Storefront > Catalog > Products > Edit Product > Grouping

Overview

How Product Groups Work

How to Create Product Groups

Product Group Types 

Internal Fields

Overview

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Cart.com Product Groups are a powerful feature that makes it possible to logically group similar products onto a single product details page and/or create kits of products to be purchased together. There are four types of product groups, and each is designed with a specific use-case in mind. This article contains a detailed explanation of each group type, its use cases, and settings.

How Product Groups Work

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Product Groups have the following capabilities:

• Inventory tracking for each parent and children separately
• Separate item numbers and tracking for each product in the group
• Separate pricing & pricing rules for each product in the group
• Separate shipping weights, rules and restrictions for each product in the group
• Parent description for all of the products in the group and override certain other descriptions for each child product.
• Pictures of the parent product are also joined with all the child products' pictures to make 1 set of pictures automatically.
• Keeps the parent-child relationship throughout the Cart.com online store system for reference purposes on orders/reorders.
• Can require a product to be purchased in the group, this product/min quantity cannot be removed without removing the whole group from the cart/order.
• Can automatically add a specified quantity of a child product to the cart when a certain number of the other products are added to the cart.
• Quantity can be bound to the parent product, meaning if you order 24 of the parent, you get 24 of the child.

How to Create Product Groups

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You can create Product Groups from your store’s products by navigating to Catalog > Products > Edit Product > Grouping:

• Select a group type from the Product Group Type drop-down
• Sell Items Individually Parent is Info Only: A grouping of similar products that share a description and product image displayed on a parent product details page that is informational only.
• Sell Items In Kit With Parent: Allows the group's child products to be purchased both as part of a group and as a standalone product. 
• Sell Parent Track Item Inventory Transparently: The child product is automatically added to the cart when the parent product is added to cart. 
• Sell Items Individually And Parent is Info Only: Allows child products to be purchased both as part of a Parent Info Only group and as a standalone product.
• Add Child products to the group
• Click Save 

Product Group Types 

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These are the following Product Group types:

• Sell Items Individually Parent is Info Only
• Sell Items in Kit With Parent
• Sell Parent Track Item Inventory Transparently
• Sell Items Individually And Parent is Info Only

Sell Items Individually Parent is Info Only

Select and purchase multiple child products from a single product details page. Child products do not have their own page. 

Details

• Child products visible on the parent page? Yes
• Child products visible in searches and on category pages? No
• Child products can be required? No
• Parent product can be added to cart? No
• Child product details pages redirect to parent? Yes
• Child products can be purchased separately? Yes, but from the parent page

An example of Parent product configuration:

An example of the Child product configuration:

Exclude Price - Excludes the price of the child from the price of the items added to cart. 

Sort Order - Sets the order of the child item in relation to the other child items in the kit, ascending.

Relation Description - Can display this field on the product details page using the merge code $$RELATIONDESCRIPTION$$ in the group item section.

Sell Items Individually Parent is Info Only product group use case:

• You're selling a product called "Awesome Coffee” that has multiple offerings.
• You want customers to add them to their cart from a single page.
• If a customer searches for "Awesome Coffee", they will only see the parent in the results.
• The customer can add multiple quantities of each size with one click of the Add to Cart button.

Sell Items in Kit With Parent

Purchase multiple items together with one click, with the option to discount the total price.

Details

• Child products visible on parent page? Yes 
• Child products visible in searches and category pages? Yes
• Parent product can be added to cart? Yes
• Child products can be optional? Yes
• Child products can be required? Yes
• Child products have their own product details page? Yes
• Child products can be purchased individually? Yes
• Parent always added to cart on parent page? Yes
• Adding same Kit is separate line products on cart? Yes

 An example of Parent product configuration:

An example of Child product configuration:

Is required - The child item is automatically added to the cart when the parent item is added to cart.

• Enables auto add ranges functions 
• Is Required items are currently HIDDEN on the product details page of the parent, there is not currently a seperate "HideChildOnParentProductDisplayPage" flag, please request this if needed.
• Once in the cart, it can only be removed by removing the parent item that it is attached to.
• A parent must not be marked as “DoNotSellParent” 

Bind Quantity to Parent - When set to true, the customer is simply presented with a check box to indicate that they do or do not want the item, rather than the usual quantity text box.

• Once added to cart, the child's quantity will match the parent's quantity.
• This feature can also be paired with the Is Required flag.

Auto Add Range - Can be used to specify when a child item is automatically added to the customer's cart when the parent is added to the cart.

• Can be paired with the Is Required flag to force the product and quantity to always be in the cart
• Enter a Lower and Upper Bound to have this feature work.
• Example: if Lower = 1,Upper = 50, and Required Qty = 7, then if the parent quantity added is between 1-50, 7 of the child product will be added.

Required Quantity - This specifies the number of child items to be inserted into the cart when using the Is Required or Auto Add Range features.

• If no quantity is entered then the default of 1 is used
• If Is Required is true, they cannot remove the item or go below the quantity specified, however the customer can purchase more than the quantity you specify to be added.

Surcharge - This allows you to add an upcharge or discount to the prices for each child item.

• Total: Charges a specific dollar amount for this child item, overriding other pricing schemes
• - Dollars: subtracts a certain dollar value from the calculated price
• + Dollars: adds a certain dollar value on top of the calculated price
• - Percent: subtracts a certain percent from the calculated price
• + Percent: adds a certain percent on top of the calculated price

Exclude Price - Excludes the price of the child from the price of the items added to cart. 

Sort Order - Sets the order of the child item in relation to the other child items in the kit, ascending.

Relation Description - Can display this field on the product details page using the merge code $$RELATIONDESCRIPTION$$ in the group item section.

Sell Items in Kit with Parent product group use case:

• You want to sell coffee and some accessories together as a kit.
• You want the ability to charge a set price that is different than the sum of the child products purchased separately
• You want to offer the products individually as well.
• You want the ability to offer optional products as well, like coffee filters.

Creating with API 

• Set IsKit's value to true on the parent product.
• Set DoNotSellParent to false on parent product

Sell Parent Track Item Inventory Transparently

The child product is automatically added to the cart when the parent product is added to cart.

Details

• Child products visible on the parent page? No
• Child products visible on search and category pages? Yes
• Parent product can be added to cart? Yes
• Child products can be purchased individually? Yes
• Child products are visible when kit added to cart? No
• Once in the cart, it can only be removed by removing the parent product that it is attached to.

An example of Parent Product configuration:

An example of Child Product configuration:

Is required - The child item is automatically added to the cart when the parent item is added to cart.

• Enables auto add ranges functions 
• Is Required items are currently HIDDEN on the product details page of the parent, there is not currently a seperate "HideChildOnParentProductDisplayPage" flag, please request this if needed.
• Once in the cart, it can only be removed by removing the parent item that it is attached to.
• A parent must not be marked as “DoNotSellParent” 

Bind Quantity to Parent - When set to true, the customer is simply presented with a check box to indicate that they do or do not want the item, rather than the usual quantity text box.

• Once added to cart, the child's quantity will match the parent's quantity.
• This feature can also be paired with the Is Required flag.

Auto Add Range - Can be used to specify when a child item is automatically added to the customer's cart when the parent is added to the cart.

• Can be paired with the Is Required flag to force the product and quantity to always be in the cart
• Enter a Lower and Upper Bound to have this feature work.
• Example: if Lower = 1,Upper = 50, and Required Qty = 7, then if the parent quantity added is between 1-50, 7 of the child product will be added.

Required Quantity - This specifies the number of child items to be inserted into the cart when using the Is Required or Auto Add Range features.

• If no quantity is entered then the default of 1 is used
• If Is Required is true, they cannot remove the item or go below the quantity specified, however the customer can purchase more than the quantity you specify to be added.

Surcharge - This allows you to add an upcharge or discount to the prices for each child item.

• Total: Charges a specific dollar amount for this child item, overriding other pricing schemes
• - Dollars: subtracts a certain dollar value from the calculated price
• + Dollars: adds a certain dollar value on top of the calculated price
• - Percent: subtracts a certain percent from the calculated price
• + Percent: adds a certain percent on top of the calculated price

Exclude Price - Excludes the price of the child from the price of the items added to cart. 

Sort Order - Sets the order of the child item in relation to the other child items in the kit, ascending.

Relation Description - Can display this field on the product details page using the merge code $$RELATIONDESCRIPTION$$ in the group item section.

Sell Parent Track Item Inventory Transparently product group use case:

• You sell coffee and related accessories, and for your Coffee Cups you want to include a small sample of your coffee.
• You want to track inventory on the samples
• You want to be able to control how many of each sample are added to the cart. 
• You want the customer to see only the Coffee Cup product in the cart when checking out. 

Sell Items Individually And Parent is Info Only

Allows child products to be purchased both as part of the parent product. 

Details

• Child products visible on the parent page? Yes
• Child products visible in searches and on category pages? Yes
• Child products can be required? No
• Parent product can be added to cart? No
• Child product details pages redirect to parent? Yes
• Child products can be purchased separately? Yes, from the parent page

An example of the Parent Product configuration:

Child product configuration details:

Exclude Price - Excludes the price of the child from the price of the items added to cart. 

Sort Order - Sets the order of the child item in relation to the other child items in the kit, ascending.

Relation Description - Can display this field on the product details page using the merge code $$RELATIONDESCRIPTION$$ in the group item section.

Sell Items Individually And Parent is Info Only product group use case:

• You're selling a product called "Awesome Coffee” that has multiple offerings.
• You want customers to add them to their cart from a single page.
• If a customer searches for "Awesome Coffee", they will see all products in the search results.
• Customers can see all product offerings from your category pages.
• The customer can add multiple quantities of each size with one click of the Add to Cart button.

Internal Fields

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Below are internal field names for use by developers:

• NoProductGrouping (default choice, standard product)
• SellItemsInKitWithParent (IsKit) - all functions tied to parent are available
• SellItemsIndividuallyParentIsInfoOnly (Hide Product Group Headers) - only basic group functions available
• SellAllItemsIndividuallyDoNotGroup (Not Supported Yet, Use related items instead which is the same use case as SellAllItemsIndividually)
• ChildItemInGroupAlready - no group functions will be available on a child.
• IfChildHideOnProductListingPages - or just use the Hide flag on the child (hide flag will work currently, or if in SellItemsIndividuallyParentIsInfoOnly this is the default)
• IfChildAllowSellingSeperately - it will allow this item to be put in the cart separately as well as in groups (not currently there, if SellItemsInKitWithParent then it will allow this)
• A parent must not be marked as “DoNotSellParent” if you set IsRequired to true on the child, a parent is needed.