FAQ

Getting Started

How do I categorize my first products?

The fastest way is to select 2-3 products in Shopify admin, click the more actions menu (•••), and choose “Categorize products” from the Apps section. Categorify will process them in the background and you can view results on the dashboard within seconds. See the Quick Start Guide for step-by-step instructions.

Should I enable automatic categorization right away?

No—test manual categorization on 10-20 products first to ensure your settings produce expected results. Once you’re satisfied with the accuracy, enable automatic categorization in Settings. This prevents using credits on potentially incorrect settings.

Do CSV imports get categorized automatically?

No. Due to Shopify limitations, CSV imports don’t trigger automatic categorization webhooks. After importing, use bulk selection to manually categorize the imported products or categorize the entire collection if imports went to a specific collection.

How do I know if categorization is working?

Check the Latest Categorizations section on your dashboard to see recent results with status indicators. You can also view complete history in the History page and verify categories were assigned by checking your products in Shopify admin. Green indicators mean categorization is working well.

Understanding Results

What do the different colored status badges mean?

Green means the AI confidently selected the category (best result). Yellow means the top-ranked category was used when the AI couldn’t decide (may need review). Gray means no category was found (needs better description). Red means an error occurred. See Understanding Status Indicators for details.

Why did some products get a category but others didn’t?

Products return no category (gray badges) when descriptions lack sufficient information for classification or the product doesn’t fit the taxonomy well. Improve these descriptions by adding what the product is, materials, features, and use cases. Alternatively, enable “Use best-guess category” in Settings to get results even with lower confidence.

What’s the difference between green and yellow results?

Green results are categories the AI actively selected with confidence based on your product description. Yellow results are the highest-scored category returned when the AI couldn’t confidently decide between multiple options—they require more verification. Green results are significantly more accurate than yellow results.

Should I be concerned about gray results?

Gray results indicate the AI needs more information to categorize the product. If you’re seeing many gray results, improve your product descriptions by explicitly stating what the product is rather than assuming the reader knows. A few gray results are normal, but predominantly gray results signal description quality issues.

The Categorization Marker

What is the categorization marker?

The categorization marker is the mechanism Categorify uses to record that a product has been processed. It serves two purposes: it prevents infinite loops during automatic categorization, and it helps you track which products have been categorized.

You can choose how the marker works in Settings:

• Tag mode (default): Categorify adds a standard Shopify product tag—by default categorized-by-ai—to every categorized product. You’ll see this in the Tags field on the product detail page in Shopify admin.
• Metafield mode: Categorify writes a private Categorify marker app metafield instead, leaving your product tags untouched.

What’s the difference between tag mode and metafield mode?

Both modes prevent infinite loops and track processed products—they just store the marker in different places. Tag mode is visible in Shopify admin’s Tags field and works with tag-based filters and automations. Metafield mode keeps Categorify’s data out of your product tags, which is useful if you manage tags carefully or have tag-triggered automations you don’t want to affect.

Can I remove the categorization marker?

In tag mode: Technically yes, but you shouldn’t unless you want the product re-categorized automatically. If you need to re-categorize, use manual categorization (More actions → Categorize product) instead. Removing the tag from many products will cause them all to be re-categorized on next update, consuming credits.

In metafield mode: You cannot delete the app-controlled metafield, but you can edit its value. Changing the value away from categorized tells Categorify the product hasn’t been processed, so it will re-categorize it on the next update if automatic categorization is enabled.

Why does the marker exist?

Without the marker, categorizing a product would create an infinite loop: categorization updates the product, the update triggers automatic categorization, which updates the product again, repeating forever. The marker breaks this loop by recording which products have already been processed, preventing waste of credits and system resources.

What happens if I delete the tag (tag mode)?

If automatic categorization is enabled, the product will be re-categorized the next time it’s updated (consuming another credit). If automatic categorization is disabled, nothing happens immediately—but the product will be re-categorized when automatic categorization next triggers.

How do I re-trigger categorization in metafield mode?

Since you can’t delete the app-owned metafield, the recommended approach is manual categorization: go to the product in Shopify admin, click More actions → Categorize product. Categorify re-categorizes it immediately regardless of the marker. Alternatively, edit the metafield value to anything other than categorized—automatic categorization will then pick it up on the product’s next update.

Settings & Configuration

Should I enable “Use best-guess category”?

Enable it if you need categories for every product and will review results manually (Maximum Coverage strategy). Disable it if accuracy is more important than coverage and you’re willing to manually categorize products that return no category (Precision First strategy). See Categorization Strategies for detailed guidance.

When should I use custom AI instructions?

Use custom instructions when you have recurring patterns that need disambiguation or company-specific categorization rules. For example, if phones without contract information should default to “unlocked” or gaming peripherals should always go under gaming categories. Don’t use instructions to compensate for poor product descriptions—fix the descriptions instead.

What’s the difference between leaf and parent categories?

Leaf categories are the most specific level with no subcategories (e.g., “Swimming Pools”). Parent categories have subcategories beneath them (e.g., “Pool & Spa” which contains Swimming Pools, Hot Tubs, etc.). The AI may choose parent categories when product descriptions don’t provide enough detail to select between specific subcategories.

Do I need to use the “Return only leaf categories” setting?

Only if your platform requires the most specific category level and rejects parent categories. Most stores should leave this disabled—it allows the AI to choose parent categories when sibling leaves are ambiguous, ensuring semantic correctness. Enabling it forces specific categorization but may reduce accuracy for unclear products.

Categorization Methods

How many ways can I categorize products?

Four ways: automatic categorization (background processing for new/modified products), single product (one at a time from product detail page), bulk selection (multiple products from Products page), and collection categorization (all products in a collection at once). All methods produce identical results and consume the same credits.

How do I re-categorize a product?

Go to the product in Shopify admin, click More actions, and select “Categorize product.” This works even if the product already has the categorization marker—manual categorization ignores the marker regardless of which mode (tag or metafield) you’re using. The product will be re-categorized with your current settings, consuming 1 credit.

Can I categorize products that already have categories?

Yes. Manual categorization works regardless of whether products have existing categories or the categorized tag. The new categorization will replace the existing category. However, automatic categorization skips products with the categorized tag to prevent infinite loops.

What’s the fastest way to categorize many products?

Use bulk selection from the Products page: check boxes next to products, click the more actions menu (•••), and select “Categorize products” from the Apps section. For even larger operations, enable automatic categorization in Settings so future products are handled in the background without manual intervention.

Category Organizer

What is the Category Organizer?

The Category Organizer turns your already-categorized products into shopper-facing structure: smart collections defined by product category, plus an optional “Shop by Category” navigation menu. You configure a run, review and edit the proposed collections for free, then apply them. See Organizing Your Store for the full walkthrough.

How much does the Category Organizer cost?

Generating a collection proposal costs a flat 50 credits, charged once when the proposal is produced. Reviewing, editing, applying it, and building the navigation menu are free. Regenerating produces a new proposal and costs another 50 credits. A run that fails before producing a proposal isn’t charged. See Understanding Credits.

Do I need to categorize products before organizing?

Yes. The Organizer groups the categories your products actually use, so categorize your catalog first. If few products are categorized, the proposal will be thin. See Categorizing Products.

Will re-running the Organizer create duplicate collections?

No. Categorify owns the collections it creates, so a later run reconciles those same collections instead of duplicating them. And because they’re smart collections, newly categorized products flow into the matching collection automatically—your storefront stays current without re-running.

Can I change the proposed collections before they go live?

Yes. While reviewing a proposal you can rename, drop, merge, and move categories between collections, all for free—nothing is created in your store until you click Create collections. You can also discard the proposal or regenerate a new one.

Common Issues

Why aren’t my products being categorized automatically?

First, verify automatic categorization is enabled in Settings (Automation section). Then check if products have the categorization marker—automatic categorization skips marked products to prevent re-processing. In tag mode, look for the categorized-by-ai tag on the product; in metafield mode, look for the Categorify marker metafield with value categorized. Also note that CSV imports don’t trigger automatic categorization; you must manually categorize imported products.

Products are getting unexpected categories—what should I do?

Review the product descriptions to ensure they contain sufficient detail about what the product actually is. Check your settings—you may need to add custom AI instructions for recurring patterns or adjust the “Use best-guess category” setting. Test improvements in the History page to identify patterns in unexpected results.

Some products show red error badges—what happened?

Red badges indicate technical errors that prevented categorization, not categorization failures. Click View on the red result to see error details. These are rare and usually temporary—click Re-categorize to try again. If red badges persist, contact support with the Request IDs.

Why do similar products get different status indicators?

Different status indicators typically reflect differences in description quality, not categorization inconsistency. Products with detailed, clear descriptions get green indicators while vague descriptions get yellow or gray. Review products that get yellow/gray indicators and compare their descriptions to those that get green to identify what information is missing.

Credits & Billing

How do monthly credits work?

Every subscription plan includes a monthly credit allocation that refreshes at the start of each billing cycle. One categorization consumes one credit, regardless of whether a category is found or which settings you use. Unused monthly credits are lost when the new cycle begins—they don’t roll over.

What are top-up credits?

Top-up credits are additional credits you purchase separately from your subscription plan. They persist across billing cycles until consumed, unlike monthly credits which reset. Use top-ups for large one-time imports or when you exhaust monthly credits before your billing cycle ends.

Can I upgrade or downgrade my plan?

Yes. Click “Manage plan and billing” on the Account / Billing page to access the customer portal where you can change plans. Upgrades take effect immediately with prorated credits. Downgrades take effect at the end of your current billing cycle, and unused monthly credits don’t carry over.

Do unused credits roll over?

No—unused monthly credits are lost when your billing cycle renews. However, top-up credits (purchased separately) persist across billing cycles until consumed. If you consistently have many unused monthly credits, consider downgrading to a lower plan tier.

What happens when I run out of credits?

The API returns an error and no categorization occurs until you add more credits. You can purchase top-up credits immediately to continue, upgrade to a plan with a higher monthly allocation, or wait until your next billing cycle when monthly credits refresh. Set up auto-recharge to prevent interruptions.

What happens to my credits if I cancel my subscription?

Monthly credits become unavailable immediately upon cancellation. However, any remaining top-up credits are preserved and will become available again if you resubscribe in the future. Your settings, custom instructions, and history are also preserved during cancellation.

Trial Account

What’s included in the free trial?

100 categorization credits and 7 days of access with all features unlocked (automatic categorization, custom instructions, all settings). No credit card required. The trial gives you time to test Categorify with your actual products before committing to a paid plan.

What happens when my trial expires?

Categorization stops until you subscribe to a paid plan. You can still access the dashboard, view history, and review settings, but cannot categorize products. All your data (settings, custom instructions, history) is preserved, so when you upgrade everything works immediately.

Can I use all 100 trial credits in one day?

Yes, but the trial ends when you hit either the time limit (7 days) or credit limit (100 credits)—whichever comes first. If you use all 100 credits in 2 days, the trial ends even though 5 days remain. Plan your testing to maximize the trial period.

How do I choose the right plan after my trial?

Review your trial credit usage in the dashboard. If you used 25-50 credits, Starter likely provides sufficient capacity. If you used 50-75, consider Growth. If you used 75-100, Scale or Pro matches your needs. You can always purchase top-up credits for occasional overages or upgrade later.

Getting Help

Where can I find detailed documentation?

The Dashboard Overview, Quick Start Guide, and Understanding Status Indicators articles provide step-by-step guidance for common tasks. The Categorization Strategies guide helps you choose the right configuration, and Writing AI Instructions shows how to handle edge cases.

How do I contact support?

Email support@categorify.app with your store name and question details. For categorization issues, include Request IDs from the History page—these help support immediately locate your specific requests. Priority support is available with Scale and Pro plans.

Can I request new features or taxonomies?

Yes. Contact support@categorify.app with feature requests or questions about supporting custom taxonomies. While Categorify currently supports Shopify and Google taxonomies, custom taxonomy implementations may be possible for specific use cases.

What if my question isn’t answered here?

Check the complete documentation for in-depth articles on every aspect of Categorify. If you still can’t find an answer, contact support@categorify.app with your question. We’re happy to help you get the most out of automated product categorization.