Storefront navigation

Adding a navbar menu

SigmaCart uses the catalog category hierarchy to build supported storefront navigation. Create main categories for top-level navbar items, add subcategories for dropdown entries, arrange their order, and enable only the menu items customers should see.

Open Category Management

Sign in to the administration panel and navigate to Products → Categories, or open the category-management URL directly.

https://yourdomain.com/console/navigation

SigmaCart Categories page showing main categories, nested subcategories, search, Add New Category, edit, delete, and drag-order controls — Category Management organizes main categories and subcategories used for catalog browsing and supported navbar navigation.

How navbar navigation is structured

Level 1Main categoryA top-level catalog section such as Fashion, Electronics, or Home & Furniture.

Level 2SubcategoryA child entry such as Mens, Womens, Mobiles, Storage, TV, or Kitchen.

DisplayNavbar and catalogEnabled categories can appear in supported menus, category pages, filters, and browsing components.

Fashion
├── Mens
├── Womens
└── Bags & Accessories

Electronics
├── Mobiles
├── Storage
└── TV

Create a main navbar category

Select Add New Category. Use the button at the top of the Categories page.
Enter the category name. Use a short, customer-friendly label suitable for the navbar.
Confirm the slug. Use a clean, unique URL slug such as home-furniture.
Keep it as a main category. Do not assign a parent when it should appear at the top level.
Add category media if supported. Upload an optimized image or icon required by the active theme.
Enable the category. Make it active or visible so supported storefront menus can display it.
Save the category. Return to the category list and confirm it appears correctly.

Add subcategories

Subcategories organize products beneath a main category and can appear as dropdown or nested navigation entries.

Locate the main category. Find the category that should contain the new child entry.
Select Add. Use the subcategory action shown on the category card, or choose the parent category in the create form.
Enter the subcategory details. Add a name, unique slug, image or icon, and any supported metadata.
Verify the parent. Confirm the correct main category is assigned before saving.
Enable and save. Make the subcategory visible and confirm it appears beneath the correct parent.

Avoid unnecessary nesting

Keep the navigation hierarchy simple. Deeply nested menus are harder to use on mobile and can make products difficult to discover.

Category fields and controls

Field or control	Purpose
Category name	The customer-facing label displayed in navigation and catalog areas.
Slug	The URL-friendly identifier used for the category route.
Parent category	Places the entry beneath a main category as a subcategory.
Image or icon	Provides category media for themes and catalog components that display it.
Status or visibility	Controls whether the category is available on supported storefront areas.
Drag handle	Changes the display priority of main categories or subcategories.
Edit	Updates the category name, slug, parent, media, status, or other supported settings.
Delete	Removes the category when it is safe and permitted. Review products and child categories first.
Search	Finds a category or subcategory in larger catalog hierarchies.

Reorder navbar items

Use the visible drag handles to control category priority when the installed SigmaCart version supports drag-and-drop ordering.

Identify the drag handle. Locate it on the main category card or beside a subcategory row.
Drag the item. Move it to the preferred position among entries at the same hierarchy level.
Drop it into place. Confirm the updated sequence in the administration panel.
Save if required. Some versions save immediately; others may require an explicit save action.
Verify the storefront. Refresh the navbar and clear relevant caches if the old order remains visible.

Prioritize important categories

Place the most frequently visited or strategically important categories where customers can find them quickly.

Edit, disable, or delete categories

Action	When to use it	Important consideration
Edit	Update a label, slug, parent, image, order, or visibility setting.	Changing a slug may affect existing links, bookmarks, and search-engine URLs.
Disable	Temporarily hide a seasonal, unfinished, or unavailable category.	Disabling is safer when the category may be needed again.
Delete	Permanently remove an unused category when permitted.	Move or review assigned products and child categories before deletion.

Review relationships before deleting

Deleting a category can affect assigned products, subcategories, navigation links, filters, promotions, and indexed URLs. Disable it first when you are uncertain.

Navbar-menu best practices

Use short, familiar labels
Keep hierarchy shallow
Use unique category slugs
Order items by customer importance
Avoid empty categories
Use consistent category images
Review navigation on mobile
Test every category link

Verify the storefront navbar

Open the public storefront. Check the desktop navbar and mobile navigation drawer.
Review the hierarchy. Confirm main categories and subcategories appear beneath the correct parent.
Test every link. Verify each destination opens the expected category page.
Check product assignments. Confirm category pages display the correct active products.
Review responsive behavior. Test long labels, dropdowns, touch targets, and scrolling on small screens.
Clear cache if necessary. Refresh cached settings, categories, or frontend data when changes do not appear.

Navbar troubleshooting

Problem	What to check
Category does not appear	Confirm it is enabled, assigned to the correct parent, supported by the active theme, and included in the menu configuration.
Subcategory appears under the wrong item	Edit the subcategory and select the correct parent category.
Order has not changed	Save the new order, refresh the storefront, and clear category or application caches.
Category link returns 404	Verify the slug, route, published status, frontend API data, and any recently changed URLs.
Category page is empty	Confirm active products are assigned to the category and available for the current store.
Mobile menu is crowded	Shorten labels, reduce top-level items, and avoid excessive nesting.

Navbar menu complete

Once category order, hierarchy, visibility, links, and mobile behavior are verified, the navigation is ready for customers.

Adding Menu to Navbar #