What Is Product Navigation?
Product Navigation lets you customize how buyers browse and discover products in your wholesale portal. Instead of showing every product in one long list, you can create organized navigation menus that group products by collection, category, or any custom structure you prefer. This makes it easy for B2B buyers to quickly find the products they need, especially in stores with large catalogs.
How Navigation Appears in the Portal
When configured, your custom navigation appears as a sidebar menu or collection menu in the wholesale portal catalog. Buyers can click on navigation items to filter products by collection or navigate to specific product categories. This mirrors the familiar shopping experience of a well-organized retail store, but optimized for B2B efficiency.
Setting Up Navigation Items
Follow these steps to configure your portal's product navigation:
Step 1: Access Navigation Settings
- Navigate to Product Navigation in the BulklyCart admin sidebar.
- You'll see the navigation configuration page with your current menu items (if any).
Step 2: Add Navigation Items
You can add two types of navigation items:
- Collection Links: Link to specific Shopify collections. When a buyer clicks a collection link, the catalog filters to show only products from that collection. This is the most common type of navigation item for wholesale portals.
- Custom Links: Link to any URL — useful for linking to external resources, information pages, or special landing pages within the portal.
Step 3: Organize Your Menu
Arrange your navigation items in the order you want them to appear. Put your most popular or important collections at the top where buyers will see them first.
Step 4: Save
Click Save to apply your navigation changes. The updated menu will immediately appear in the wholesale portal.
How Navigation Data Is Stored
Your navigation configuration is stored in a flexible JSON format. This allows for complex menu structures and easy updates without requiring database schema changes. The JSON approach means your navigation can be as simple or as sophisticated as your business needs.
Configuring Additional Settings
The navigation settings page may include additional options to fine-tune how the menu behaves:
- Whether to show product counts next to collection names.
- Default collection to display when buyers first visit the catalog.
Whether the navigation sidebar is expanded or collapsed by default.
Tips for Effective Navigation
Here are some best practices to help your B2B buyers find products efficiently:
- Keep it simple: Don't overwhelm buyers with too many categories. Group similar products together and aim for 5–10 main navigation items.
- Use clear names: Label your navigation items with straightforward, descriptive names that buyers will immediately understand (e.g., "Summer Collection 2026" instead of "SC26").
- Prioritize popular collections: Put your best-selling or most-ordered collections at the top of the navigation list.
- Update seasonally: Refresh your navigation to highlight new arrivals or seasonal products — this encourages buyers to explore your latest offerings.