Assigning catalog entries to a single sales category

You can assign existing catalog entries to a sales category for your store. When you are assigning catalog entries to a sales category, you can choose to assign one or multiple catalog entries at a time to the category.

Note: To assign catalog entries to multiple sales categories simultaneously, use catalog entry assignments. For more information, see Adding catalog entries to multiple sales categories.
If you want to assign catalog entries to a rule-based sales category, complete one of the following tasks:

About this task

You can assign product, bundle, kits, or category SKUs to a sales category.
Notes:
  • You cannot create new catalog entries in a sales category, nor can you assign product SKUs to a sales category. When you assign a product, the SKUs for that product are automatically assigned to the category.
  • You can copy catalog entries to a sales category only if they exist in the master catalog.

You can define search conditions to help you find and assign catalog entries to a category faster and easier. Within the Assign tab in the sales category properties view, you can define search conditions that retrieve a list of matching catalog entries to assign to the category. You can save the most recent search conditions for the category and use those conditions again in the future to find catalog entries that are not already in the category. By saving and reusing the search conditions for the category, you can make updating a category faster and easier.

Procedure

  1. Open the Catalogs tool.
  2. From the explorer filter, select Sales Catalog Categories.
  3. Use one of the following methods to locate and assign catalog entries to the category:
    • Use the utilities view to browse or search for the catalog entries.
      1. In the explorer view, go to the sales category. Click the category. The sales category Catalog Entries List displays in the main work area.
      2. Click Show utilities view to open the utilities view.
      3. In the Find tab, search for the catalog entry you want to assign, or select the Browse tab, and browse to the catalog entry.
      4. Drag the catalog entry into the Catalog Entries List for the category. You can drag a single catalog entry, or highlight and drag multiple catalog entries into the category.
      5. Click Save.
    • Use the Assign tab to define search conditions to find catalog entries. You can refine the search conditions and run multiple searches to find catalog entries.
      1. In the explorer view, go to the sales category. Right-click the category and click Open. The properties view for the sales category displays in the main work area.
      2. Click the Assign tab.
      3. Expand the Search conditions section. Define the search conditions that you want to use to find catalog entries.
        Search condition Description
        Search filters You can define a search filter condition that uses any of the following types of catalog objects:
        Catalog entry properties
        You can use any of the following types of properties:
        • Code
        • Manufacturer Name
        • Manufacturer Part Number
        • Name
        • Short Description
        • Inventory - A developer must first build the inventory index.
        Categories
        You can use master categories and sales categories.
        Attribute dictionary attributes
        If you want to use an attribute dictionary attribute, the attribute must be enabled for use in merchandising. For more information about setting the properties for an attribute dictionary attribute, see Creating attributes in the attribute dictionary.
        Sort criteria You can sort the catalog entry search results by the following criteria:
        • Manufacturer Name
        • Name
        • Offer Price
        Exclude already assigned catalog entries from results Select this check box to exclude a catalog entry from the search results that display in the utilities view when the catalog entry is already assigned to the category. For example, if you are reusing saved search filters to update the catalog entries in the category, selecting this check box can help you find catalog entries that you need to assign to the category quicker.

        By default, this check box is not selected and the search results can include catalog entries that might already be in the category.
      4. Click Find catalog entries. The utilities view opens and displays the search results in a table within the Find tab. The search results list is sorted based on your specified sort criteria. To view more table columns, right-click a column heading and click Configure Columns. Select the columns that you want to view and click OK.
      5. In the main work area, expand the Assign catalog entries to category section.
      6. Drag the catalog entries that you want to assign to the category from the utilities view into the Assigned catalog entries table in the main work area. You can drag a single catalog entry, or highlight and drag multiple catalog entries into the table.

        You can also click the sales category in the explorer view to view the Catalog Entries List for the category in the main work area. You can then drag one or more catalog entries that match your search conditions into this list.

        Note: You cannot assign duplicate catalog entries into the category. If you want to drag multiple catalog entries into the table, ensure that you do not highlight any catalog entry that is already in the category. You also cannot assign product SKUs directly to a sales category. When you assign a product, the child SKUs for that product are automatically assigned to the category.
      7. Edit the values for the Sequence column in the Assigned catalog entries table to set the display order for the catalog entries in the storefront.
      8. Click Save. Then, click Close.
  4. Optional: Preview your sales category.
    1. From the explorer view, right-click the sales category. Click Open.
    2. Complete one of the following tasks
      • In the toolbar, click the Open Store Preview Dialog button.
      • In the upper-right corner of the main work area, click Save and Preview.
      The store preview opens in a separate window. You can now view how your category looks in your store.
    3. To close the preview, click the Close button in the upper-right corner of the preview window.