Categories & channels
Categories organize products for humans and navigation. Channels define where you sell and what data each destination requires.
Categories
What categories do
- Group products in the PIM and Brand Hub
- Drive navigation and filters on buyer-facing views
- Link to channel-specific requirements when a channel uses category mappings
Build the tree
- Open Categories.
- Create a root and child nodes (e.g. Apparel → Footwear → Running).
- Assign products to the most specific node that fits.
- Avoid duplicate paths — one primary category per product is typical.
Channel mappings
For marketplaces (especially Amazon), internal categories often map to external taxonomy nodes. Configure mappings in the channel or integration settings so exports use the correct browse node.
Channels
What a channel represents
A channel is a sales destination: Amazon US, Shopify EU, B2B portal, etc. Each channel can have:
- Its own locales (languages)
- Required attributes per family
- Completeness rules before export
Create a channel
- Open Channels → Create.
- Name and code the channel (e.g.
amazon-us,shopify-de). - Enable locales you will publish in.
- Attach product families that can be sold on this channel.
- Set completeness thresholds (minimum score to export).
Locales
Locale = language + regional context (e.g. en_US, de_DE). Attribute values can differ per locale on the same channel.
| Mistake | Fix |
|---|---|
| Copy only in default locale | Fill each locale tab before export |
| One channel for all countries | Split channels when rules differ (Amazon US vs UK) |
How categories and channels work together
Completeness is evaluated per product × channel × locale — not globally.