Add Items and Categories to Square Online in the Overview Page
With Square Online item sync, items synced to Square Online from your Square Item Library can be changed to several different item types and displayed on your site as needed. They can also be added to site categories you can organise separately from categories on your POS. In this article, we’ll review how to add and manage site items and categories from the Overview page in your Dashboard.
Note: You can also add and edit items from the Square Online site editor for additional tools not found in the Overview page. Learn more about adding an item and category to Square Online in the site editor.
To understand all Square Online tools and features in your Square Dashboard, learn more about how to navigate the Square Online Overview page in Dashboard. You can also check out how to manage Square Online item settings from your Item Library for additional item tools not found in Square Online.
Item Types and Visibility
Check out the seven item types found in Square Online you can display on your sites as needed.
Feel free to choose an item type that fits your purpose. We help you by providing specific fields and layouts perfectly suited for each one.
The seven item types found in Square Online are the following:
- Physical: Best for basic retail items such as clothing or jewellery. Learn more about selling physical items online.
- Digital: Lets you provide a digital file for download like an e-book or song. Learn more about selling digital items online.
- Donation: Allow site visitors to send donations for any cause. Learn more about accepting donations online.
- Membership: Collect membership dues and registration fees for clubs and classes. Learn more about selling non-physical items like memberships online.
- Event: Sell tickets to events, and include location address and times. Learn more about selling non-physical items like event tickets online.
- Service: Best for services for hire such as massages and hair styling. Learn more about selling non-physical items like services online.
- Prepared food and beverage: Best for restaurants and other food venues. Learn more about selling food and beverage items online.
You can switch an item’s type (e.g. switch a physical item to a food and beverage item) in Square Online at any time. To switch an existing item’s type:
- From your Square Online Overview page, go to Items > Site Items.
- Select one of the existing items in your list.
- In the Item Information section, select Change under Item Type.
- After choosing a new type, select Change item type, read the final note and select Save as new item type to finish the switch.
- Complete all other changes to the item and select Save when finished.
Note: Some item details may be lost if the new item type doesn’t use them.
Item visibility refers to how and where an item will appear on your websites in Square Online. The item visibility settings will apply to items on every site they’ve been assigned to. For example, if you mark an item as Visible, it’ll be visible on each of your sites where the item is being sold.
To control an item’s visibility:
- From your Square Online Overview page, go to Items > Site Items.
- Select an item from your items list.
- Under Visibility, select either Visible, Hidden or Unavailable.
- Complete all other edits to the item and select Save when finished.
You can also update visibility for multiple items at once using the bulk editing method, or update directly from your Square Item Library by selecting an item and editing the Visibility under ‘Square Online settings’. Learn more about creating and managing items in your Item Library. You can also learn more about managing multiple websites with Square Online for more information on item visibility between multiple sites.
The available item visibility settings are as follows:
- Visible: Your item is visible online and available for purchase, and will show up in navigation and site search results.
- Hidden: Your item is available for purchase online but only to those who have the direct link to it (useful for exclusive items).
- Unavailable: Your item isn’t visible online and can’t be purchased (useful if you aren’t ready to sell the item).
Category visibility refers to how a category will appear on your Square Online site. To control a site category’s visibility:
- From your Square Online Overview page, go to Items > Site Categories.
- Under the category you want to manage, select ‘…’ > Hide from site.
Note: If your ordering page template is Order Online, then items in a category won’t appear on your site when the category is hidden. If your template is Shop All, then items in a category will still be visible even when the category is hidden.
Create a New Item
Understanding the section above, you can now create a new item in the Square Online Overview page by going to Items > Site Items and selecting Create new item. You can also select Add item and choose an option to either add existing items from your Square Item Library to the specific site you’re viewing, or import new items to Square Online and your entire Square item catalogue. Learn more about importing items to Square Online.
Complete the following actions when setting up your item:
To start, manage details such as the item type, name, description and visibility. If you want to format the description text, be sure to unsync item descriptions from your item sync settings. You can also upload product images to represent the item.
Depending on the item type, you can adjust fulfilment settings and related options such as alcohol. Fulfilment options for site items include:
- Delivery
- Pickup
- Local delivery
- Self-serve ordering
Note: Non-physical items don’t use standard fulfilment methods, so you won’t see these options for those item types.
Be sure to set a stock quantity for your item. If your item has variations, you can add stock for each variation. Learn more about managing stock in Square Online.
If your item has options and variations (such as different sizes or colours), be sure to enter all the details and prices. Item variations without prices won’t be purchasable on your site.
Add modifiers to your items by selecting Manage modifiers.
Select Choose categories to add the item to a category. A single item can always be placed in multiple categories, so feel free to get creative. For example, you can create a ‘New Arrivals’ category to showcase what’s new in your online store.
Check out the item rating from your customer reviews.
You can optionally optimise your items for SEO by filling in the SEO details. Learn more about how to optimise your items and categories in Square Online.
When finished setting up your site item, select Save.
Create a New Category
As you add items to your site, it’s also helpful to organise them with categories. From the Square Online Overview page, go to Items > Site Categories and select Add Category. You can also select Quick-add categories to quickly add categories to your site by simply entering category names.
Complete the following actions when setting up your category:
Start by giving the category a name. It’s helpful to give it a common name customers will understand. For example, common categories could include ‘Starters’, ‘Trousers’ or ‘Hairstyles’.
Select Choose items to add items to the category. A single item can always be placed in multiple categories, so feel free to get creative. For example, you can create a ‘New Arrivals’ category to showcase what’s new in your online store.
Select Add image to represent the category with an image. You can choose a generic image to encompass all the items in your category, or use one of your favourite item images.
If you have at least one other category, you can make the category a subcategory. Under ‘Category organisation’, select the ‘+’ icon next to an existing category. After saving your changes, the new subcategory will appear nested underneath the category you just selected.
Note: Enable time-based categories by upgrading your Square Online site.
You can limit the availability of items in a category. Under Availability, select Only certain days and times and choose the days and times when the items will be available for pickup or local delivery. These are known as time-based categories.
Note: In order to use time-based categories, be sure you’re using the Order Online ordering page template.
You can optionally optimise your categories for SEO by filling out the SEO details. Learn more about how to optimise your items and categories in Square Online.
When finished setting up your site category, select Save. To rearrange how categories appear on your site, select the Rearrange categories option.
Note: To save time, you have the option of transferring existing categories from your Square POS to Square Online. Select copy over existing Point of Sale categories on the Site Categories page to start the process. This option is available only once, so you’ll need to manage Square Online categories separately from then on.
Delete Items and Categories
If you need to remove an item from your site or delete it from you Square item catalogue completely, go to the Site Items page and use the bulk editing method to remove or delete the items. Learn more about item management between multiple sites in your Square account.
If you need to delete a site category, start by going to your Site Categories page. Under the category you want to delete, select ‘...’ > Delete. This will only delete the category, but not any items that you’ve added to the category.
Import and Export Items
To import or export your Square item catalogue:
From your Square Item Library, select Actions > Import Library or Export Library.
In the pop-up window, choose the option best suited for your needs.
Note: Importing or exporting your items can’t be done from the Square Online Overview page.
Learn more about item importing and exporting.
Item Preferences
Square Online includes several options to customise items you’re selling on your website. These options range from how items are displayed on your webpages to tracking stock. Learn more about item preferences in Square Online.
Bulk Edit Items
If you have a website with multiple items, categories or vouchers, you can save time by making use of bulk editing. Bulk editing allows you to make changes across multiple items at once. Learn more about the bulk editing method in Square Online.
Other Site Item Features
Your site items can take advantage of several other features in Square Online that items sold in person won’t be able to. Learn about these useful features below.
Vouchers are a great way to incentivise your customers to buy the items on your website. In Square Online, you can create several voucher types with customisable rules and restrictions. Customers that enter a voucher code during checkout will see a discount immediately applied to their order. Learn more about creating vouchers for Square Online.
Note: Using customer reviews requires an upgrade on your Square Online site.
Your customers can leave comments, photos and ratings on your Square Online site about their online purchases to provide real-world experiences with your products. These customer reviews are visible to others, making them a great way to help build confidence in potential buyers and possibly increase online sales. Learn more about customer reviews for Square Online.
Note: Using scheduled item updates requires an upgrade on your Square Online site.
With scheduled item updates in Square Online, you can schedule item visibility and sale price changes ahead of time to run special sales or launch new products. Learn more about scheduling item updates in Square Online.
Note: Using item gift options requires an upgrade on your Square Online site.
Enabling gift options allows your customers to indicate that an item they’re purchasing is intended to be a gift. Buyers can include a message to the recipient that displays on the delivery invoice, along with return or exchange instructions. You can also offer gift wrapping with an optional added fee. Learn more about setting up gifting options with Square Online.
If you’re selling physical items or food and beverage items, you may sell alcohol with Square Online if permitted by law in your area. Learn more about selling alcohol with Square Online.
Troubleshooting
If your items display as Unavailable or don’t appear at all on your Square Online site, there are a few things to consider that could be the cause. Learn more about troubleshooting non-visible items in Square Online.