Categories
[TOC]
Overview
Categories allow you to organise your property listings into logical groups that match your business needs. For example, a traditional real estate agency might use categories such as "Residential", "Condominiums", and "Waterfront", while a rental agency might use "Apartments", "Rooms for Rent", and "Houses for Rent".
OS Property supports multi-level category hierarchies: you can create top-level categories and nest subcategories beneath them to any depth. When a user searches for a parent category, results will include properties from all of its subcategories as well.
Tip: Avoid creating too many categories. An excessively long category list can confuse visitors and reduce usability. Aim for a clear, intuitive structure that reflects how users think about your property types.
Categories List
From the Categories panel you can view, create, edit, reorder, publish, unpublish, and delete categories. The list shows each category's name, its position in the hierarchy (indented under the parent), and its published status.
Add / Edit a Category
To add a new category, click the New button in the toolbar. To edit an existing category, click on its name or select it and click Edit.
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Category Name | The short, descriptive title of the category (e.g., "Waterfront" or "Apartments") |
| Alias | URL-friendly alias. Leave empty to have the system generate one automatically. Must be unique. |
| Parent Category | Select a parent category to create a subcategory. Leave on "Parent category" for a top-level category. |
| Description | A longer description displayed on the category listing page and the category property page |
| Icon | Upload a JPG icon for the category. Icons are automatically resized to the dimensions configured in settings. |
| Access Level | Restrict visibility of this category to a specific Joomla! user group |
| Published | Controls whether this category is active and visible on the front-end |
Click Save to save and return to the list, Apply to save without leaving the form, or Cancel to discard changes.
To unpublish a category directly from the list, click the green Published icon next to the category name. To delete a category, select it using the checkbox and click Delete in the toolbar.
Multiple Languages
When your Joomla site has more than one language installed, a Translation tab will appear on the category edit page. This tab lists all additional languages (excluding the main language shown on the Main tab).
The following fields are available per language:
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Category Name | Name of the category in the corresponding language |
| Alias | Alias for the category in that language. Leave empty to auto-generate. |
| Description | Category description in the corresponding language |