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Catalog structure

Build one category tree Every channel gets its own taxonomy

Drag and drop the tree into shape, file a product in as many categories as it belongs to, and map each one per channel.

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  • Unlimited nesting depth
  • Drag and drop reordering
  • One primary category per product

Key features

  • Nest as deep as the catalog needs

    Parent categories, subcategories and levels below that, reordered by dragging a branch to where it belongs.

  • Map a category per channel

    Point a WISEPIM category at the matching category on Shopify, WooCommerce or a marketplace, and exports land in the right place.

  • Let a category demand fields

    Attach required attributes to a category, so a product filed there is asked for the specs that category needs.

Assigning products

Filing products is a bulk action

Filter to a set of products and add them to one or more categories in a single run, without disturbing the categories they already sit in.

The assign-to-categories action: pick the categories, choose whether to add or replace, and the whole filtered selection moves at once.

How it works

From an empty tree to channel-ready

Three steps: the first two you do once, the third one runs on every export.

  1. 01

    Build the tree

    Add top-level categories for your main lines, then break them down. Drag a branch to a new parent and its subcategories move with it.

    A structure that matches how you actually browse the catalog.

  2. 02

    File the products

    Assign products one by one, in bulk from a filter, or by rule. A product can sit in several categories, with one marked primary.

  3. 03

    Map the tree onto each channel

    Link each category to the channel's own category. WISEPIM translates on export, so you keep one tree instead of one per channel.

    The same product lands in the right category on every channel.

Create a category

A category takes one dialog

Name it, pick its parent, and it appears in the tree where you put it, with its own description and SEO fields.

  • The parent decides the place

    Pick the parent in the dialog and the category slots straight into that branch instead of at the root.

  • Description and SEO fields included

    A category page needs its own copy: name, description, meta title and meta description live on the category itself.

  • Moving it later keeps the products

    Drag a category somewhere else and the products stay assigned to it. Restructuring changes the shape, not the data.

The create dialog: the parent selector on the right is what decides where the category lands in the tree.

In practice

One tree, three different catalogs

Where keeping one internal structure and mapping outward saves the duplicate work.

  • Several brands, several channels

    Each brand arrives with its own structure. They all file into one master tree, and the mapping sends each product to the right place per channel.

    Result: one tree to maintain instead of one per channel.

  • Seasonal campaign categories

    Add a temporary category for the campaign, assign products in bulk, and remove it afterwards. The core structure is untouched.

    Result: a campaign that ends without a cleanup project.

  • A new marketplace

    Map your existing categories onto the new platform's taxonomy once, and the catalog exports categorized from the first run.

    Result: no second category tree to keep in sync.

FAQs

Category questions, answered

Depth, multi-category products, channel mapping and safe restructuring.

Still have questions?

Can't find the answer you're looking for? Please get in touch with our team.

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There is no limit on depth. You can create parent categories with subcategories nested as deep as your catalog requires. In practice 3 to 5 levels works well for most e-commerce catalogs; deeper trees get harder to navigate before they hit any technical limit.

Yes. Products can be assigned to multiple categories at the same time. You designate one as the Primary category, which is used as the main classification. Additional categories help with cross-selling and navigation on your sales channels.

Channel category mapping lets you link your WISEPIM categories to the category structures of your connected sales channels, such as Shopify, WooCommerce or a marketplace. The mapping is applied on export, so products appear in the right category on each platform without you maintaining a separate tree per channel.

Split a category when it holds products that buyers would look for separately. Merge two when the distinction between them confuses navigation more than it helps. Both keep the product assignments intact, so neither is a one-way door.

Drag and drop a category to change its position or its parent. Moving a category moves all its subcategories with it, and product assignments are preserved, so restructuring changes the shape of the tree without touching the products in it.

Next step

Build the tree onceMap it per channel

Build your tree on your own catalog for free, or bring your current category list to a call and we map it onto your channels.

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The full categories guide

How to build a tree, map categories onto each channel, and assign products in bulk or by rule.

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