In Lightspeed eCom (E-Series), you can create categories that are imported from your Retail POS catalog, or online-specific categories created specifically for your eCom online catalog.

After creating online-specific categories and subcategories in eCom (E-Series), you can customize category settings to change how they appear on your website by adding images, writing SEO descriptions, rearranging or deleting categories, and more.

Making changes to online-specific categories will not affect Retail POS categories. In-store categories must be managed through your catalog in Retail POS, which will then sync to eCom.

Adding category descriptions

Category descriptions appear near the category name on your site to help customers better understand what products they can find in a certain category.

To add a description to an online-specific product category:

1. In Retail POS, navigate to Online > Webstore.
2. In the Categories tab, click the category or subcategory name listed under Categories on the left.
3. In the Description box, add or update the description to help customers better understand the category products.
4. Click Save.

Adding category images

You can add images to categories to give customers a visual overview of the category. Images are displayed on the storefront when customers view the list of categories.

To add an image to an online-specific product category:

1. In Retail POS, navigate to Online > Webstore.
2. In the Categories tab, click the category or subcategory name listed under Categories on the left.
3. Under Category Image, click Choose File to select an image to represent the category on your site.
4. Click Save.

Updating SEO settings for categories

SEO (Search Engine Optimization) settings, like URLs, page titles, and meta descriptions, improve how your site appears in search engine results like Google.

Meta descriptions, or search descriptions, are short summaries of a page’s content that appear below the page title in search engine results. You can use them to describe specific category pages on your site and help attract clicks.

To update SEO settings for an online-specific product category:

1. In Retail POS, navigate to Online > Webstore.
2. In the Categories tab, click the category or subcategory name listed under Categories on the left.
3. Switch to the SEO tab to customize how the category page will show up in search engines like Google:

   

4. Click Save.

Repeat the steps for each category on your site.

Customizing category URLs

Category URLs are automatically generated based on your domain and site structure plus the name of your category, for example: mystore.site/products/cups--mugs-12345. You can also provide a specific URL slug (unique identifier at the end of the URL) if a more custom option would improve navigation and make it easier for search engines to find your page and list it in the search results.

When you change a URL, your previous URL will redirect to the new one.

Custom URLs are automatically available in all stores registered after June 17, 2024. If you signed up earlier, you can enable the feature in your eCom (E-Series) Admin under Settings > What's New.

To edit a category's URL:

1. In Retail POS, navigate to Online > Webstore.
2. In the Categories tab, click the category name listed under Categories on the left.
3. Click the SEO tab, then click Customize category URL.
4. In the text box, type a new URL slug, for example winter-fashion.
5. Click Save.

Updating category preview designs

You can change how your category name and images are displayed on your site, as well as hide them from your eCom storefront.

To change how a category preview is displayed:

1. In Retail POS, navigate to Online > Webstore and click the Design tab.
2. Scroll down to the Category name position section.

   

3. Select your preferred setting to determine if or where the category name is displayed or if images are hidden. A preview of the design changes will appear to the right.

Changes are saved automatically and updated on your eCom storefront.

Sorting categories, subcategories, and products

You can choose how products appear within a category and how online-specific categories and subcategories are ordered in your catalog.

Changing the products order on your site won’t affect the order in your Retail POS catalog. Categories created in Retail POS appear in alphabetical order and can’t be reordered.

To sort categories or products within categories in your online catalog:

1. In Retail POS, navigate to Online > Webstore.
2. In the Categories tab, click and hold the category's name and drag it up or down to change its placement in the list.
3. To sort products inside a category, click the category name, switch to the Category products tab, then click and hold the product’s name and drag up or down to change its placement in the list.

Translating categories

If your site is multilingual, you can translate categories names and descriptions so that they appear in the relevant language when a visitor switches the language on your site.

You can also translate your SEO settings to help search engines show relevant results to customers browsing in different languages.

To add translations to a product category:

1. In Retail POS, navigate to Online > Webstore.
2. In the Categories tab, click the category or subcategory name listed under Categories on the left.
3. In the General tab, scroll down to the Translations section and add translations for the category’s name and description.
4. Switch to the SEO tab and add translations for the SEO settings.
5. Click Save.

Changing the name of the Featured Products section

The Featured Products section is a default category on your eCom website and the first category that customers see on your site.

To change the name of the Featured Products category:

1. In Retail POS, navigate to Online > Overview and click Go to eCom (E-Series).

   

2. In your eCom admin, go to Settings > Edit Store Labels.
3. Click + Get Started.

4. Type “featured” in the search bar.

5. In the Featured Products field, enter your new category name.

The new category name will automatically save and be updated on your eCom storefront.

Hiding categories or subcategories

You can hide a category or subcategory from your online store without deleting it by disabling it. Disabling a category will also hide its subcategories.

To hide an online-specific category or subcategory:

1. In Retail POS, navigate to Online > Webstore.
2. In the Categories tab, click the category or subcategory name listed under Categories on the left.
3. Under Availability, click Disable. To re-enable, click Enable:

   

4. Click Save.

The category will no longer be visible to customers.

Deleting categories or subcategories

If you use categories from your Retail POS catalog, you need to delete categories in Retail POS to remove them from both Retail POS and your website. Products will still be in your catalog but will no longer be assigned to a deleted category.

For online-specific categories, you need to delete them from the Online page in Retail POS. Deleting an online category does not affect your in-store catalog. When you delete an online-specific root category, the products assigned to it are moved to the online-only Featured Products shown on the storefront of your online shop, which is not synced with Retail POS. If you delete a subcategory, it will be removed from your site, and the products it contained will no longer be assigned to the deleted subcategory. Deleting a category will also delete its subcategories.

Permanently deleting an online-specific category or subcategory does not affect your Retail POS catalog.

Deleting a category can’t be undone.

To delete an online-specific category or subcategory:

1. In Retail POS, navigate to Online > Webstore.
2. In the Categories tab, click the category or subcategory name listed under Categories on the left.
3. Click Delete Category.

What’s next?