How to choose between product category and attribute for my filters?

When creating product categories, you may wonder how deep to go with subcategories and when to use attributes instead. Here's how to gain clarity on this matter.

Read beforehand:

• How to add an attribute and assign values to products for easier filtering?
• Managing product categories

The differences between categories, subcategories, and attributes:

• Visually in the shop filters: 
  • Categories and their subcategories appear at the top of the filter menu, and you can select only one at a time.
  • Attributes are located below in the list of possible filters. They are displayed based on the selection already made. For example, if you select "backpack" and they do not have a gender attribute because backpacks are unisex, then the "gender" attribute will not be displayed.

• Categories and subcategories appear in the URL when selected, which allows for the creation of links to these categories. For example, rent.boardriders.com/surf/surf-men can be added as a link in the header menu or in the menu below the homepage photo or video.

• Categories have media that can be displayed in the shop's header. Attributes do not have media associated with them.

• The same attribute can be used for multiple categories. For example, the gender attribute (male/female) can be applied across categories such as jackets and pants. However, if you choose to create them as subcategories, you would need to create subcategories like "Men's Jackets," "Women's Jackets," "Men's Pants," "Women's Pants," which could make navigation in the filter hierarchy more cumbersome.