Magento Open Source, 1.9.x
Creating Categories
When working in the Admin, the category structure is like an upside-down tree, with the root at the top. Each section of the tree can be expanded and collapsed. Any disabled or hidden categories are grayed out.

1. | On the Admin menu, select Catalog > Manage Categories. |
2. | Before you begin, set Choose Store View to the store or view. By default, the scope of the category configuration is set to “All Store Views.” |
3. | In the category tree, click the category that is to be the parent of the new category. The parent is the level just above the new category. |
If you’re starting from the beginning without any data, there might be only two categories in the list: “Default Category,” which is the root, and an “Example Category.”
4. | Click the Add Subcategory button. |

1. | In the General Information section, do the following: |
a. | (Required) Type the Name of the category. |
b. | (Required) To enable the category, set Is Active to “Yes.” |
c. | You can enter a URL Key for the category, or let the system automatically create one that is based on the category name. |
2. | If supported by your theme, you can display a Thumbnail image in the main menu for each category. Click the Choose File button and select the image to upload. |
3. | In the Description box, enter a paragraph or two of descriptive text for the category landing page. |
4. | To display an Image at the top of the category landing page, click the Choose File button and select the image to upload. |
5. | Complete the category meta data: |
- Page Title
- Meta Keywords
- Meta Description
6. | (Required) To include the category in the main menu, set Include in Navigation Menu to “Yes.” |
7. | Click the Save Category button. Then, take note of the following: |
- The new category now appears in the tree. If it’s not in the correct position, you can drag it to another location in the tree.
- In addition to the category name, it has an ID number shown in parentheses, just after the name at the top of the page.
- A URL Key that is based on the category name can be automatically generated for the category.

You can configure the category landing page to display both a static block and product list, or one or the other. A static block can provide additional information, including text, images, and even embedded video.
1. | On the Display Settings tab, do the following: |
a. | Set Display Mode to one of the following: |
- Products Only
- Static Block Only
- Static Block and Products
b. | If applicable, set CMS Block to the static block that you want to appear on the category page. |
c. | If you want this category page to display the “Filter by Attribute” section of layered navigation, set Is Anchor to “Yes.” |
- Best Value
- Name
- Price
2. | When complete, click the Save Category button. |