Product Hierarchy

Organizing products with multi-level categorization

Product Hierarchy

Product hierarchy provides a multi-level categorization system for organizing your products for reporting, filtering, and analysis. Unlike dimensions (which vary within a product), hierarchy defines how products are categorized.

What is Product Hierarchy?

Product hierarchy is a tree structure that categorizes your products. It’s commonly used for:

• Reporting - Aggregate data at different levels
• Filtering - Find products by category
• Organization - Logical grouping of products
• Analysis - Compare performance across categories

Example Hierarchy

Level 1: Category
└── Level 2: Subcategory
    └── Level 3: Product Line
        └── Level 4: Sub-Line
            └── Level 5: Specific Type

Example:
Apparel
└── Tops
    └── T-Shirts
        └── Graphic Tees
            └── Band Tees

Hierarchy vs. Collections vs. Dimensions

Understanding when to use each:

Feature	Purpose	Example
Hierarchy	Categorization for reporting	Category > Subcategory
Collections	Group products with shared dimensions	”T-Shirts” collection
Dimensions	Product variants	Size, Color

A product can belong to one collection but be categorized in multiple hierarchy paths if needed.

Configuring Product Hierarchy

Access Hierarchy Settings

Navigate to SKUs → Product Hierarchy (or through Settings).

Setting Up Hierarchy Levels

Tether supports up to 5 hierarchy levels:

1. Define Level Names

   Name each level of your hierarchy:

   Level	Example Name
   Level 1	Category
   Level 2	Subcategory
   Level 3	Product Line
   Level 4	Sub-Line
   Level 5	Type

2. Create Values for Each Level

   Add possible values at each level:

   Level 1 (Category):

   • Apparel
   • Accessories
   • Footwear

   Level 2 (Subcategory):

   • Tops
   • Bottoms
   • Outerwear
3. Define Valid Paths

   Specify which level 2 values can appear under each level 1:

   • Apparel → Tops, Bottoms, Outerwear
   • Accessories → Bags, Hats, Jewelry
4. Save Configuration

   Save the hierarchy structure

Hierarchy Value Configuration

For each value, you can configure:

Property	Description
Name	Display name for the value
Code	Short identifier
Parent	Which value this belongs under
Sort Order	Position in lists

Assigning Hierarchy to Products

Collection-Level Assignment

Assign hierarchy values to a collection:

1. Open Collection

   Navigate to the collection’s detail page

2. Go to Hierarchy Tab

   Select the Hierarchy tab

3. Select Values

   For each hierarchy level, select the appropriate value:

   • Category: Apparel
   • Subcategory: Tops
   • Product Line: T-Shirts
4. Save

   All SKUs in the collection inherit these values

SKU-Level Override

Individual SKUs can have different hierarchy values than their collection:

1. Open the SKU detail page
2. Navigate to the hierarchy section
3. Select different values as needed
4. Save the override

SKU-level hierarchy takes precedence over collection-level settings.

Using Hierarchy in Tether

Filtering by Hierarchy

Hierarchy appears in filter panels throughout Tether:

1. Expand the hierarchy filter section
2. Select values at any level
3. View all products in that branch

Example: Selecting “Apparel” shows all products under Apparel, including all subcategories.

Reporting with Hierarchy

Hierarchy enables multi-level reporting:

• Top Level: Total sales for Apparel
• Drill Down: Sales by Subcategory within Apparel
• Detail: Sales by Product Line within Subcategory

Demand Forecasting

In demand forecasting, group by hierarchy levels to:

• View forecasts at category level
• Drill down to specific product lines
• Compare performance across categories

Hierarchy Design Best Practices

Start with Business Needs

Design hierarchy based on how you need to report and analyze:

• How does leadership want to see performance?
• What comparisons are meaningful?
• How is the business organized?

Keep It Balanced

Avoid hierarchies that are too deep or too shallow:

• 3-4 levels is common
• Very deep hierarchies (5+ levels) can be hard to navigate
• Very shallow hierarchies (1-2 levels) limit analysis

Use Clear, Mutually Exclusive Values

Each product should fit clearly into one path:

• Avoid overlapping categories
• “Active” vs “Casual” might overlap—be specific

Plan for Growth

Consider future product lines:

• Leave room for new categories
• Don’t make current structure too specific
• Values can be added later

Align with External Systems

If you use hierarchy in other systems:

• Align naming where possible
• Map values for integrations
• Document any differences

Common Hierarchy Patterns

Fashion / Apparel

Gender
└── Category
    └── Subcategory
        └── Style

Example:
Women's
└── Tops
    └── Blouses
        └── Silk Blouses

Consumer Electronics

Division
└── Category
    └── Product Family
        └── Product Type

Example:
Computing
└── Laptops
    └── MacBook
        └── MacBook Pro

Food & Beverage

Category
└── Subcategory
    └── Brand
        └── Product Line

Example:
Beverages
└── Coffee
    └── Premium Roast
        └── Single Origin

Home Goods

Room
└── Category
    └── Style
        └── Material

Example:
Bedroom
└── Bedding
    └── Modern
        └── Cotton

Managing Hierarchy Changes

Adding New Values

Adding values is straightforward:

1. Navigate to hierarchy configuration
2. Add the new value at the appropriate level
3. Assign to collections/SKUs as needed

Renaming Values

Renaming updates displays but preserves relationships:

1. Edit the value’s name
2. All products using this value update automatically
3. Historical data remains linked

Restructuring Hierarchy

Larger changes require more care:

Restructuring hierarchy can affect historical reporting. Plan carefully and consider the impact on year-over-year comparisons.

Steps for restructuring:

1. Document current structure
2. Plan new structure
3. Update hierarchy configuration
4. Reassign products to new values
5. Verify reports work correctly

Troubleshooting

Products Not Appearing in Hierarchy Filter

Possible causes:

• Product doesn’t have hierarchy values assigned
• Collection doesn’t have hierarchy values
• Filter is set to a different branch

Solution:

1. Check product/collection hierarchy settings
2. Verify values are assigned at all required levels
3. Clear and reset filters

Hierarchy Levels Not Showing

Possible causes:

• Level isn’t configured
• No values exist for that level
• Permissions restrict access

Solution:

1. Verify hierarchy configuration includes all needed levels
2. Add values to empty levels
3. Check user permissions

Can’t Delete Hierarchy Value

Cause: Products are assigned to this value

Solution:

1. Find products using this value
2. Reassign them to another value
3. Then delete the unused value

Next Steps

Collections

Organize products with collections

Dimensions

Set up product attributes

Demand Forecasting

Use hierarchy in forecast analysis

SKU Filtering

Filter products by hierarchy