Contents
Overview
The products on your website are all integrated from your ERP, but did you know there's a host of product information that can also be maintained via the CMS, completely independent of ERP systems such as PRONTO?
To maintain your products online, the 'Product Maintenance' feature must be enabled. If this wasn't done during your site's implementation phase, contact Commerce Vision to enable it.
With the feature enabled, you can configure Product Maintenance options to suit your website and workflow. The configurations determine the options available in the Product Maintenance page (Products & Categories → Product Maintenance). See Section 3 below.
1. Configure Product Maintenance Settings
Once the options have been configured, you're ready to maintain products in the CMS.
- In the CMS, navigate to Settings → Feature Management → Products & Categories → Product Maintenance.
- Toggle Product Maintenance ON and click Configure.
Tick the feature options you wish to maintain in the CMS.
Feature Description Enable Product Description
Do you want to be able to enter a description for a product online?
Default: ticked
Product Description Field Prompt: Edit the heading label if required. Default: Product Description
Enable Product Notes
Enable Product Notes: Displays the 'Features' field. Default: ticked.
Product Notes Field Prompt: Edit the heading label if required. Default: Product Notes
Enable Note Fields 1 - 5 - this is data stored in PRONTO's stock-notes table. Enabling each of these options allows the data to be viewed in Product Maintenance. They cannot be edited.
- See PRONTO Integration - Product Notes for further detail.
Tick the features you want to be able to maintain online for a product. When ticked, the field is displayed in Product Maintenance and the feature can be enabled/disabled for each product.
- Enable Maintenance of Postage & Handling -
- Enable Maintenance of Ribbon Flags - enables ribbon flags to be set online for a product. Ticking this option opens the Ribbon Flag Options in this screen. You can add and delete ribbon flags used on your website (see step 5 below)
- Enable Contract Ribbon Overrides - enables a ribbon flag to be set against a product price code for a Customer. (See below.)
- Enable Maintenance of Warranty - allows maintenance of warranty information in the CMS
Enable Maintenance of Product Categories - enables the creation and editing of categories in the CMS (versus being maintained in PRONTO and integrated to the web). Also allows products to be added to / removed from a category in Product Maintenance via the CMS
Note - the system flag 'Disable Product Category Integration' must be turned on in order 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.
Integration Mode Default: 'Default'. Product Master data is integrated from Pronto and products will be considered valid for the web if they have a sort code assigned and meet condition requirements.
'Online': Products are marked valid in the CMS.
- Enable Maintenance of Product Accessories - allows maintenance of related additional products online (also known as Cross Sell).
- Enable Maintenance of Product Alternates - allows maintenance of related alternate products online (also known as Up Sell).
- Show Category Code in dropdown - appends the category/sort code to the description in the dropdown selector.
OFF
ON
Maintenance Mode ERP: If selected, only exclusively online content will be available.
Web: If selected, product information is completely maintained online.
Allow Product Security Masking
Ribbon Flag Options Displayed only if 'Enable Maintenance of Ribbon Flag' is ticked. You can upload and delete ribbon flags available for selection in Product Maintenance. The CMS contains several default ribbon flags and you may also add custom ones here. See Product Ribbons for more information.
Contract Ribbon Flag Options Enable configuration of ribbon options based on product price codes. These can be setup per Customer and overridden at a product level. - When you have finished setting the options, click Save or Save and Exit.
Once Product Maintenance settings have been configured, you can navigate to Product Maintenance to perform a range of maintenance functions for a product.
2. Product Search
To perform maintenance on one or more products, use the Product Search in the CMS to find them.
To run a product search,
- Navigate to Product & Categories → Product Maintenance. All products are automatically listed.
- 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.
- 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
When you select Edit for a product in the Products list (Section 2 above), the Product Maintenance page for the product is displayed. Notice the editable fields depend on what were selected in Settings (Step 1 -'Configure Feature Settings').
The Product Maintenance page is divided into sections. If a section detailed here does not appear on your Product Maintenance page, it's likely that it has not been enabled in 'Feature Settings'. Return to Step 1 for guidance.
Expand/Collapse Sections
To aid ease of viewing, each section can be opened or collapsed. Click on 'Expand Section' or 'Collapse Section' as you need.
1. ERP Product Data
This section displays the 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.
| Field | Usage |
|---|---|
Display Online
| Determines whether the product is active and searchable by users on your website. ON: the product has the status 'Active' in Product Maintenance and is searchable. 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. |
| Title | The Product Title widget in your Product Detail template will display what is entered here. If left blank, the widget will use the PRONTO product description. |
| Sub Title | If the 'Show Subtitle?' option is enabled in your Product Title widget, the content from this field will display. |
Product Description | The WYSIWYG textbox provides for formatted descriptions. This content can be displayed via the Product Description field in the Product Field widget. To display the input textbox, hover your pointing device in the textbox, and click the
When you have finished editing, remember to click Save. |
Product Notes | The WYSIWYG textbox provides for formatted product feature notes. This content can be displayed via the Features heading in the Product Field widget. It is stored in the product table under 'ProductFeatures'. |
| Notes (1 - 5) | This content is integrated from PRONTO and stored in the product table under 'Notes1' (or Notes2, Notes3, etc.). You can display it on the Product Detail page using a Product Field widget. |
| Postage and Handling | This content is stored in the product table under 'PostageAndHandling' and can be displayed via the Product Field widget. |
| Warranty | This 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 appear on the product image. Several Product Ribbons are included as standard in BPD, but you can add your own custom ribbons.
|
| Ribbon Start Date / Ribbon Expiry Date | A ribbon can be set for a specific period, e.g., for a limited time promotion. If required, set Start and Expiry dates and times for the ribbon flag. If there is an expiry date/time, the system will remove the ribbon automatically. |
| Is Gift Card | If this product is a gift card, toggle ON. This detail can be displayed via the Product Field widget under IsGiftCard. |
| Show Price as POA | ON: 'POA' (price on application) is displayed on your website instead of the product price. |
| Is Dangerous Goods | ON: flags the product as a dangerous item. This detail can be displayed via the Product Field widget. |
| Is Free Freight | ON: flags that the product has free shipping. This detail can be displayed via the Product Field widget. |
| Is Tailgate Required | ON: flags that the product requires tailgate delivery. This detail can be displayed via the Product Field widget. |
| Is Email Delivery | ON: flags that the product is delivered by email. The information can be displayed in the Product Details page via the Product Field widget by selecting the Product Field 'IsEmailDelivery'. (For further details about setting up a product for email delivery, click here.) |
| Is Returnable | If toggled on, this content can be displayed via the Product Field widget by selecting the Product Field 'IsReturnable'. |
| Delivery and Pickup Option | Select whether the product is for Delivery, Pickup or both. The selected option will display in the Shopping Cart page. |
Here's an example of a product being edited in the CMS, 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 above table.
| Product Maintenance in CMS | Resulting Output |
|---|---|
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|
3. Categories
A product is associated with one or more categories. In this section, you can add the product to as many categories as required.
Click the Add Category button, then enter 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 the Save button at the top of the page, the deletion will be completed.
If you'd like your PRONTO category / sort code to appear next to the category name in the dropdown selector, ensure the Show Category Code in dropdown option is ticked in the Feature Settings.
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. You may edit any of these values as required and they will not be overwritten on subsequent integration events.
| Field | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|
| SEO Url | The 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 Tag | The title that displays on search engine results pages, just above the URL. | |
| Meta Description Tag | The blurb that displays under the Title and URL. |
Custom Fields
Note - This section is displayed only if custom fields for the Product table have been created for your site and they are marked 'active'.
Need more information? See How To Add Custom Fields To Products and Categories.
Media
Images and videos that display in the product gallery are maintained here. Images uploaded via the Integrator and in the CMS will both appear in this section. You can re-order images by dragging and dropping.
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 in 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, please contact Commerce Vision to enable this option. Note - this option is available only for version 4.21.02 and above.
Adding Images
1. To add an image or multiple images simultaneously, click Upload Images.
2. Navigate 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. Alternatively, if the images have already been uploaded to the CMS file manager, you can click multiple image checkboxes simultaneously and click Insert.
5. Whichever method you use, once you click Insert, the image thumbnails will now appear in the product's media list.
6. You can add a description and tag to your images by entering a value in the Add Tag field.
7. Click Save or Save and Exit.
Adding Videos
Video can also be added quickly and easily. Both YouTube and Vimeo formats are supported. To add a video, see our guide - Adding Video to a Product Page.
Documents
Links to documents relevant to a product, e.g., size guides, product specifications or installation instructions, are added here. The links with document information displays in the Product Detail page. You can add a link to a document that is in CMS already or upload it here.
To add a document link,
- click Add Files.
- 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.
Features
This is another name for metadata associated with the product. These details are user-defined so the features and values added reflect what are important considerations for the products you sell. They can be used by your customers to narrow down to the most suitable products when viewing a page full of products. This data can also be shown in the Product Compare window, and in a product's Technical Specifications.
Product features and their associated values are either A) integrated from your PRONTO Metadata module, or B) configured via the CMS in Products & Categories → Product Features (CMS Metadata maintenance).
If you're unsure which mode your site is using, feel free to check with us.
Accessories (Cross-sell) & Alternates (Up-sell)
Accessories offer the user related products and Alternates, other similar product suggestions. Products added as Accessories and Alternates can be displayed in the Product Detail page. If your site has enabled online maintenance of Accessories & Alternates, they are maintained in these sections.
To add an Accessory / Alternate, enter the product code or description in the input box. Select the product from the list and click 'Add Accessory' (or Alternate) button.
To remove an Accessory / Alternate, select the 'Delete' option.
Repeat as required, then 'Save'.
Accessories & Alternates are then displayed on the product detail page via the Cross Sell / Up Sell Widget.
Related help
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Add Product to Categories in Product Maintenance — Add a Product to a Category when maintaining the product in Product Maintenance.
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Add Product To Order Template Widget — Renders the 'Add To Order Template' button on the product detail page. This allows the user to add a product to a new or existing order template, without having to navigate to the shopping cart first.
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Add Video to a Product Page — Add a video to a Product page.
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Alternate Product Substitution — Add an Alternate Product Substitution offer feature, where out of stock items in the cart can be substituted with alternates at the customer's request.
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Assign Products in Category Maintenance — Add products while editing a Category.
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Automatic Image Tagging for Variants — Your master products can be automatically updated with their child images and tagged for image switching.
This means that when you add a child product to a master in the CMS, all child product images will be copied across with the correct tags. -
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Backordered Products & Ordering — From time to time, your B2B customers may have products on backorder with you.
Browsing your site, they might be inclined to place another order for these items, forgetting that stock is already due to be delivered from you. While another order placed is good for business, a costly return when the customer realises they've over-ordered is not.
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Bonus Items — Automatically add a bonus (free) item to an eligible order.
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Cross-selling and Upselling — Offer products for cross-selling (accessories) and upselling (alternates) on a product's page.
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Custom Catalogues (legacy) — Create custom catalogues (for classic sites).
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