--- title: Retail | Company Products | Subcategories description: Learn how to use the BLAZE Category Hierarchy to organize products into Parent and Subcategories for better reporting and menu management. --- [Skip to content](https://support.blaze.me/hc/en-us/articles/retail-company-products-subcategories#main-content) [![BLAZE-Logo-Blue (2)](https://support.blaze.me/hs-fs/hubfs/BLAZE-Logo-Blue%20(2).png?width=140&height=37&name=BLAZE-Logo-Blue%20(2).png)](https://support.blaze.me?hsLang=en) - [BLAZE US Knowledge Base](https://support.blaze.me/hc/en-us/articles) Open main navigation Close main navigation - [BLAZE US Knowledge Base](https://support.blaze.me/hc/en-us/articles) Welcome to the Blaze US Knowledge Base! Find helpful reference by searching here... - There are no suggestions because the search field is empty. 1. [BLAZE US Knowledge Center](https://support.blaze.me/hc/en-us/articles?hsLang=en) 2. [Company Products](https://support.blaze.me/hc/en-us/articles/company-products?hsLang=en) # Retail | Company Products | Subcategories ## The category system in Company Products has been upgraded from a flat list to a two-level hierarchy. This parent-child structure allows for superior inventory organization, cleaner consumer menus, and more granular reporting. #### Prerequisites - **Company Products** must be enabled for your organization. - Access to **Dashboard \> Products \> Company Categories**. - Administrative permissions to create or edit categories. --- #### Overview: The Parent-Child Structure To maintain a clean and manageable catalog, the hierarchy follows specific logic: - **Two-Level Limit:** The system supports one **Parent Category** and one **Subcategory (Child)**. Further nesting is not supported. - **Initial Inheritance:** New subcategories automatically inherit the following from their Parent: Active status, Cannabis toggle, Cannabis Type, Exit Label, and Sold As. - **Independence:** Once created, a subcategory’s image and specific details can be edited without affecting the Parent category. --- #### Managing Categories in the UI The **Company Categories** page utilizes a "Tree-Style" table to manage relationships: - **The Tree View:** Click the arrows to expand a Parent category. Subcategories are visually indented for clarity. ![imagess](https://support.blaze.me/hs-fs/hubfs/imagess.png?width=670&height=291&name=imagess.png) - **The Slide-Out Editor:** Click any category name to open the edit panel. ![ss](https://support.blaze.me/hs-fs/hubfs/ss.png?width=670&height=293&name=ss.png) - **Merging:** Within the three-dot (**...**) menu of a subcategory, use the **Merge** option to move a child category to a different Parent. - **The Filter Bar:** On the **Company Products** list, categories now display using a `>` indicator (e.g., **Vapes \> Cartridges**). ![image (18)-3](https://support.blaze.me/hs-fs/hubfs/image%20(18)-3.png?width=670&height=286&name=image%20(18)-3.png) --- #### Critical Safeguards & Deletion To maintain data integrity, several system protections are in place: - **Blocked Deletion:** You cannot delete any category or subcategory that has products assigned to it. Products must be reassigned first. - **Cannabis Compliance:** If the **Cannabis Toggle** is **ON**, the **Cannabis Type** field is mandatory. The system will block saving until this is selected. ![imagefgjery](https://support.blaze.me/hs-fs/hubfs/imagefgjery.png?width=670&height=308&name=imagefgjery.png) - **Image Management:** To remove or replace a subcategory image, click the **X** on the image preview within the editor. --- #### Import / Export Workflows The **Product Details CSV** has been updated to reflect the new hierarchy. This is a critical area for data management: - **Column Structure:** The original "Category" column is now split into two separate columns: **Category** (Parent) and **Subcategory** (Child). - **Moving Products "Up":** To move a product from a subcategory back to the Parent level, import a file with the **Category** column populated and the **Subcategory** column left **blank**. - **Validation Errors:** The system will throw an error if the CSV combination does not match the database (e.g., "The category combination 'X - X' does not exist"). ![imageva](https://support.blaze.me/hs-fs/hubfs/imageva.png?width=530&height=125&name=imageva.png) > **NOTE:** Categories and subcategories must be created in the UI before they can be utilized in a CSV import. --- #### Third-Party Integrations (Partner API) For retailers using external menus (e.g., Dutchie, Weedmaps): - **The parentCategoryId Field:** BLAZE now populates this field in the API, allowing external partners to identify hierarchical relationships. - 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