Overview


All the products on your website are initially integrated from your ERP, but did you know there's product information that can also be maintained via the CMS, completely independent of ERP systems?


To maintain products online, the 'Product Maintenance' feature must be enabled in Feature Setting. If this wasn't done during your site's implementation phase, you can enable it yourself.


Once enabled, configure Product Maintenance settings to suit your website and workflow. Certain settingsh determine the options available in the Product Maintenance page (Products & Categories → Product Maintenance) where a product's details can be edited in the CMS (Step 3 below).


On this page:



1. Enable and configure Product Maintenance Settings 

Once the Product Maintenance feature is enabled and options have been configured, you're ready to maintain products in the CMS.  
 

  1. In the CMS, go to Settings → Settings → Feature Management → Products & Categories → Product Maintenance.

  2. Click Configure. 

  3. Tick the product feature options you wish to maintain in the CMS.

    SettingDescription

    Enable Product Description

    Enable Product Description: Lets user enter a description for the product. If available, this will default as the title displayed to customers. Default: ticked

    NOTE - If field is unavailable or blank for a product, the system checks for Product Title. If Product Title unavailable, the ERP integrated Product Description is used.  

    Product Description Field Prompt: Edit the field label if required. Default: Product Description

     Enable Product Notes 

    Enable Product Notes: Displays the 'Product Notes' field in Product Maintenance. It allows the user to add info about a product, e.g., a Features field

    Enable Product Notes Field. Default: ticked. 

    Product Notes Field Prompt: Edit the field label if required. Default: Product Notes

    NOTE - To display this field to shoppers in the Product Detail page, add the Product Field widget and select the Product Field: 'ProductFeatures' 

    Enable Note Fields 1 - 5

    Available in Product Maintenance only in ERP Maintenance mode

    Enable Note Fields 1 - 5 - these fields are different from the 'Product Notes' fields.

    Note fields contain either extra data stored in the ERP you want integrated online (e.g. PRONTO stock-notes table) or they can be  been added in the CMS. Up to 5 note fields can be displayed in Product Maintenance. 


    NOTE - To display this field to shoppers in the Product Detail page, add the Product Field widget and select the Product Field: 'Notes1', 'Notes2', etc 

    Online maintained fields

    Show or hide these settings for online maintenance for a product. If unticked, the field is not displayed on the Product Maintenance page.  

    • Hide Product is Gift Card Option field -  untick to enable a product to be a gift card.
    • Allow Ordering Gift Card with Gift Card - tick to allow a shopper to buy a gift card with a gift card. 
    • Enable Maintenance of Postage & Handling - tick to allow a Postage and Handling maintenance field.
    • Enable Maintenance of Ribbon Flags - tick to let ribbon flags be set online for a product. When enabled, you can add and delete ribbon flags to be available in Product Maintenance. (See step 5 below.)
    • Enable Contract Ribbon Overrides - tick to set a ribbon flag against a contracted product.
    • Enable Maintenance of Warranty - tick to enable a product warranty info field to be available.

    • Enable Maintenance of Product Categories - tick to enable category creation and editing for a product in the CMS (instead of only maintained in the ERP and integrated online). Also allows products to be added to and removed from a category in Product Maintenance in the CMS. NOTE - Category Maintenance must be set to Online mode.

    The system setting 'Disable Product Category Integration' must be enabled to wholly maintain categories via the CMS. Otherwise, category information in the CMS will be for reference only, as it will be overwritten on every integration.

    In the CMS, go to Settings → Settings → Settings and look for the field.

    Integration Mode

    Default mode: 'Default'. Product Master data is integrated from the ERP and products will be considered valid for online selling if they have a sort code assigned and meet condition requirements.

    'Online': This enables Online Category Maintenance so that assigning products to categories can be done in the CMS.

    • Enable Maintenance of Product Accessories - allows maintenance of related additional products online for a product (also known as Cross-Sell).
    • Enable Maintenance of Product Alternates - allows maintenance of related alternate products online for a product (also known as Upsell).
    • Show Category Code in dropdown - appends the category/sort code to the description in the dropdown selector.

    OFF

    ON

    Maintenance Mode

    Setting affects what fields are displayed and/or can be edited on the Edit Product page in Product Maintenance.

    ERP: Displays specific product information in Product Maintenance integrated from the ERP. The ERP Product Data fields cannot be edited. Only exclusively online product content can be edited in the CMS.

    Web: Displays product details fields that are maintained online.

    Web mode:

    • is required for the Product Restrictions feature
    • disables product security masking
    • allows product prefix functionality
    • permits custom groups (custom field setup when editing a product)
    • allows adding a new product
    • shows APN
    • permits user region security mask.
    Ribbon Flag Options

    Online maintained field

    Appears only if 'Enable Maintenance of Ribbon Flag' above is ticked. You can upload and delete the ribbon flags assignable to products in Product Maintenance. Out-of-the-box ribbon flags can be used or custom ones can be uploaded here. See Product Ribbons for more information. 

    Contract Ribbon Flag Options

    Enable ribbons added to contracted products for specific customers. Must be set up in the ERP and integrated.

    Contract ribbons allow different ribbon flags to display against contracted products when they apply to a specific customer. These flags can be overridden at a product level. 

    NOTE - A ribbon flag set here for a contract type will override any standard ribbon flags for qualifying customers.   


    To add a specific ribbon for a price code that applies only to a customer type:

    1. in Price Code, enter the applicable price code. 
    2. In Contract Type, if a Customer is further differentiated by a contract type, enter this. 
    3. In Contract Ribbon Filename, to upload the ribbon to display for this , click Select or Upload Image.
    4. Click Save or Save & Exit.


    Product Override
    You can enable Product Override so that specific products are excluded from a contract ribbon configuration: 

    1. Scroll up to Feature Options and ensure Enable Contract Ribbon Overrides is ticked.

    2. Scroll back down to Contract Ribbon Options.
    3. For the ribbon you want to add the product exception, click Edit Product Override.
    4. Click the Add Product Override button. 
    5. In Product Code, enter the code of the product to exclude.
    6. In Filename, click Select or Upload Image and select the ribbon.  
    7. Click Save & Exit.

    You can also bulk import, export or delete product overrides. Hover over Options and select the menu item required.


     
  4. When you have finished setting the options, click Save or Save and Exit.



Once Product Maintenance settings have been configured, go to Product Maintenance to perform maintenance functions for a product based on these settings. 

2. Search for a Product 

To add custom filter options, see Product Search Custom Filter Options.


To maintain one or more products, go to the product's Product maintenance page.  

  1. Go to Product & Categories → Product Maintenance. All products are automatically listed. 

  2. To find a product, in Product Search, enter the product code, product name or keyword relevant to the product. Leave it empty if you want to find all products by a particular filter.

  3. To add a filter, select a filter in the Filter dropdown, otherwise leave it as 'All'.   

  4. To run the search, click Search. Products found by your search criteria will be displayed. You can edit a product by clicking Edit next to the product. 

  5. To clear your search and return to the default 'Product Search' screen, click Reset Search.

3. Product Maintenance Options

In the Product Maintenance page, click Edit for a product's Product Maintenance page. Notice the displayed fields and what is editable depend on the modes and configurations in Settings (Step 1 -'Configure Feature Settings'). 

The Product Maintenance page is divided into sections. If a section detailed here does not appear, it's likely that the feature has not been enabled in 'Feature Settings'.  If you need this feature, return to Step 1 for guidance. 

Expand/Collapse Sections

To aid ease of viewing, each section can be opened or collapsed. Click 'Expand Section' or 'Collapse Section' as you need. 


1. ERP Product Data

Maintenance mode: ERP This section displays product information integrated from your ERP. The data are for reference only as they are not editable in the CMS.  



2. Product Information

The Product Information section contains product fields that can be edited in the CMS. Below is a table containing each field and its usage.

FieldUsage

Display Online

(Appears only if Integration mode is 'Online' and Maintenance: web; otherwise, a product's status defaults to that in the ERP.)

Determines whether the product is active and searchable by users on your website.

  • OFF: you will see the message 'the product is not considered Item Valid (The 'Display Online' setting above is disabled)' here. The product will not be searchable by users on your site. 

  • ON: the product has the status 'Active' in Product Maintenance and is searchable.

    Why is my product not searchable?

    If 'Hide Child Attributed Products' is active on your site (see Product Variants help), one of two messages appear under the 'Display Online' toggle.  They are reminders that whether an active product is searchable also depends on:

    • whether it is a child product. Child products will not be listed in search results when 'Hide Child Attributed Products' is active.  The message for a child product includes an alert that it is not searchable. Only the Master product will appear in the search results.   
    • whether Category and Search caches have been refreshed after updates or configuration changes. This message appears for all non-child products, including Master products. See All about Cache Management help.  
Title

Rendered by the Product Title widget on the Product Detail template.  

If left blank, defaults to product description from the ERP.

Sub TitleDisplayed if the 'Show Subtitle?' option is enabled in the Product Title widget.

Product Description

Displayed through the Product Description field in the Product Field widget.

To use the input textbox, hover your pointing device in the textbox, and click the icon. 

When you have finished editing, click Save. 

Product Notes

Adds product feature notes. To display on the Product Details template, use the Product Field widget and the field 'ProductFeatures'.
Notes (1 - 5)

This content can be integrated from the ERP or added online. Display on the Product Detail page using a Product Field widget and the field, e.g., Notes1, Notes2, etc.

Postage and HandlingThis content is stored in the Product table under 'PostageAndHandling' and can be displayed via the Product Field widget.
WarrantyThis content is stored in the product table under 'Warranty' and can be displayed via the Product Field widget under the heading 'Warranty Information'.
Ribbon Flag

A ribbon flag can be set to display on the product image. See: Product Ribbons

Ribbon Start Date / Ribbon Expiry DateA ribbon can be displayed for a specified period, e.g., for a limited time promotion. Set Start and Expiry dates and times. The system will remove the ribbon automatically on the Expiry Date/Time.
Is Gift CardIf this product is a gift card, toggle ON. Use a Product Field widget and the field IsGiftCard to display this detail on the Product Detail template. 
Show Price as POAON: 'POA' (price on application) is shown instead of the product price.
Is Dangerous GoodsON: flags the product as a dangerous item. Use a Product Field widget and field IsDangerousItem to display this detail.
Is Free FreightON: flags that the product has free shipping. Use a Product Field widget and field IsFreeFreight to display this detail.
Is Tailgate RequiredON: flags that the product requires tailgate delivery. Use a Product Field widget and field IsTailGateRequired to display this detail.
Is Email DeliveryON: flags that the product is delivered by email. Use a Product Field widget and field 'IsEmailDelivery' to display this detail. (See: setting up a product for email delivery.)
Is ReturnableON: flags the product is returnable. Use a Product Field widget and the field: 'IsReturnable' to display this detail.
Delivery and Pickup OptionSelect whether the product is Delivery, Pickup or both. This will display on the Product Detail and Shopping Cart pages. NOTE - If no option is  selected, it will default to both.


Here's an example of a product's Edit Product page, and the resulting output on the website. Keep in mind that this site's Product Detail template contains several Product Field widgets, each displaying content from a different field in the Product table. 

Product Maintenance in CMSResulting Output

g


3. Categories

Available only if 'Enable Maintenance of Product Categories' was ticked in Settings AND Online Category Maintenance mode is on. Assigning categories to products can be done in Category Maintenance. NOTE - Online Category Maintenance should be enabled.)


A product is assigned to one or more Categories. In this section, you can add the product to as many categories as required.


Click the Add Category button, then start typing the category name in the input field. Suggestions will be returned as you type . Select the required category from the list.
 

To remove a category, tick the 'Delete' option.  When you click Save at the top of the page, the deletion will be completed. 


4. SEO Fields

Search-engine friendly URL, Page Title, and Description tags for the product are maintained here.  

These values are normally auto-generated on first integration. Edit any of these values as required and they will not be overwritten on subsequent integration events.  

FieldDescriptionExample
SEO UrlThe user- and search engine-friendly URL for the product page.

Here's an example of these SEO settings in the real world.

The Commerce Vision Blog is obviously not a product, but the principles are the same.

Page Title TagThe title that displays on search engine results pages, just above the URL.  
Meta Description TagThe blurb that displays under the Title and URL.



5. Custom Fields 

NOTE - This section is displayed only if custom fields have been created in the Product table and they are marked 'active'. 

Need more information? See Add Custom Fields To Products and Categories.


6. Media 

Images and videos that display in the product's gallery are uploaded here. When you upload an image, the original image will be duplicated 4x to images with different pixel sizes. Images uploaded via the Integrator will also appear in this section. You can re-order images by dragging and dropping. TIP - Guide to maximum file sizes to ensure fast loading: 250kb, mobile: 50kb. 

By default, the CMS-uploaded image at the top of this list will be the first image displayed in any search on your site and on the Product Detail page. If a product has images uploaded via the Integrator and the CMS and you want the first Integrator-uploaded image to display first, contact Commerce Vision to enable this option. NOTE - Available only for versions 4.21.02+.     


Adding Images

  1. To add an image or multiple images simultaneously, click Upload Images.
  2. Go to your file(s) and click on them to select. Use 'Ctrl-click' or 'Shift-click' to select multiple images. Click Open.


  3. Once the images have finished uploading, click Insert.


  4. Once you click Insert, the image thumbnails will display in the product's media list.
  5. To enter relevant descriptions of your image, enter a value, then click Add Tag. You can add more than one tag.

  6. Click Save or Save and Exit. Copies of the uploaded image will display in the appropriate folder. 

Are image colours not as expected?

A: There are a number of factors that affect the rendering of colours for images on your website, e.g., different browsers.

One common issue relates to the colour mode set for the original image. You might have edited and saved the image in CMYK colour mode, which is typically used for print. During the CMS upload, the mode will be converted to RGB for online display. This process might result in the colour changes you're seeing. So when designing an image for your website, make sure the colour mode is set to RGB in the first place.

Here is an article that may provide useful information.

Adding Videos

Video links can also be added quickly and easily. Both YouTube and Vimeo formats are supported.  To add a video, see: Add Video to a Product Page.

7. Documents

Document links for a product, e.g., size guides, product specifications or installation instructions, are added here. You can add a link to a document that is already uploaded to the CMS or upload it here.  Add the Product Documents widget to the Product Detail page for document links to display on the Product Detail template. 

To add a document link,

  1. Click Add Files.

  2. Select the document(s) and click Insert.  

Bulk Link Documents

You can also bulk link multiple products to documents using the Product Document Import function. 

8. Features

This is another name for metadata associated with the product. Feature details are user-defined so you can use them to specify certain product attributes. These can be filtered by shoppers to narrow down to the most suitable products when on a product list page. Features can also be shown in Product Compare, and in a product's Technical Specifications.

Product features and values are either A) integrated from your ERP Metadata module, or B) configured via the CMS in Products & Categories → Product Features. 

If you're unsure which mode your site is using, check with us. 

9. Accessories (Cross-sell)

Enable Maintenance of Accessories must be ON in Product Maintenance settings.

Accessories are related products displayed to the shopper on a product's Product Details page. Accessories is called 'cross-sell' because suggestions include products that complement the viewed product. 

To add an Accessory product, enter the product code or description in the input box. Select the product from the list and click the Add Accessory button. 

To remove an Accessory, select the Delete option.

Repeat as required, then remember to Save. 

Accessories are displayed on the Product Detail page using the Cross Sell / Up Sell Widget.

10. Alternates (Up-sell)

Enable Maintenance of Alternates must be ON in Product Maintenance settings.

Alternates display suggested products similar to the viewed product on the Product Detail page. Alternates is called 'up-sell' since suggestions can include higher-profit or higher-value items. 

To add an Alternate, enter the product code or description in the input box. Select the product from the list and click the Add Alternate button. 

To remove an Alternate, select the Delete option.

Repeat as required, then remember to Save.

Alternates are displayed on the Product Detail page via the Cross Sell / Up Sell Widget.

11. Master Product

The Product Variants feature must be enabled. 


A Master product is a product that has variants (child products each with their own product codes). A shopper does not buy a Master product but one of its variants or child products.  

To flag a product as a Master Product, toggle ON 'Is Master Product'. Child products can then be added to the Master product. For more information, see: Product Variants.  


12. Product Subscription

The Subscription Products feature must be enabled. 


For more information, see: Subscription Products.


13. Product Detail template widgets

Other functions that can be added to the Product Detail template:



Related Resources





© Copyright 2001-2023 Commerce Vision Pty Ltd. Use of this site signifies your acceptance of Commerce Vision’s Terms & Conditions. CV Connect, the Commerce Vision logos, and other Commerce Vision marks are assets of Commerce Vision Pty Ltd.