# Product Groups

Every product in Flow Retail belongs to exactly one product group. Product groups help you organize your catalog, track performance in reports, and target specific products in campaigns.

***

### How product groups work

Product groups are organized in a hierarchy – like a tree with branches. At the top you have broad categories, with more specific sub-groups below.

**Example:**

```
|__ Brown Goods
   |__ TV
      |__ 20-29"
      |__ 30-49"
      |__ 50-69"
      |__ 70-99"
   |__ Projector
      |__ 40-99"
      |__ 99-149"
```

This structure lets you:

* Run reports at any level ("all Brown Goods" or just "TVs 50-69 inches")
* Target campaigns broadly or narrowly
* Keep your product catalog organized as it grows

***

### How do I add a product group?

{% stepper %}
{% step %}

#### Create new product group

Head to **Admin → Products → Product Groups** and select **New Product Group**.
{% endstep %}

{% step %}

#### Name it, choose a parent, and save

Give your group a name, select a parent group (or leave empty for a top-level group), and click **Save**.
{% endstep %}
{% endstepper %}

***

### How many levels should I use?

We recommend 2–4 levels depending on your catalog size. Too few makes it hard to organize; too many becomes unnecessarily complex.

| Number of products | Recommended levels |
| ------------------ | ------------------ |
| Under 100          | 1                  |
| 100–999            | 2                  |
| 1,000–9,999        | 3                  |
| 10,000–999,999     | 4                  |
| 1,000,000+         | 5                  |

Not every branch needs the same depth. If you have a top-level group called "Services" with only five items, there's no need for sub-groups.

***

### Do's and Don'ts

**✅ Do**

* **Start broad, get specific** – "Footwear → Sneakers → Running" works better than jumping straight to details
* **Use consistent naming** – if one group is "Men's", don't call another "For Women"
* **Think about your reports** – will you want to see "all jackets" or "all outdoor gear"? Structure accordingly
* **Keep names short** – "TVs" not "Television Sets and Monitors"

**❌ Don't**

* **Don't mix categorization styles** – avoid having "Nike" (brand) alongside "Running Shoes" (type) at the same level
* **Don't go deeper than needed** – if a group only has 5 products, sub-groups probably aren't necessary
* **Don't use codes or abbreviations** – "ELEC-TV-LG" is hard to read in reports; use "Large TVs"
* **Don't create overlapping groups** – a product should have one obvious home

***

{% hint style="info" %}
**Plan before you build** Restructuring product groups later is time-consuming. Take time to sketch out your structure before creating groups in the system.
{% endhint %}


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