Definition of a category

In Akeneo, a category is used to classify products. A category is always part of a main category tree (or classification tree).

You can have one or more category trees in Akeneo with an unlimited number of levels (categories, subcategories, sub-subcategories...).

Differences between families and categories

Categories

• Trees and categories are a way to classify your products
• A product can be in several or no categories

Families

• A family is a set of attributes used to enrich a product
• A product can only belong to one family

How to create a new category?

A category or a category tree only needs a code to be created. You can name your category or category tree and this name can be translated to any activated locale in the PIM.

From the user interface

Go to Settings/Categories. To create a new category tree, click on Create button.

To add a new category or subcategory in this tree, select your tree in the list. Once the tree is selected, hover on the tree name to add a new category or on a category to add a new subcategory.

Through imports

Akeneo comes with import jobs that allow you to create or update category trees and categories. You can use them to create a new tree, update a category tree or a category labels, or add new categories or subcategories for instance.

To do so, use the search bar to find the existing job from Imports or click on Create Import Profile to add a new import. You can choose to use a CSV or XLSX import profile.

Sort categories

From the UI, you can drag & drop categories to reorder them within the tree.

If you do not have the permission to see the categories (which is a permission defined for your user role in System/Roles), you will not be able to access the category panel displayed on the left side of the screen and access to the Settings/Categories menu.

Define category tree settings

You can configure these settings per category tree, allowing for flexibility if you use multiple trees for different purposes.

Required for Completeness

The "Required for Completeness" setting allows you to specify that a product's categorization within a particular category tree is required for a product to be complete for a given channel.

When a product lacks categories in a required category tree, this information will be clearly displayed in the completeness section of the Product Edit form.

Select the channels for which you want the categorization requirement to apply (by default, all channels linked to the category tree are selected).

• Products must be categorized within the required category tree; otherwise, their completeness on the relevant channel(s) will be affected.
• Only category trees can be marked as required for completeness, not individual child categories.

1. Click on the “edit” button in the completeness section.
2. Remove all the channels from the list.
3. Save your action.

Mandatory category tree

This setting enforces that all products and product models must be categorized within at least one category of the selected category tree(s) upon creation or modification. This requirement is consistently applied across the user interface (UI), during imports, and via API.

You can designate several category trees as mandatory. In this case, a product or product model must have at least one category assigned from each of the mandatory trees.

When enabling this setting for the first time, ensure that all existing products and product models are already assigned to at least one category within the chosen tree(s). If not, you will be prompted to categorize them before you can save any changes.

Restrict categorization to the lowest level

This setting enforces a strict categorization hierarchy. When enabled, users can only assign products & product models to leaf categories – those at the very bottom of the tree, with no sub-categories beneath them. This prevents products from being assigned to broader, parent categories, ensuring that products are always classified with the most specific category available.

Example: Imagine a category tree like this:

• Electronics
  • Televisions
    • LCD TVs
    • OLED TVs
  • Audio
    • Headphones
    • Speakers

With "Allow category selection at the last level only" enabled, a product or product model could be assigned to "LCD TVs" or "OLED TVs" (leaf categories), but not to "Televisions" or "Electronics" (parent categories).

Maximum Number of Categories per Product

This setting limits the number of categories a product or product model can be assigned to within a specific category tree. This is useful for preventing over-categorization and maintaining a clear, organized product catalog. 

Example: If you set the maximum number of categories per product to 3, a product could be assigned to a maximum of three categories within that specific category tree. If a user attempts to add a fourth category, it will impossible to save the product.

Note that this limit will apply to the product models, sub product models, and product variants, and this limit will include inherited categories from parents.

Example:

Let's say you sell clothing and have a category tree like this:

• Clothing
  • Men's
    • Shirts
      • T-Shirts
      • Dress Shirts
    • Pants
  • Women's
    • Dresses
    • Skirts

You set the maximum number of categories per product to 2.

• Product Model: You have a product model called "Classic T-Shirt." This model and all its variants (e.g., "Classic T-Shirt - Red," "Classic T-Shirt - Blue") are subject to the 2-category limit, including inherited categories. If the "Clothing" category is set to the product model, then all variants underneath automatically inherit that category. This means the "Classic T-Shirt" model and all its variants already have one category assigned ("Clothing") before any other assignments are made.
• Variant: A specific variant, "Classic T-Shirt - Red," could be assigned to "Shirts." Because the limit is 2 and "Clothing" is inherited, the variant is now at its maximum category count. It cannot also be assigned to "T-Shirts" or any other category.

How to categorize a product?

Learn more about product categorization on the following page: Categorize a product

Learn more about Categories in this interactive course