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Product Management

6 min read

Table of Contents

Complete guide to managing your product catalog

Overview #

The Catalog Builder is where you add, organize, and manage all products that appear in your frontend builder. This guide covers everything from basic product creation to advanced catalog management.

Access Catalog Builder:
WordPress Admin → Submittal Builder → Catalog Builder

Required Capability: manage_options (Administrator role)

Product Hierarchy #

Products are organized in a flexible 4-5 level hierarchy designed to match how contractors and engineers think about product selection.

Structure #

  • Level 1: Category – Top-level grouping of related products
    • Examples: Valves, C-Studs, Track, HVAC Units, Electrical Panels
    • Purpose: Broad classification, used for filtering
  • Level 2: Product – Specific product line within a category
    • Examples: Ball Valves, Steel Studs, Hat Channel, Air Handlers
    • Purpose: Product family or line
  • Level 3: Type – Variant or specification type
    • Examples: 2-Way, 20 Gauge, 25 Gauge, Single Zone
    • Purpose: Key differentiator, commonly used for selection
  • Level 4: Subtype (Optional) – Size, configuration, or specification subgroup
    • Examples: 1-1/4″ Flange, 1-1/2″ Flange, 18 mil
    • Purpose: Additional grouping for sizes and configurations
    • Note: This level is optional
  • Level 5: Model – Individual product model with specific specifications
    • Examples: BV-125-FL, 362S162-20, 600S162-20
    • Purpose: Specific orderable product with full specs

How Hierarchy Affects What Users See #

Understanding the hierarchy is important because Product (Level 2) is the main organizing principle for both the frontend and PDF output.

Frontend Product Browser #

When customers browse products on your site, here’s what they see:

  • Category appears in the sidebar for filtering
  • Product becomes the colored header – all models with the same Product name are grouped together
  • Type shows as a small blue badge on each model card
  • Model is the main name displayed on each card

PDF Submittal Packet #

The PDF uses the same Product-based grouping with a summary page and individual model pages organized by product.

Why This Matters #

When planning your catalog, think about Product as your main grouping:

✅ Good Product Grouping:

  • “25 GAUGE 18 MIL” (groups all 25-gauge 18-mil models together)
  • “Ball Valves 2-Way” (groups all 2-way ball valve models together)
  • “Air Handlers Single Zone” (groups all single-zone models together)

❌ Avoid This:

  • Using generic products like “Standard” or “Various”
  • Putting too many different items in one Product
  • Using the same Product name across different categories

Pro Tip: Your Product name will appear on every PDF page as part of the breadcrumb and as section headers in the summary, so choose descriptive, professional names.

Using the Catalog Builder #

The Catalog Builder features a visual tree interface for managing your product hierarchy.

Interface Overview #

Left Panel: Product Tree

  • Hierarchical view of all products
  • Expandable/collapsible items
  • Drag-and-drop reordering
  • Right-click context menus

Right Panel: Inspector

  • Edit selected item details
  • Add/remove specifications
  • Manage relationships
  • Preview information

Top Toolbar:

  • + New – Add new items
  • ⚙️ Manage Fields – Customize specification field names
  • Import/Export – Bulk operations
  • Search – Find products quickly

Managing Fields #

Before adding products, set up your specification field names to match your industry.

Click “⚙️ Manage Fields” button in the toolbar.

Quick Presets:

  • Steel/Construction – Size, Flange, Thickness, KSI
  • HVAC – BTU Rating, CFM, Voltage, SEER
  • Electrical – Voltage, Amperage, Wattage, Phase
  • Plumbing – Diameter, PSI, Material, GPM

Custom Fields:

  1. Click “Add Field” to create new specification field
  2. Enter field name (e.g., “Load Capacity”)
  3. Optionally set field type (text, number, select)
  4. Reorder fields by dragging
  5. Remove unused fields with X button
  6. Click “Save Changes”

Important: Field changes apply to ALL models in your catalog. Existing model data is preserved when field names change.

Adding Categories #

Categories are the top level of your product hierarchy.

Method 1: Toolbar Button

  1. Click “+ New” in toolbar
  2. Select “Category” from dropdown
  3. Enter category name
  4. Press Enter or click Save
  5. Category appears in tree

Method 2: Right-Click Menu

  1. Right-click on empty area or “Root”
  2. Select “Add Category”
  3. Enter name inline
  4. Press Enter

Best Practices:

  • Use broad, intuitive category names
  • Aim for 5-15 categories (not too many)
  • Match industry standards when possible
  • Keep names short and clear

Examples:

  • ✅ “C-Studs” – Clear and standard
  • ✅ “HVAC Equipment” – Broad but specific
  • ❌ “Miscellaneous” – Too vague
  • ❌ “Category 1” – Not descriptive

Importing Products #

Bulk Import from CSV #

The fastest way to populate your catalog is to import products from a CSV file.

Access Import:

Submittal Builder → Catalog Builder → Import button (top toolbar)

Basic Steps:

  1. Prepare your CSV file with proper headers
  2. Click “Import” button in toolbar
  3. Upload or select CSV file
  4. Preview results (optional)
  5. Click “Import”
  6. View results (created count, skipped count, errors)

Features:

  • Flexible Hierarchy Detection – Automatically detects simple or complex structures
  • Automatic Spec Mapping – All non-hierarchy columns become product specifications
  • Duplicate Prevention – Checks for existing nodes and skips duplicates
  • Error Handling – Row-by-row validation with error messages

Import Modes:

  • Merge Mode (Recommended) – Adds imported items to existing catalog, preserves current products
  • Replace Mode (Use With Caution) – Deletes ALL existing catalog items, then imports new data

Best Practices:

✅ Do:

  • Start with Merge mode for safety
  • Test with small CSV file first
  • Use manufacturer CSV files directly
  • Include all relevant spec columns
  • Preview before importing

❌ Don’t:

  • Use Replace mode unless you’re sure
  • Import without previewing
  • Skip required Category column
  • Import files larger than 5MB
  • Import without backing up first

CSV Format Tips:

Column Headers:

  • First row must contain header names
  • Case-insensitive (Category = category = CATEGORY)
  • Hierarchy columns: Category, Product, Type, Model, Subtype
  • All other columns become specs

Data Formatting:

  • Use quotes for values containing commas
  • Empty cells are skipped
  • Special characters handled automatically

Example CSV:

Category,Product,Type,Model,Size,Flange,Thickness,KSI
Framing,C-Studs,20 Gauge,362S162-20,"3-5/8""","1-5/8""",20 GA,33
Framing,C-Studs,20 Gauge,600S162-20,"6""","1-5/8""",20 GA,33
Framing,Track,20 Gauge,362T125-20,"3-5/8""","1-1/4""",20 GA,33

Troubleshooting:

  • “No rows to import” error: Ensure CSV has at least one data row with headers in first row
  • “Category column required” error: Add “Category” column to your CSV and spell it correctly
  • Missing products on frontend: Verify import completed successfully and hierarchy is complete

Exporting Products #

Export Catalog #

Export Full Catalog:

  1. Click “Export” button in toolbar
  2. Choose format (CSV or JSON)
  3. File downloads
  4. Save for backup or transfer

Use Cases:

  • Backup before major changes
  • Transfer to another site
  • Share with team
  • Data analysis in Excel

Export Formats:

  • CSV: Spreadsheet-compatible, easy to edit
  • JSON: Structured data, preserves hierarchy

Best Practices #

Catalog Organization #

✅ Do:

  • Plan hierarchy before adding products
  • Use consistent naming conventions
  • Fill in all specifications completely
  • Organize logically (alphabetically or by popularity)
  • Set up field names before adding models

❌ Don’t:

  • Create too many categories (causes confusion)
  • Skip specifications (incomplete data)
  • Use inconsistent naming
  • Create duplicate products
  • Forget to save changes

Naming Conventions #

✅ Do:

  • Use industry-standard terminology
  • Be specific and descriptive
  • Include model numbers exactly as manufacturer lists
  • Use consistent units (all inches or all mm)

❌ Don’t:

  • Use vague names (“Product 1”, “Item A”)
  • Mix naming styles within catalog
  • Include unnecessary characters
  • Use all caps (except for acronyms)

Specifications #

✅ Do:

  • Include all relevant specs
  • Use consistent units across all products
  • Double-check accuracy
  • Include compliance data (ASTM, etc.)

❌ Don’t:

  • Leave critical fields blank
  • Use abbreviations inconsistently
  • Include units in values (units should be in field name)
  • Copy specs without verifying

Troubleshooting #

Products not appearing in frontend #

Cause: Product missing required specifications or hierarchy incomplete.

Solution:

  1. Verify product has at least 4 levels:
    • Without Subtypes: Category → Product → Type → Model
    • With Subtypes: Category → Product → Type → Subtype → Model
  2. Check that model has specifications filled in
  3. Ensure Fields tab has values, not just Details tab
  4. Clear cache (if caching enabled)

Can’t add child items #

Cause: Wrong level selected or interface error.

Solution:

  1. Verify you’re adding child to correct parent type:
    • Categories can have Products
    • Products can have Types
    • Types can have Subtypes or Models
    • Subtypes can have Models
    • Models have no children
  2. Refresh page and try again
  3. Check browser console for JavaScript errors

Changes not saving #

Cause: Network issue or permission problem.

Solution:

  1. Check internet connection
  2. Verify user has manage_options capability
  3. Look for error messages in admin notices
  4. Check browser console for AJAX errors

Advanced Features #

Custom Field Types (Agency) #

Define field types beyond simple text:

  • Text – Free-form text
  • Number – Numeric values only
  • Select – Dropdown with preset options
  • URL – Website or document links
  • Date – Date values

Product Templates (Agency) #

Create product templates for faster data entry. Use case: Adding multiple similar products with same spec fields.

Revision History (Agency) #

Track changes to products over time:

  • See who edited what and when
  • Revert to previous versions
  • Compare changes side-by-side

Next Steps #

Related Documentation #

  • User Guide – How customers use the builder
  • Admin Settings – Configuring the plugin
  • Branding & PDFs – Customizing PDF output
  • Troubleshooting – Solving common issues
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