepts
- Category: a hierarchical grouping of products. It can have subcategories (a nested level) or products directly. It is identified by its Name and its representative image.
- Product: a sellable item belonging to a category. In the Tree view it is marked with the
inventory_2icon and a Product badge. - Order: the sequential position of a category or product within its parent group. You change it by dragging in sorting mode, and it is saved automatically.
- Status: the visibility of the category/product. When it is hidden (visibility_off) it does not appear in the public catalogue, but it can still be edited and it is still shown while Edit mode is on, marked with the Hidden badge. When it is visible it is shown (visibility).
- WordPress module: an optional integration that syncs the category/product with an external WordPress site. When it is on, the item is marked with the WP badge.
- Quote: the sales document that groups the selected products with their quantities and prices. It is generated from the Create Quote button.
- Tree view: a vertical hierarchical representation of categories and subcategories. It alternates with the grid view (cards) through the Tree button.
- Sorting mode: the editing state where items have a distinct header background and can be dragged to a different position. It is switched on and off with the Edit button.
Frequently asked questions
Q: How do I create a new category?
A: Click the Categories button. A modal opens with the Name field (mandatory) and the Category image field. If you use WordPress, switch on the WordPress module toggle. Click Save to create it.
Q: How do I add products to a category?
A: Click the Products button. A modal opens so you can add existing products to that category. Products are created in the Products section; here they are only assigned.
Q: How do I change the order of categories or products?
A: Click the Edit button to enter sorting mode: the items show a distinct header background and you can drag them to another position. The new order is saved automatically. Click Edit again to leave.
Q: What is the "Tree" button for?
A: It switches between the grid view (cards) and the Tree view, a vertical hierarchical representation where you see categories, subcategories and products nested by levels.
Q: How do I hide a category from the catalogue without deleting it?
A: Use the visibility / visibility_off icon. Setting it to visibility_off stops the category (or the product) appearing in the public catalogue, but it still exists and you can still edit it. Click it again to show it once more (visibility).
Q: A category shows when I click "Edit" and disappears when I turn it off. Why?
A: It is hidden. Edit mode shows the whole catalogue so you can manage it, hidden items included; when you leave, the hidden items stop showing. It has not been deleted. To find which one it is: go into Edit and look for the card with the red Hidden badge (it is also dimmed in grey). Click its visibility_off icon to switch it to visibility and the category appears in the catalogue again. The same applies to a product, and it looks the same in the Tree view. Another possible cause if you use the WordPress integration: the toolbar filter is on ERP only and the category is marked as available in WordPress — set the filter to All and it will show again.
Q: What is the "WP" or "WordPress module" toggle?
A: It controls whether the category/product is synced with your integrated WordPress site. When it is on, the WP badge appears. The WP toggle is on the card; the WordPress module toggle (Enable / Disable) is inside the category editing modal.
Q: How do I see only the ERP items, only the WordPress ones, or the whole catalogue?
A: With the filter button in the top toolbar (it only appears if you have the WordPress integration active). Each click changes the button text between ERP only, WordPress only and All. It defaults to All (no filter); ERP only hides whatever you have marked as available in WordPress, and WordPress only shows just that. So you can tell which one you are on without reading the text, each state has a different colour and icon: teal with a shop icon (ERP only), violet with a globe icon (WordPress only) and grey with an infinity icon (All). Your choice is remembered for the next time you come in.
Q: How do I edit the name or the image of a category?
A: Click the edit icon on the category. The modal opens with the Name and Category image fields and the WordPress module toggle. Change whatever you need and click Save, or Cancel to leave without saving.
Q: How do I delete a category?
A: Click the delete icon in the list, or the Delete button inside the editing modal (that one only appears if the category already exists). In both cases a confirmation modal opens before anything is deleted.
Q: How do I generate a quote from here?
A: Select the items and click Create Quote. The sales form opens so you can generate the quote with the selected products, their quantities and their prices.
Q: I opened a branch of the tree and it says "No items". What does that mean?
A: That branch is expanded but does not contain any subcategories or products yet. Add products with the Products button, or create subcategories to fill it.
Q: What is the difference between a product and a category?
A: A category groups related products together (for example "Vinyl" or "Photocopies"): it is a folder in your catalogue. A product is a specific quotable item (for example "Business cards" or "Flyer") that opens its own quoting engine. When you click a category you go into its family (its subcategories and products); when you click a product you move on to quoting/configuring that product. Categories are managed here; products are created and configured in the Products section.
Q: What is the Edit (sorting) button in Categories for?
A: The Edit button enters sorting mode so you can lay out the VISUAL catalogue screen: reordering categories and products by dragging them. That organises how the catalogue looks, it does not change the internal calculation of a product. To touch a product's substrates, machines, operations, inks or prices you have to go INSIDE the product (the Products section).