Managing Categories

Categories help organize your products in the shop, making it easier for customers to browse and find the game servers they want. This guide covers creating and managing product categories in the admin panel.

Overview

What are Categories?

Categories are organizational groups that contain related products. They:

• Organize products - Group similar game servers together

• Improve navigation - Help customers find what they need

• Visual presentation - Display with images on shop homepage

• Prioritize products - Control display order

Examples of Categories

By game type:

• Minecraft Servers

• CS:GO Servers

• ARK Servers

• Rust Servers

• Multi-Game Servers

By use case:

• Budget Servers

• Premium Servers

• Professional Hosting

• Game-Specific Hosting

By features:

• DDoS Protected

• High Performance

• Storage Optimized

Category Strategy

Choose category organization that makes sense for your product lineup. Consider your customers' browsing habits and what distinctions matter most to them.

Accessing Category Management

To manage categories:

1. Log into the Admin Panel

2. Click Shop in the admin sidebar

3. Select Categories

Required permission: access_categories or admin role

Category List

The category list displays:

• Category name - Display name

• Description - Brief category description

• Priority - Sort order (lower numbers first)

• Featured - Whether shown on homepage

• Product count - Number of products in category

• Actions - Edit, delete

Sorting

Categories are displayed in order of:

1. Priority (ascending) - Lower priority numbers appear first

2. Name (alphabetical) - If priorities are equal

Example order:

• Priority 1: Minecraft Servers

• Priority 2: ARK Servers

• Priority 3: CS:GO Servers

• Priority 10: Other Servers

Creating Categories

How to Create a Category

To create a new category:

1. Click Create Category or Add New

2. Fill in the category form

3. Click Save

Category Fields

Name (Required)

• Display name shown in shop

• Keep concise but descriptive

• Examples: "Minecraft Servers", "Voice Servers", "Budget Options"

Naming tips:

• Clear and specific

• 2-4 words ideal

• Avoid abbreviations customers won't recognize

• Consider SEO if applicable

Description (Optional)

• Brief description of category

• Shown on category page or tooltips

• Helps customers understand what's included

• Markdown supported for formatting

Example descriptions:

• "High-performance Minecraft hosting with instant setup"

• "Affordable game server options perfect for small communities"

• "Professional-grade servers with DDoS protection"

Image (Optional)

• Visual representation of category

• Shown on shop homepage and category cards

• Recommended size: 400x300px or similar

• Accepts JPG, PNG, GIF

Image tips:

• Use game logos or related artwork

• Ensure consistent style across categories

• High quality, professional appearance

• Consider brand guidelines and licensing

Priority (Required)

• Sort order - Lower numbers displayed first

• Default: 0

• Use increments of 10 for easy reordering

Priority strategy:

Priority 10: Most popular category
Priority 20: Second most popular
Priority 30: Third category
Priority 100: Less common options

This leaves room to insert categories later (e.g., priority 15 between 10 and 20).

Featured (Optional)

• Checkbox - Whether category appears on homepage

• Featured categories get prominent display

• Use for main product categories

• Typically 3-6 featured categories

When to feature:

• Main product categories

• Current promotions

• New product launches

• Most popular options

Homepage Layout

The number of featured categories displayed depends on your theme. Most themes show 3-6 featured categories prominently on the landing page.

Editing Categories

How to Edit a Category

To modify an existing category:

1. Find the category in the list

2. Click Edit button or category name

3. Modify fields

4. Click Save

Common Edits

Reordering categories:

• Change priority numbers

• Lower priority = displayed first

• Save and refresh shop to see changes

Updating images:

• Replace with better image

• Seasonal variations

• Branding updates

Adjusting descriptions:

• Clarify category purpose

• Add promotional messages

• Update for accuracy

Featuring/unfeaturing:

• Toggle featured status

• Promote seasonal categories

• Highlight new offerings

Featured Categories

What are Featured Categories?

Featured categories receive special prominence:

• Homepage display - Shown on landing page

• Visual cards - Larger, more prominent display

• Quick access - Customers see them first

Managing Featured Status

To feature a category:

1. Edit the category

2. Check the Featured checkbox

3. Save

To unfeature:

1. Edit the category

2. Uncheck the Featured checkbox

3. Save

Featured Category Strategy

Best practices:

• Feature 3-6 main categories (theme-dependent)

• Prioritize most popular products

• Rotate seasonally if applicable

• Balance product diversity

Example featured categories:

• Minecraft Servers (most popular)

• Voice Servers (common need)

• Budget Options (price-sensitive customers)

• Premium Servers (upsell opportunity)

Deleting Categories

How to Delete a Category

To remove a category:

1. Find the category in the list

2. Click Delete button

3. Confirm deletion

Deletion Requirements

Cannot Delete Categories with Products

You cannot delete a category that contains products. First reassign or delete all products in that category, then delete the category.

Before deleting:

1. Check product count

2. Reassign products to different category

3. Or delete products first (if appropriate)

4. Then delete empty category

Reassigning Products

To move products to another category:

1. Go to Products management

2. Edit each product in the old category

3. Change category to new one

4. Save product

5. Repeat for all products

6. Then delete old category

Category Organization Best Practices

Logical Grouping

Group by similarity:

• Game type (Minecraft, ARK, Rust)

• Server purpose (PvP, PvE, Creative)

• Performance tier (Budget, Standard, Premium)

• Features (Modded, Vanilla, Custom)

Keep focused:

• Each category should have clear identity

• Products within category should be related

• Avoid catch-all "Other" categories if possible

Naming Conventions

Clear and descriptive:

• Customer should immediately understand category

• Use familiar terminology

• Avoid internal jargon or abbreviations

Consistent style:

• All singular or all plural

• "Minecraft Servers" not "Minecraft Server"

• "Voice Hosting" not "Voice"

SEO-friendly:

• Include relevant keywords

• "Minecraft Server Hosting" better than just "Minecraft"

Visual Consistency

Images:

• Similar style across all categories

• Same dimensions/aspect ratio

• Professional quality

• Recognizable imagery

Colors/branding:

• Match your overall theme

• Consistent treatment

• High contrast for readability

Priority Strategy

Prioritize by:

1. Popularity - Most purchased products first

2. Profit margin - Higher-margin products prominent

3. Strategic goals - Products you want to promote

4. Alphabetical - Fallback for equal importance

Example priority scheme:

10 - Minecraft (most popular)
20 - ARK (second most popular)
30 - Rust (third most popular)
40 - CS:GO (fourth most popular)
50 - Voice Servers (utility category)
60 - Other Games (catch-all)

Featured Strategy

Feature your best:

• Top 3-4 most popular categories

• Best-selling product categories

• Strategic promotions

• New offerings you want to highlight

Rotate seasonally:

• Summer: Games popular in summer

• Winter: Indoor gaming focus

• Holidays: Gift-friendly options

Use Cases

New Shop Setup

Initial categories:

1. Create 3-5 broad categories

2. Feature all of them initially

3. Set priorities by expected popularity

4. Add images representing each game type

5. Create products within categories

6. Refine based on early sales data

Expanding Product Line

Adding new game:

1. Decide: New category or existing?

2. If new category: Create category first

3. Set appropriate priority (after similar products)

4. Consider featuring temporarily for visibility

5. Create products in new category

Seasonal Promotion

Creating promotional category:

1. Create "Summer Sale" or "Holiday Deals" category

2. Set high priority (low number, e.g., 5)

3. Feature it prominently

4. Move sale products into category temporarily

5. After promotion: Move products back, delete category

Reorganization

Improving shop organization:

1. Analyze sales data and customer behavior

2. Identify poorly performing categories

3. Merge similar categories if needed

4. Rename for clarity

5. Adjust priorities based on popularity

6. Update images for consistency

Troubleshooting

Category Not Showing in Shop

Possible causes:

• No products in category

• All products inactive

• Theme configuration

• Cache issues

Solutions:

1. Verify category has active products

2. Check product "Is Active" status

3. Clear shop cache if applicable

4. Review theme settings

5. Check permissions

Cannot Delete Category

Problem: Error when trying to delete category.

Cause: Category still contains products.

Solution:

1. Go to Products list

2. Filter by this category

3. Reassign all products to different category

4. Or delete products if appropriate

5. Then delete category

Category Order Wrong

Problem: Categories displaying in unexpected order.

Cause: Priority numbers not set correctly.

Solution:

1. Review priority of all categories

2. Remember: Lower priority = displayed first

3. Adjust priorities with gaps (10, 20, 30)

4. Save and refresh shop

Featured Categories Not Showing

Possible causes:

• Not marked as featured

• Theme limits

• Homepage configuration

• Cache

Solutions:

1. Verify featured checkbox is checked

2. Check theme documentation for limits

3. Review homepage/landing page settings

4. Clear cache

5. Test with different theme if available

Image Not Displaying

Possible causes:

• File size too large

• Invalid file format

• Upload failed

• Permission issues

Solutions:

1. Verify image format (JPG, PNG, GIF)

2. Compress large images (< 2MB recommended)

3. Try uploading again

4. Check server error logs

5. Test with different image

Security Considerations

Permission Management

Who should access:

• Shop administrators

• Product managers

• Marketing team (possibly read-only)

Who should NOT access:

• Regular support staff

• Customers

• Unauthorized personnel

Changes Impact

Be careful when:

• Deleting categories (need product reassignment)

• Changing featured categories (affects homepage)

• Renaming popular categories (customer confusion)

• Reordering drastically (disrupts familiarity)

Best practices:

• Make changes during low-traffic periods

• Communicate major reorganizations to customers

• Keep category structure stable once established

Related Guides

• Managing Products - Creating products within categories

• Product Health Status - Ensuring products are configured correctly

• Business Configuration - Products & Categories - Overview of product organization

• Landing Page Customization - Customizing category display

Need More Help?

For advanced category management:

• Contact PteroCA support

• Review theme documentation for category display

• Visit community forums and Discord