Creating and Managing Categories

Category Management allows you to add, edit and delete navigation elements within your website. The Category manager also helps you to keep your website organized by allowing you to sort information into an infinite number of categories and subcategories.

To enter the Category Management section, click on the Categories link that is located in the main administrative menu at the top of your administrator panel.

Add new category

The Add category page will load in the right side (content side) of your Administrative panel as a default page when you access Category section, but we strongly recommend you to start adding your new category by selecting the button positioned at the top right corner of the content section:

How to Create a New Category

The form for creating a new category will appear. Fill in the necessary fields.

The category name field is required and others are optional.

Category name → Type in the name of the category

SE Friendly URL → Enter some search engine friendly URL (some name that is related to the name of your category) Note that in order to be able to use the Friendly URLs functionality, it should be turned on in the General preferences screen.

Parent category → when creating a main category; always select “Root” as your Parent Category. Only when creating a subcategory should you select its containing (parent) category.

Advanced options 

Number of articles → the number of articles that will be displayed in the category view. The more articles you have displayed, the longer the page will be. We recommend up to 10 articles per page.

Custom layout → Choose the layout from the drop-down menu (use system default, the inherit layout from the parent category or one of the optional) 

Article Custom layout → Choose the most appropriate layout for articles within a specified category.

 

Custom theme → Choose the theme from the drop-down menu (use system default, the inherit theme from the parent category or one of the optional)

Show in navigation → Select Yes if you want to display the category in the main website navigation, among other categories. Selecting No will make the category viewable only via direct URL.

Abstract Image → Upload an abstract image that you want to add to the category.

Adding an Abstract Image:

1. If the image is already on your server click on the Browse files icon and choose the current location of the image, choose the image you want to add and then click on Select image
2. If you want to upload an image from your hard-drive click on Browse files, then choose Upload file the Dialog Box will appear, select the current location of the image that you want to add and then select Open. You'll be informed about the uploading progress and when it has finished the image will be added as an abstract image.

After you have successfully added the category, a confirmation message 'Category added successfully' will appear.

Example

Step 1: In the field Category name enter a name for the new category (for example Installation).
Step 2: Select a parent category for it in the Parent category section.
Step 3: Click on the Save button in the toolbar.

You may create as many categories as you need for your website.

In our example we will create more categories by repeating three simple steps above. Let’s see the results of our work!

On the menu above you can see the categories we created. This is one category and five subcategories that are added to the parent category, which is Installation Guide in this example. We have created our entire menu.

Add new subcategory

The Subcategory creation procedure is very similar to the category creation’s procedure, you just have to be sure that you have selected an appropriate parent category.

• To add a new subcategory, choose Categories field from the navigation menu. The category page will appear.
• After you select Add new category button, the form for creating a new category will load.
• To create a new subcategory, fill offered fields.
• Choose desired Parent category from the drop down menu.
• Click Save button to finish your subcategory creation process.

 
After you have successfully created the subcategory, a confirmation message will appear. For detailed instructions of how to fill category creation form, see Add new category in the previous chapter.

Example

Step 1: In the field Category name enter a name for the new subcategory (for example World).
Step 2: Select a parent category for it in the Parent category section (in our example it is User Guide)

Step 3: Click Save in the toolbar.

That’s it! We have created our World submenu!

You may create as many categories and subcategories as you need for your website.

Managing categories/subcategories

Let us take a look at the main operational principles and benefits of the tree menu structure.

If you are using Windows explorer or any other file browser, you will understand the Vivvo tree hierarchical structure very easily.

Just as we have explained in the previous chapters, your website is structured and organized into logical entities using categories and subcategories (like shown in examples).

The tree menu structure allows you to easily access any of your categories, subcategories and their preferences. It also enables you to reorganize your website and to change relationship between objects using simply drag and drop mechanisms just like you do in the Windows PC environment.

You may use the simple ‘drag and drop’ mechanism for the following actions:

• If you want to change the order of your categories or subcategories
• If you have decided to change a subcategory into a category and vice-versa

Rearranging Categories

To rearrange categories simply select (point your mouse cursor like shown on pictures below) onto desired category or subcategory and drag it (click and hold down left mouse key button) to position you want to place it.

To add category/subcategory to another one drag it until sign appear.

When you are satisfied with new position just drop it (release left mouse button).

If you want to reorder your categories make your selection and drag category/subcategory until icon with the guideline appears.

When you find appropriate position drop your category.

Sometimes you will notice icon. It means that it is not possible to drop your category on that position.

For example, you may not drag your category into a subcategory.

Edit category/subcategory

On the left-hand side of the tree menu, click on the desired category/subcategory that you want to change. The category administrative page will appear in your web browser content section.

The Edit category page will allow you to change everything that was entered during the Add Category process (category name, SE friendly URL etc).

When finished editing, click on the Save button. After you have successfully changed the category, a conformation message ‘Edit category success’ will appear.

If a category containing subcategories is deleted, the subcategories and articles connected to it will be deleted as well!

Category general preferences

To define the most important general category preferences, select the Preferences tab from the navigation menu in the top right corner, and then click on the Category button from the left hand side administration menu.

This shows summaries from subcategories on the main category page → you may choose if summaries of the articles that belong to a subcategory should be displayed when parent category page is selected. If you select that you do not want summaries to be displayed, only article titles will be listed.

Include feed → Choose categories you want to export via RSS/Atom feed.

After you set all of this options just press save button and changes will be applied.