Guide to Filling Out the category

The file contains the following columns:

Column	Description
id	Optional, but subject to an important rule (see below). It's a unique numeric identifier for each category. If not available, it can be omitted, but you cannot mix rows with and without `id` in the same file.
cat_1	Level 1 of the hierarchy (e.g., "Electronics")
cat_2	Level 2 (e.g., "Smartphones")
cat_3	Level 3 (e.g., "Accessories")
cat_4	Level 4 (if applicable)
cat_5	Level 5 (if applicable)
cat_6	Level 6 (if applicable)

The id field is not mandatory.

However, the file must be internally consistent:

Files that mix rows with and without id are not allowed.

Each row represents a single category with its full path.
Levels must be filled in order, starting from cat_1. If a level cat_n is present, all previous levels (cat_1, ..., cat_{n-1}) must also be filled.
The values in cat_1 to cat_6 should represent the category name at that level.
Duplicate path combinations (same set of levels) must be avoided.

Or, without using the id field:

Leaving cat_1 empty: all paths must start from cat_1.
Skipping levels (e.g., filling in cat_1 and cat_3 but leaving cat_2 blank).
Using inconsistent formats or non-standardized category names.
Mixing rows with and without id.

If you have an internal category coding system, it is advisable to fill in the id field to ensure stable references over time.

Otherwise, you can safely omit it, provided the entire file is free of id.

Guide to Filling Out the category_template.xlsx File