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Master Product Classifications

Menu Location: Products > Settings > Master Product Classifications

Last Updated: 2026-07-27

Overview

Master classifications are the individual product-name records under your top-level categories, things like "Green Apples," "Salmon Fillet," or "Bananas- Ripe." A master classification stores the name, URL slug, and image for a product ONE time, and every week's menu item you build points back to it, so you don't have to re-type the name or re-upload the image each week it's on your menu. It's also what drives customer substitutions (the default sub value) and the customer love/hate preferences feature.

Each master classification belongs to a top-level parent category, which is managed on the separate Parent Category Classifications page (e.g. "Fruit," "Veggies"). This page is where you manage the classifications that live under those parent categories.

Primary Functions:

  • Create, edit, and delete master classifications (name, URL slug, image, parent category)
  • Browse the classifications under a chosen parent category
  • Set a default substitution value ($) used when the system or a customer subs one item for another
  • Show or hide a classification in the customer love/hate preferences screen
  • Set length/width/height/weight for order-volume calculations (if your store has the weights & sizes feature turned on)
  • Export the classifications under a category to CSV, bulk-edit them, and re-import
  • Duplicate every classification under a category as an "Organic" version in one click

Page Layout

Header Section

  • Add Classification: opens the create form
  • Show ALL / Show Only Active toggle: switches the list between every classification under a category and only the ones currently on an active/current-week menu
  • Learn More: info popup explaining what a master classification is
  • Default Product Weight setting and Import Length/Width/Height CSV tool (only shown if your store has the weights & sizes feature enabled)

Master Classification List

  • Select Parent Classification dropdown loads the classifications that belong to a given top-level category
  • Once a parent is selected, a Bulk Edit panel appears with Export CSV, Import CSV (with a preview step before anything saves), and Duplicate All as Organic
  • The list table shows, per classification:
    • Image thumbnail
    • Name
    • Group (a free-text label used for your own reporting)
    • Default Sub Value ($)
    • Show/Hide In Prefs toggle
    • Length, Width, Height, Weight, and an auto-calculated Volume, only if the weights & sizes feature is enabled
    • Bag? toggle, only if your store's "product uses bag" setting is enabled
    • URL Slug
    • Edit (wrench) and Delete (X) icons. Delete is replaced with a lock icon if the classification is currently linked to an active/current-week product

Classification Detail Form

When adding or editing a classification: - Name - URL Slug - Image (drag-and-drop upload, or paste an image filename/URL directly into a text field) - Parent (which top-level category it belongs to)

Understanding Master Classifications and Parent Categories

There are two levels here, not several:

Parent Category (managed on a separate page):

  • Top-level grouping, e.g. "Fruit," "Veggies"
  • Managed on Products > Settings > Parent Category Classifications

Master Classification (this page):

  • The specific product record, e.g. "Green Apples," "Salmon Fillet," "Bananas- Ripe"
  • This is the level that a weekly menu item, a customer's love/hate preference, and the sub-value/image all point to

There is no deeper "sub-classification" level below this in the system.

Creating a Master Classification

Steps:

  1. Click Add Classification
  2. Enter the Name
  3. Optionally enter a URL Slug: when you're creating a brand-new classification, the system generates the slug from the name automatically and does not use whatever you typed here. You can set a custom slug afterward by editing the classification.
  4. Upload an image (minimum recommended size 250x250px; the form flags it if the uploaded image is smaller) or paste an image filename/URL directly into the text field
  5. Choose the Parent category from the dropdown
  6. Click Create

To edit an existing classification, click the wrench icon in the list. On edit, the URL Slug field is used exactly as typed.

Bulk Tools: Export, Import & Duplicate as Organic

Once you've selected a parent category, a Bulk Edit panel appears for the classifications under it:

  • Export CSV downloads the classifications under the selected parent (id, name, parent, url)
  • Import edited CSV lets you upload a CSV with the same columns. Rows with an id update the matching classification; rows with a blank id create a new one under the selected parent. Before anything is saved you get a preview showing what will be created, updated, or skipped (and why), with a count for each
  • Duplicate All as Organic copies every classification under the selected parent in one click, appending ", Organic" to the name and copying the image and every other field. Items that are already organic, or that already have an organic twin, are skipped automatically

There is no drag-and-drop reordering on this page. The list is sorted by Name or Group; click the column header to switch.

Deleting a Master Classification

Click the X (delete) icon next to a classification, then confirm. Before deleting, you can pick a Replacement Master Classification on the confirmation screen. This reassigns the deleted classification's customer love/hate preference links, and any menu item still pointing at it, over to the replacement classification, so old order data doesn't end up pointing at something that no longer exists.

If a classification is currently linked to an active/current-week product on the menu, the delete icon is replaced with a lock icon instead, and it can't be deleted from here until it's no longer on the current menu.

Weight, Volume & Dimensions

If your store has the weights & sizes feature turned on, the list table adds Length, Width, Height, Weight, and an auto-calculated Volume column for each classification, and the header section adds:

  • Default Product Weight (in oz), store-wide
  • Import Length Width Height: upload a CSV to bulk-set dimensions, matched to classifications by product name
  • Update Orders: recalculate order volume for the current cycle, or for last cycle's orders, using each classification's stored volume

If any classification currently on an active/current-week menu is missing a weight or volume, the page shows a warning banner telling you how many are missing so you can fill them in.

Common Use Cases

Use Case 1: Add a New Product

Goal: Add "Ground Turkey" as a new master classification under an existing parent category

Steps:

  1. Click Add Classification
  2. Name: "Ground Turkey"
  3. Upload a product image
  4. Parent: select the appropriate category
  5. Click Create
  6. Edit the classification afterward if you want a custom URL slug

Use Case 2: Add an Organic Line to a Whole Category

Goal: Offer an organic version of everything under a category like "Fruit"

Steps:

  1. Select "Fruit" from Select Parent Classification
  2. In the Bulk Edit panel, click Duplicate All as Organic
  3. Confirm the prompt
  4. Review the created classifications, items already organic were skipped automatically

Use Case 3: Bulk Rename or Re-Slug a Category

Goal: Clean up naming across all classifications under one category

Steps:

  1. Select the parent category
  2. Click Export CSV
  3. Edit names/slugs in a spreadsheet, keeping the id column intact for existing rows
  4. Upload the file under Import edited CSV
  5. Review the preview (update/create/skip counts)
  6. Click Apply Import

Use Case 4: Retire an Old Classification

Goal: Remove a discontinued product's classification without breaking past order history

Steps:

  1. Confirm the classification is no longer on the current/active menu (otherwise the delete icon shows as a lock instead)
  2. Click the delete icon
  3. Choose a Replacement Master Classification so existing customer preferences and any lingering menu links move over
  4. Confirm delete

Use Case 5: Set Up Weight/Volume for Order-Volume Calculations

Goal: Get accurate volume totals for a set of products

Steps:

  1. Prepare a CSV of length x width x height measurements for your products
  2. Use Import Length Width Height to bulk-load the dimensions, matched by product name
  3. Check the missing weight/volume warning banner and set any remaining active classifications manually in the list
  4. Use Update All Current Orders (or Update All Orders From Last Cycle) to recalculate order volumes with the new data

Troubleshooting

Can't Delete a Classification

Reason: it's linked to an active or current-week product on the menu; the list shows a lock icon instead of a delete icon in this case.

Solution: remove or replace the product on the current menu first, then come back and delete the classification.

Import Preview Shows Skipped Rows

Common reasons:

  • Missing name
  • Name longer than 64 characters
  • URL slug longer than 128 characters
  • A parent id that doesn't exist
  • An id that doesn't match an existing classification

Duplicate All as Organic Skipped Some Items

Common reasons:

  • The item's name already contains "organic"
  • An organic version of that item already exists under the same parent (safe to click again, it won't create duplicates)
  • The new name, with ", Organic" appended, would be longer than 64 characters

A Classification Isn't Showing in the List

Check whether Show Only Active is turned on: it filters the list to classifications currently on an active/current-week menu. Click Show ALL to see everything under that parent.

  • Parent Category Classifications (Products > Settings > Parent Category Classifications): manage the top-level categories these classifications live under
  • Products: the main products page, where master classifications get assigned to an actual weekly menu item

Best Practices

Organization

  1. Keep each master classification's name specific and customer-facing, it's what customers see on the menu and in their preferences
  2. Use the Group field consistently if you rely on it for your own reporting
  3. Set a Default Sub Value for anything that gets substituted, so subs price correctly
  4. Pick a replacement classification before deleting an old one, so past preferences and menu history don't end up pointing at nothing

Maintenance

  1. Use Show Only Active to focus on what's currently live, and Show ALL when doing bulk cleanup
  2. Use the CSV export/import round-trip for large renames instead of editing classifications one at a time
  3. If you use the weights & sizes feature, watch the missing weight/volume warning banner and fill in gaps promptly, it affects order-volume calculations

Quick Reference Card

Task Action/Location
Add a classification Click "Add Classification"
Edit a classification Click the wrench icon in the list
Delete a classification Click the X icon, then confirm (choose a replacement to reassign preferences)
Filter to active-only Toggle "Show Only Active" / "Show ALL"
Set default sub value Edit the Default Sub Value ($) field in the list, saves on change
Show/hide in customer prefs Toggle the Show/Hide In Prefs button in the list
Sort the list Click the "Name" or "Group" column header
Export a category to CSV Select parent > Bulk Edit panel > "Export CSV"
Bulk-import changes Select parent > Bulk Edit panel > upload CSV > review preview > "Apply Import"
Duplicate a category as organic Select parent > Bulk Edit panel > "Duplicate All as Organic"
Set/bulk-import dimensions Header section > "Import Length Width Height" (weights & sizes feature only)

FAQs

What's the difference between a Parent Category and a Master Classification?

A Parent Category is the top-level grouping (e.g. "Fruit," "Veggies"), managed on the separate Parent Category Classifications page. A Master Classification is the specific product record underneath it (e.g. "Green Apples"). This page manages master classifications.

Why didn't my custom URL slug save when I created a new classification?

On create, the slug is generated from the name automatically, regardless of what you typed in the URL Slug field. Edit the classification afterward to set a custom slug; edits use the typed value.

Why can't I delete this classification?

It's currently linked to an active or current-week product on the menu, shown as a lock icon instead of a delete icon. Remove it from the current menu first.

What happens to a classification's customer preferences when I delete it?

If you pick a Replacement Master Classification on the delete confirmation screen, its love/hate preference links (and any menu item still using it) move to the replacement instead of disappearing.

Will re-running "Duplicate All as Organic" create duplicates?

No, it skips anything already marked organic by name, and anything that already has an organic twin under that parent, so it's safe to run more than once.

End of Documentation

For additional help, contact your system administrator or Kiva Logic support.