Product Properties (Fields and Settings)

When you create or edit a product, you should specify a number of product properties. For convenience, properties are grouped by tabs on the product editing page.

Tabs with properties on the product editing page.

Note

Most of product properties can be specified via product import.

General

Information

  • Name—the name of the product as it appears on the storefront and in the Administration panel. The name of the same product can differ, depending on the storefront and language.

  • Categories—the categories that the product will be assigned to. When a product has multiple categories, the radio button determines which of those categories is main for that product.

  • Price—base product price in your store’s primary currency. Prices in other currencies are converted automatically, according to the exchange rate that you specify. All calculations are done in the primary currency.

  • Full description—the product description that will appear on the product details page of the storefront. The description can be either a plain text or a formatted HTML text. If you’re not familiar with HTML code, you can rely on the visual editor: you simply edit product description like a document, and the visual editor adds the HTML code automatically.

    Hint

    You can choose or disable the visual editor under Settings → Appearance → Default WYSIWYG editor.

  • Status—the status of the product:

    • Active—the product is available on the storefront and appears in the product list.
    • Disabled—the product is not available on the storefront.
    • Hidden—product does not appear in the product list on the storefront. Customers can reach a hidden product via a direct link.
  • Store—the storefront to which the product is assigned.

  • Images—a large product image and its icon (thumbnail). Supported formats are JPEG, GIF, and PNG. The maximum size of an uploaded image depends on your server configuration. As a rule, it should not exceed 2 MB.

    Note

    By default, thumbnails are generated from detailed images automatically. However, you can upload thumbnails manually.

    The text field below the image lets you describe the image in words. Technically, it is the text that you enter appears inside the alt="" and title="" attributes of the <img> HTML tag. This text is shown when the image is missing or cannot be displayed. It is good practice to have an alternative text associated with the image, for SEO purposes.

Options Settings

  • Options type—select how the options and variants of this product appear and work on the storefront:

    • Simultaneous—customers can choose the variant for each option independently and in any order.
    • Sequential—options and variants are chosen one after another: first the variant of the first option, then the variant of the second option, and so on.

    Hint

    Options are specific properties of the product that a customer can choose when making a purchase. For example, options for clothes may include color and size. The variants of those options would be red/green/blue and S/M/L/XL/XXL respectively.

  • Exceptions type—select a type of the product option exceptions:

    • Forbidden—you’ll be able to specify Forbidden combinations on the Options tab. Customers won’t be able to purchase a product when they choose a forbidden combination of option variants.
    • Allowed—you’ll be able to specify Allowed combinations on the Options tab. Customers will only be able to select these combinations of option variants.

Pricing / Inventory

  • CODE—the identifier of the product that you use in your store (a stock keeping unit or SKU); it is used to distinguish products from each other during import, so that the data would be saved to the right product.

  • List price—if this price is higher that product’s Price, then a discount label will be displayed for the product.

  • In stock—the number of products in the stock. Products that are out of stock can’t be bought, unless you enable the Allow negative amount in inventory setting under Settings → General → Catalog.

  • Zero price action—determines what can be done on the storefront when the product’s price is 0:

    • Do not allow customers to add the product to cart
    • Allow customers to add the product to cart
    • Ask customers to enter the price — customers will see an input field and will be able to enter the price that they’re willing to pay. That’s useful for charity events or donations.
  • Inventory—the way of tracking the inventory of the current product:

    • Track with options
    • Track without options
    • Do not track

    Note

    If a product is tracked with options, you’ll need to specify the number of in-stock items individually for each combination of option variants.

  • Minimum order quantity—the minimum number of items that a customer can buy at a time. This number will appear on the product page on the storefront, right after the product price.

  • Maximum order quantity—the maximum number of items that a customer can buy at a time. 0 means no limit.

  • Quantity step—determines the step by which a customer can increase or decrease the number of products in cart.

    Hint

    If the minimum order quantity is 3, the maximum order quantity is 9, and the quantity step is 3, then a customer will be able to purchase 3, 6, or 9 items in one order.

  • List quantity count—the maximum number of choices in the Quantity drop-down list. It comes useful when you set a quantity step and when there are a lot of items in stock.

  • Taxes—select the taxes that will be applied to the product.

Availability

  • User groups—the user groups that can access the product’s page.

  • Creation date—the date when the product was added to the catalog. It is used for sorting products by date.

  • Avail since—the date when the product becomes available for purchase. It is useful when the you want to start selling at a specific date, or when the product isn’t available yet.

  • Out-of-stock actions—select if customers should be able to buy the product in advance before it is not yet available for sale, or sign up to receive an email notification when the product is available.

    Hint

    Learn more about out-of-stock actions.

Extra

  • Product details view—choose a template (basically, the look) of the product page. By default, CS-Cart has 2 templates, but you can develop your own templates according to your needs.

  • Downloadable—if this checkbox is ticked, the product is labeled as downloadable, i.e. distributed by download.

    Important

    For this checkbox to appear, go to Settings → General → Catalog and tick the Enable selling downloadable products checkbox.

  • Enable shipping for downloadable products—if this checkbox is ticked, shipping costs will be calculated for this downloadable product just like for normal products.

  • Time-unlimited download—if this checkbox is ticked, the product download period never expires.

    Note

    As a rule, customers only have a certain period of time to download a purchased product. That time period is controlled by Download key TTL setting in Settings → General.

  • Short description—a short product description; it appears on the product list on the storefront. If you leave this field blank, the short description will be automatically taken from the full product description (first 300 characters).

  • Popularity—integer conveying the product popularity, which is calculated automatically. This rating depends on the number of product views as well as the number of times the product was added to the cart and purchased. Products can be sorted by popularity on the storefront.

  • Search words—the list of words by which the product should be easily found by the built-in search.

  • Promo text—an additional block with information that appears on the top right side of the product page.

Images

This tab contains an unlimited number of additional image pairs for the product. Each additional image pair includes a large pop-up image and an icon (thumbnail). Supported formats are JPEG, GIF, and PNG. The maximum size of an uploaded image depends on your server configuration. As a rule, it should not exceed 2 MB.

The "Images" tab of a product.

Thumbnails of additional images appear on the product page of the storefront next to the main image thumbnail. Clicking on thumbnails allows you to switch between images.

The additional images of a product.

Note

To change the order of additional images, simply drag and drop them.

Drag and drop images

SEO

  • SEO name—the value to which the standard URL will be changed. This property is a part of the SEO add-on.
  • Page title—the content of the <title></title> container: the title of the product page on the storefront, which is displayed in the web browser when somebody is viewing the page. If you don’t specify a value manually, it will be generated automatically.
  • META description—the content of the description meta-tag: a brief description of the product.
  • META keywords—the content of the keywords meta-tag: a list of search keywords that appear on the product page.

Note

Instructions on how to best use the meta-tags may vary depending on the search engine.

The "SEO" tab of a product in CS-Cart.

Options

This tab allows you to manage product options and option variants, as well as control the option combinations and add forbidden/allowed combinations.

The "Options" tab of the product editing page.

Product options appear on the product details page on the storefront. Depending on the type of an option, customers either select one of the option variants or provide their own variant. Options can have the following properties:

  • Name—the name of the product option as it appears on the storefront.
  • Position—the position of the product option relatively to the position of the other options in the list.
  • Inventory—if you tick this checkbox, this option can become a part of an option combination. The stock is tracked separately for each option combination.
  • Store—the storefront to which the option belongs.
  • Type—the type of the product option: Select box, Radio group, Check box, Text, Text area, or File.
  • Description—the description of the product option. It will appear on the storefront under the question sign (?) next to the option name.
  • Comment—the comment displayed below the option on the product page on the storefront.
  • Required—if you tick this checkbox, customers won’t be able to purchase the product without selecting this option (for example, without ticking the checkbox, choosing a variant, entering a text or uploading a file).
  • Missing variants handling—the behavior of the store when a forbidden or missing option combinations is selected:
    • Display message—the option will be marked as “Not available”; if the option is required, customers won’t be able to add the product to the cart.
    • Hide option completely—the option will be hidden; if the option is required, customers will be able to add the product to the cart.
The properties of an option.

Some option types (select box, radio group, check box) have variants that customers can choose on the product page. Option variants have the following properties:

  • Position—the position of the variant relatively to the positions of the other variants in the list.
  • Name—the name of the variant. For example, if the option is titled Size, the variants of the option can be small, medium, large, etc.
  • Modifier/Type—a positive or negative value that is added to or subtracted from the product price when a customer chooses this variant. The modifier can be either a fixed value or a percentage.
  • Weight modifier/Type—a positive or negative value that that is added to or subtracted from the product’s weight when a customer chooses this variant. The modifier can be either a fixed value or a percentage.
  • Status—the status of the option variant (Active or Disabled).
  • Icon—an icon (thumbnail) that represents the option variant; it will appear on the storefront.
  • Earned point modifier/Type—a positive or negative value that is added to or subtracted from the number of reward points that customers receive when they buy this variant of the product. The modifier can be either a fixed value or a percentage.

Shipping Properties

This tab contains a number of product properties that are important for automatic shipping cost calculation.

  • Weight—the weight of a single item in the store’s default weight measurement unit. The default weight measurement unit can be specified under Settings → General.
  • Free shipping—if you tick this checkbox, the product will be excluded from the shipping cost calculation, as long as the shipping method has the Use for free shipping checkbox ticked.
  • Shipping freight—the handling fee (insurance, packaging, etc.) added to the shipping cost.
  • Items in a box—the minimum and maximum number of product items to be shipped in a separate box. Usually it’s 1 - 1 (only one product per box).
  • Box length—the length of a separate box.
  • Box width—the width of a separate box.
  • Box height—the height of a separate box.

Note

If you don’t specify box dimensions, values will be taken from the shipping method. Box-related properties are required for a more accurate shipping cost estimation when a real-time shipping method supports multi-box shipping (UPS, FedEx, and DHL).

Quantity Discounts

This tab contains the list of wholesale prices for the product. Customers will see those discounts on the product page on the storefront. Prices apply depending on the number of items of this product in cart.

A quantity discount on the product page in CS-Cart..
  • Quantity—the minimum number of product items to qualify for the product wholesale price.

  • Value—the value of the discount (per item).

  • Type—the type of the discount:

    • Absolute—the cost of 1 discounted item.
    • Percent—the percent discount off the base product item price.
  • User group—the user group which can take advantage of the wholesale price.

    Important

    If you set up a discount that applies for all user groups for purchasing 1 item, this will overwrite product price.

Configuring quantity discounts in CS-Cart.

Files to Sell

This tab contains a list of files that are associated with this downloadable product.

Note

For digital instructions and/or files that come with a physical product and don’t have to be bought, we recommend using the Attachments tab instead.

Each file has the following properties:

  • Name—the name of the file as your customers will see it on the product page. Note that it does not change the original file name.
  • Position—the position of the file relatively to the positions of the other files in the list.
  • File—the actual file that will become available for download after purchase.
  • Preview—a preview file that can be freely downloaded from the product details page on the storefront.
  • Activation mode—determines how the download link will be activated:
    • Immediately—immediately after the order has been placed.
    • After full payment—once the order status has changed to Processed or Complete.
    • Manually—manually by the store administrator.
  • Max downloads—the maximum number of allowed product downloads per customer.
  • License agreement—the text of the license agreement.
  • Agreement required—determines whether the customers must accept license agreement at checkout.
  • Readme—additional instructions (for example, installation instructions, etc.)
  • Folder—the folder to which the file belongs (if you created any).

Subscribers

Important

This functionality has nothing to do with Marketing → Newsletters → Subscribers, which is a part of the Newsletters add-on.

When a product is out of stock, you may allow customers to subscribe for an email notification. It will be sent automatically to inform the customers that the product is available again.

Each product has its own list of email addresses, available on the Subscribers tab. When a product is in stock again, the notification is sent to all subscribers, and then their emails are removed from the subscriber list of the product.

As you can see, the process is entirely automated. However, you can add subscribers manually, if necessary.

Hint

More information about product subscribers is available in the dedicated article.

Add-ons

This tab contains product properties that depend on the active add-ons; for example:

RMA

Note

This is a part of the RMA add-on.

  • Returnable—if you tick this checkbox, the product will be labeled as available for the return.
  • Return period—the time period (in days) during which the product can be returned. The period begins on the day of purchase.

Bestselling

Note

This is a part of the Bestsellers & On-Sale Products add-on.

  • Sales amount—the number of sold product items. This value is calculated automatically when the Bestsellers & On-Sale Products add-on is active, but you can also change the current value manually.

Age Verification

Note

This is a part of the Age verification add-on.

  • Age verification—if you tick this checkbox, the access to the product will be limited by the customer’s age.
  • Age limit—the minimum age for accessing the product.
  • Warning message—the message to be displayed, if the customer does not qualify for accessing the product.

Comments and Reviews

Note

This is a part of the Comments and reviews add-on.

  • Reviews—choose whether to allow comments, reviews, or both for this product.

Features

This tab allows you to define the values of the extra fields that are valid for the product. The set of extra fields is controlled in Products → Features.

Product Tabs

On this tab you can see the list of tabs, applied to the current product. Next to a tab name you can see its status—Active or Disabled.

Editing and adding product tabs is done in the Design → Product tabs section.

Hint

To see what the product page looks like, Click the gear button and select Preview.

Buy Together

Note

This tab requires the Buy Together add-on to be active.

On this tab, you can bind the product with other products from the catalog and offer a discount if the bound products are bought together. A set of the bound products is referred to as a product combination. The discount is promoted on the product details page on the storefront, and customers can decide whether they want to profit by the offer or not.

Along with the set of bound products and the offered discount, each combination has the following properties:

  • Name—the name of the product combination.
  • Description—the description of the product combination as it appears on the storefront.
  • Available from—the date when the product combination becomes available for customers.
  • Available till—the date until the product combination is available.
  • Display in promotions—if this checkbox is ticked, the combination will appear on the list of promotions (index.php?dispatch=promotions.list).
  • Status—the status of the product combination (Active or Disabled).

Tags

Note

This tab requires the Tags add-on to be active.

This tab includes a list of tags associated with the product. Tags appear on the storefront in the Tags.

  • Tags—the tags that have been added to the product. Once you start typing, CS-Cart will use autocomplete to suggest what existing tag you may be entering.
The "Tags" tab.

Attachments

Note

This tab requires the Attachments add-on to be active.

This tab contains files associated with the product. Unlike the contents of the Files to sell tab, the files that appear here are available for non-downloadable products as well. Each attachment has the following properties:

  • Name—the name of the product attachment.
  • Position—the position of the attachment relatively to the position of the other product attachments.
  • File—the file that is used as the product attachment.
  • User groups—the user groups, for which the attachment is available.

Required Products

Note

This tab requires the Required Products add-on to be active.

This tab contains a list of required products, which will be added to cart along with this product. To add a new required product, click the Add product button.

Required products

Reward Points

Note

This tab requires the Reward Points add-on to be active.

Use this tab to set up the product price in reward points and specify the number of reward points to be earned for purchasing the product.

  • Allow payment by points—if you tick this checkbox, customers will be able to pay for the product product with reward points.
  • Override global PER—if this checkbox is ticked, the product will have a fixed price in points, that is independent of the point-to-money exchange rate.
  • Price in points—a fixed product price in points.
  • Override global/category point value for this product—if you tick this checkbox, the values below override the global reward points specified in Marketing → Reward points.
  • User group—the user groups, members of which will get reward points for buying the product.
  • Amount—the number of reward points to be granted to the user group member who bought the product.
  • Amount type—the absolute number of points or percentage-based value calculated in the following manner: the product cost is divided into 100, and the result is multiplied by the value in the field.

Reviews

Note

This tab requires the Comments and reviews add-on to be active. This tab appears only when communication and/or rating is enabled for the product on the Add-ons tab.

The list of customers’ reviews of the product. Here you can add own reviews and edit existing product reviews and ratings.

Layouts

The content of the product details page. This tab duplicates the global layout of a product page.

Here you can enable or disable some blocks, changing the product’s page that way. Any changes you make here will not affect the pages of other products.