Product Categories
Tip: In this guide, you will check whether default categories are enough, prepare 3 to 4 main categories, and copy frontend category links. Estimated time: 5 minutes.
Product categories decide how visitors browse products. They also affect homepage category modules, product filtering, and SEO links. Start with main categories instead of making them too detailed.
Creating and saving a product category means its product category page and link already exist.
Do not create another category link in Routes or add a duplicate page. For navigation, choose Internal -> Products -> Product Category -> Target category in the designer.
Check whether the default categories are enough first. Rename them and update their slugs and descriptions when possible; only add categories when the list is clearly insufficient. For the first round, 3 to 4 main categories are usually enough.
Find the page first
Path: AllinCMS Workspace site list → Target site → Enter Admin → Products → Categories
Overview
1. Check Existing Categories
In the site admin, open Products, then find the category management entry.
Check the list first:
| What you see | What to do |
|---|---|
| 3 to 4 categories already exist | Edit names, slugs, and descriptions |
| Only 1 to 2 categories exist | Add until there are 3 to 4 main categories |
| No categories exist | Create 3 to 4 main categories |
| Many messy categories exist | Keep the main ones, rename or remove test categories |
2. Decide the First Categories
For the first round, use only 3 to 4 main categories:
Wireless Earphones
Bluetooth Speakers
Smart Watches
Accessories
For a bag business, you may use:
Backpacks
Travel Bags
Tote Bags
Accessories
Category names should be easy to understand. Do not use Category 1, Product Series, or test, because unclear names also make menu and homepage setup harder.
3. Check Slug
Slug is the English identifier in the category link. The system may generate it automatically, but you should still check it.
Recommended:
wireless-earphones
Avoid:
1780400083056
chanpin
fenlei1
test
A clear slug helps visitors and search engines understand the category.
4. Note: Top Menu Does Not Sync Automatically
Maintain the top menu separately. Renaming a product category or changing its slug does not update the frontend Products dropdown automatically. Update the matching category name and link in the menu manually.
The screenshot below shows the frontend Products dropdown menu. The category names and links displayed here must be maintained separately in the designer.
Edit path:
Theme -> Pages -> Design -> click the top menu -> find dropdown/menu items in the right properties panel
Update the menu text to the category name, then set the link to the corresponding category link. If you have not copied the category link yet, copy the real frontend link in the next step first.
For detailed dropdown setup, see Dropdown Menu: Add a Dropdown Item.
5. Copy a Category Link Only When Manual Input Is Required
If the designer provides Internal -> Products -> Product Category, select the target category directly. You do not need to copy a link.
Only when a property requires a manually entered link, or the target category is not available in the dropdown, open the frontend /products page, click the category, and copy the path from the browser address bar.
It usually looks like:
/products?category=wireless-earphones
Use this real link in custom-link fields for menus, buttons, or homepage modules.
First-Round Standard
You can move on when:
- There are 3 to 4 main categories.
- Category names are not template/test text.
- Slugs use clear English.
- Categories can be clicked on the frontend
/productspage. - Category names and links in the top dropdown menu have been updated manually.
Pitfalls
| Mistake | Result | How to avoid it |
|---|---|---|
| 🟡 Too many categories | Homepage and menus get hard to maintain | Start with main categories |
| 🔴 Creating duplicates when categories already exist | The admin gets messy | Edit default categories first |
🔴 Slug like test | URL looks unprofessional | Use English business terms |
| 🟡 Guessing category links | Menu may show 404 | Copy real frontend path |
| 🔴 Editing admin categories only | Top dropdown still shows old categories | Update dropdown items in the designer manually |
Next
Add Products - after categories are organized, prepare 2 representative products for each category.