Categories & Services

Understanding Your Category System

Your marketplace uses a 3-level category structure to organize services:

1. Main Categories - Top-level categories (e.g., "Design", "Development")
2. Subcategories - Second level under main categories (e.g., "Logo Design" under "Design")
3. Child Categories - Third level for specific niches (e.g., "Minimalist Logos" under "Logo Design")

Managing Main Categories

Viewing All Categories

1. Go to Categories → Categories in your admin panel
2. You'll see a table with:
   • Category icon (if uploaded)
   • Category name
   • Number of gigs in this category
   • Number of projects in this category
   • Creation date
   • Edit button (pencil icon)
   • Delete button (trash icon)

The page shows 42 categories at a time with pagination.

Creating a New Category

1. Click Create new button at the top right
2. Fill in the form:

Language Translations: Each enabled language has its own section. Click the pencil icon next to the language flag to expand:

• Category Name (required) - The display name in that language
• Top Custom Content - HTML content shown at the top of the category page
• Bottom Custom Content - HTML content shown at the bottom of the category page

General Settings:

• Category Slug - URL-friendly name (auto-generated but can be customized)
• Description - SEO description for search engines
• Category Icon - Small icon file (JPG, PNG, GIF, SVG accepted)
• Category Image - Larger image for category displays (JPG, PNG, GIF, SVG accepted)
• Show this category in home page - Toggle ON to display on homepage

3. Click Create to save

Editing a Category

1. Click the pencil icon next to any category
2. All fields can be modified including:
   • Name translations
   • Content sections
   • Images and icons
   • Visibility settings
3. Click Update to save changes

Deleting a Category

Click the trash icon to delete. Important: You cannot delete a category that has gigs or projects. The system will show an error asking you to reassign the content first.

Managing Subcategories

Viewing Subcategories

1. Go to Categories → Subcategories
2. The table shows:
   • Subcategory icon
   • Name
   • Parent category
   • Gigs count
   • Projects count
   • Edit/Delete buttons

Creating a Subcategory

1. Click Create new
2. Select Parent Category from the dropdown
3. Add name translations for each language
4. Set slug, description, and upload images
5. Click Create

Editing Subcategories

Works the same as main categories. You can also change the parent category when editing.

Managing Child Categories

Viewing Child Categories

Go to Categories → Child categories to see:

• Child category details
• Parent subcategory
• Parent main category
• Content counts
• Action buttons

Creating a Child Category

1. Click Create new
2. Select the Main Category first
3. Select the Subcategory under that main category
4. Add translations and details
5. Click Create

Working with Multiple Languages

The system supports full translation for all category levels:

1. Click the pencil icon next to a language flag
2. The section expands showing:
   • Name field (required)
   • Top content area (optional HTML)
   • Bottom content area (optional HTML)
3. Add your translations
4. These appear when users switch languages on the frontend

Images and Icons

File Requirements:

• Formats: JPG, PNG, JPEG, GIF, SVG
• Icon Size: Automatically resized to 100x100 pixels
• Image: Larger images for category pages
• Upload: Uses BladeWind file picker

Important System Behaviors

Category Relationships

• Categories track both gigs and projects separately
• Counts are displayed in the listing tables
• Parent-child relationships are enforced

Deletion Rules

• Cannot delete categories with active content
• Must reassign or remove gigs/projects first
• Deleting parents affects all children

Visibility Control

• "Show in home page" toggle only affects homepage display
• Categories remain accessible via direct links and search
• Hidden categories are still available for selection

URL Slugs

• Automatically generated from the name
• Can be customized manually
• Must be unique within each level
• Used in category page URLs

HTML Content Areas

• Top and bottom content fields accept HTML
• Allows custom formatting and styling
• Useful for SEO content and category descriptions
• Can include links, images, and formatted text

Common Tasks

Finding Unused Categories: Look for categories showing 0 gigs and 0 projects in the count columns.

Moving Content Between Categories: This is done through the Gigs or Projects management sections, not here.

Managing Display Order: Categories are displayed by creation date (newest first). Custom ordering would need to be added.

Bulk Operations: Currently not available - categories must be managed one at a time.

Tips for Success

1. Start Simple: Begin with 5-10 main categories and expand as needed
2. Clear Names: Use terms your customers understand
3. Consistent Icons: Keep a uniform style for professional appearance
4. SEO Descriptions: Add meaningful descriptions for better search ranking
5. Regular Review: Check for unused categories monthly