This Software typically comes with several default categories and subcategories at the "main" level and displayed in a table format. These categories can be easily edited or deleted. Before deleting them, however, take a look at the row for each category.

You will notice that within the table on this page, there are several columns associated with each category that will allow you to perform a variety of different functions. Each of these are explained below:

This column displays the name of the category that was assigned when the category was originally created. Next to each category is the category id issued to that category when it was created. Each category id is unique to that category. This category id is how the system navigates to a category on the client side. When navigating to a specific category you will see the category id in the url whether using the Geodesic SEO module or not. With the SEO module OFF a standard link to a category with the category id of 20 would look like this:

index.php?a=5&b=20

or

http://www.mysite.com/index.php?a=5&b=20

The category id can be useful if you wanted to create your own link to a specific category from another site or when creating a category link within your site. You will use the form above and the category id for that specific category to be linked to create that category link.

SEO module note: Specific links to categories will still have the category id within them unless you create specific definitions within your htaccess file to link to specific categories. We do not suggest this unless you are very familiar with creating the "rules" within the htaccess file that mod_rewrite can understand.

This gives you the ability to edit this categories name, description, category icon, category specific field settings, category specific listing durations and category specific templates associated with this category (and or subcategories). This is explained in more detail within the Edit Category section of this User Manual.

Different editions of our software have different abilities within this admin tool. Check your edition to see what is listed.

This feature allows you to delete the category from the system. One important feature that is offered is that if that category currently has active listings on your site, you will be given a chance to either move those listings to a different category, or delete the listings along with the category deletion.

<tip c n>Only terminal (or bottom level) categories can be deleted. If there is no delete button for a specific category that category has subcategories. So to delete a category without a delete button you will need to delete that categories subcategories first.</tip>

This button will allow you to view all subcategories for that category if any exist. If no subcategories have been created yet, this button will not appear, but you can still enter the category by clicking its name on the left.

<tip c n>To add a subcategory to a specific category you need to "enter" that category and then click the "Add a New Category to this Level" link.</tip>

This column allows you to set up category specific questions for that specific category and its subcategories. These questions will only pertain to this category and subcategories. You also will have the option to copy your "category specific questions" from one category to another. Category specific question are discussed in more detail within the Category Specific Questions section.

Just as you would suspect, this button takes you to a page that will allow you to add a category to the current (parent) level category you are in.

Sometimes category counts (number of listings in each category) can get a little out of sequence if some internal systems are bypassed. If this happens, click on this button to force the system to regenerate all category counts on the site.

The "copy subcategories" page allows you to copy the entire subcategory structure from one category to another category without having to do any typing. This can be an invaluable feature and time saver as your site grows and you want to add more categories or redistribute the ones you have. You will also have the option to copy all category questions between categories.

This feature is similar to the "copy subcategories" feature except that it only pertains to the copying of category specific questions between categories. The category tree structure will remain unchanged.

For each language on your site, you can set different default contents to add to the {header_html} tag. This is an ideal place for META Tags for META description, META keywords, and similar.

For any categories that have Add extra to {header_html} from: set to "Default", it will use the text here for that language. Enter the default text you wish to be added to the {header_html} tag contents.

<tip c n>Design Tip: You can use a sub-template rather than entering the text to add directly in the text box. The template must be in your main_page templates. To do so, in the box enter something like this:

template:template_filename.tpl

You would replace template_filename.tpl in that example with the template filename you wish to use.

Note that this functionality is unique to {header_html} that is added on category pages.</tip>

Managing categories and the possible category specific setting opportunities can unlock potential within your installation. The categories setup section of the wiki can help you release the potential of your site.

One of the powerful aspects of this software is that you can set various site-wide field settings under the following admin tool:

Listing Setup > Fields to Use

but then also deviate from those settings on a category by category basis through the “edit category” section associated with each category in the categories setup admin tool.

For instance, under

Listing Setup > Listing Durations

you can specify certain durations (# of days) that the seller can choose from while listing their item. These durations are applied as an option across all categories in the system. However, you can then create listing durations on a category by category basis also. These category specific listing durations will then take precedence over those that are used sitewide in

Listing Setup > Listing Durations

For those categories that you have not specified category specific listing durations in that category or any of their parent categories the site-wide listing durations will still apply.