Product hierarchies
Product hierarchies in Bizzkit PIM are data structures consisting of product categories. Each product category can contain a variable number of products, making product hierarchies the ideal solution for structuring products.
Ensuring that products are part of a logical structure, meaning they belong to one or multiple product categories, is typically a good starting point for working with product data in PIM, as it helps increase the findability of products internally in PIM.
PIM's internal product hierarchies are exposed through the resolved views, allowing the use of a product hierarchy structured in PIM externally as well.
Product hierarchies vs. product categories
These terms are often used together and sometimes confused with each other. The rule of thumb is: a product hierarchy is a tree structure of product categories.
Product placement
Each level, including the root level, of a product hierarchy can be used as a product category for placing products. Placing products into product categories is done through one of the following PIM functions:
- Place products in category bulk operation
- CSV import
- JSON import
Attributes and metadata
Product categories can be equipped with attributes, which is useful when a PIM product hierarchy is used for presenting product categories in the storefront. Adding attributes to product categories can, for example, be used to add descriptions, images, and labels to a product category, or even metadata to control the visibility of a specific product category.
Besides the possibility of adding attributes to product categories, the properties System name and Name must always be set when creating a product category.
Enrichers and validators
Product categories have the option of adding a product enricher and a product validator, making product categories a key element in the product enrichment process.
When adding a product enricher to a product category, it will run on placement of products in that product category and with that particular product category as the primary. Read more about product enrichers and how to configure them.
Tip
Product enrichers can also be run manually by running the Enrich products bulk operation.
When adding a product validator to a category, it will run for all products being a part of that product category. Read more about when validators are run.
For both enrichers and validators on product categories, it applies that they can inherit from parent categories. Applying this feature means that any enricher or validator present on the product category above the current level in the hierarchy will run before those on the current category.