link"SEO pages for filters" documentation

SEO pages for filters addon completely meets a major role in advancing the online store on the CS-Cart bases ‒ optimization use for search systems of the page type Category + filter:

• Allows creating open for search with SEO operated for any filter pages (or filters combinations) for crossing category + filter (one or several chosen feature variants of the goods) and adds the links for such pages in the filters block;
• Allows to create the rules with the templates (meta tags and other attributes) for automatic (but fully controlled) generation SEO pages for filters;
• Allows to create SEO pages for filters manually on the bases of categories + features_hash pages of a filter;
• Allows to manage status for SEO pages for filters, after which the page may be managed with different logic when repeating generation automatically;
• Allows to edit SEO attributes for any SEO pages for filters;
• Creates sitemap for generated SEO pages for filters;
• Allows to add the links for SEO pages for filters in the product breadcrumbs;
• Allows to track deleting (changing) of SEO pages for filters and create redirects optionally for such cases;
• Allows to add the final slash optionally for SEO pages for filters;
• Allows to redirect the user with 301 redirect on the category of SEO page during the transition to the deleted SEO page;
• Allows to paste block Products with similar features on the SEO pages for filters without any products;
• Allows to paste the links for SEO pages for variants of the products features on the product page in the tab Features if the appropriate value variants forms a SEO page with the main product category;
• Allows to hide descriptions on filters pages for which SEO pages weren't created;
• Allows to make export-import SEO pages for filters;
• Allows to target Hidden status for the selected pages. It will exclude the page from the repeating generations (for work with keywords with no requests) and exclude the page from search index (limit the indexing);
• Allows to display the chosen SEO pages in the subcategories block on the category page (additional click through rate for the necessary pages and reducing the load for category page);
• Allows to hide the subcategories block at the selected filter (usability improvement of the standard platform behavior);
• Allows to set the autosubstitution patterns for pages attributes: pages H1 tag, pages header, page meta tag description, page meta tag keywords, pages breadcrumbs, product page breadcrumb.
• Allows to adjust the templates for SEO links during the generation of SEO pages. There are three templates of SEO links available: Variant name; Feature name + Variant name; Filter name + Variant name.

Add-on works together with other addons of SEO package and AB themes packages (UniTheme2 and YoupiTheme:

• Add-on Advanced Sitemap for CS-Cart: Allows to add the links of SEO pages for filters sitemap to the XML sitemap;
• Add-on Landing categories/pages: Allows to add the links for SEO pages for filters to the category structure block on the brand page (if SEO page is created for Category - Brand);
• Add-on Multiple descriptions + FAQ: Allows to add multi-descriptions for SEO pages for filters;
• Add-ons Advanced meta tags templates and Custom H1 header PRO: Allows to use placeholders of the mentioned add-ons during the SEO page creation (e.g., products quantity according to the filter, minimum and maximum product price according to the applied filter).

Most preferable method of work with the add-on functionality:

1) Create SEO page for category + filter(s) and leave in Unfixed state;
2) Check the SEO page work and its attributes involving SEO specialist. After successful check transfer SEO page to Fixed state for which SEO page won't be overwritten by the next generation by the rules;
3) Add SEO page into sitemap.

Add-on is compatible with the following Themes:

• YoupiTheme (compatible with correspond CS-Cart version);
• UniTheme2 (compatible with correspond CS-Cart version);
• Responsive.

General technical support conditions are available at this link (be sure to review these conditions, all solutions from the AlexBranding development team come with limited technical support).

In order to use our technical support, you need to:

1. Log in with your order owner account on https://cs-cart.alexbranding.com;
2. Go to the page My Account → Orders;
3. Find the corresponding order with the problem add-on in the orders list and pass to its details;
4. Find the “Support” link next to the corresponding add-on name (near you can find Documentation link also) and click on it;
5. Fill in the data with the problem, provide access to your CS-Cart installation (path to the administration panel, admin mail, admin password + FTP access) and create a ticket (after you will create the ticket, you will receive an e-mail and a special code to track the ticket in the future);
6. Wait for the specialist answer in accordance with the regulations of the technical support service and the priority of your ticket.

If you didn't receive an answer within the deadlines, according to the chosen ticket priority, send e-mail info@alexbranding.com with the ticket number, for which you did not receive an answer in time, and the team manager will solve the problem in compliance with regulations.

You can test the addon work with admin access using our demo server Demos for CS-Cart solutions from Alexbranding by choosing it in Addons list or just follow the link.

We recommend to note general restrictions:

1. All solutions from AlexBranding developers team require pre-installation of the AB: Addons Manager service addon. It is delivered free of charge and is responsible for such services: installation, upgrades, license verifications. Excluding this service addon usage is not possible;
2. Addon files may have a closed (encoded) part, in which only a license check is located;
3. The addon will work only on those domains, that are specified in the user's license. If you try to use the solution on CS-Cart installations, whose domains are not included in the license, the addon will be automatically turned off;
4. Local installation is not possible, so that the addon works on the additional domain (subdomain), enter this domain (subdomain) in the Domain field, when ordering (or write to info@alexbranding.com) - adding technical domains for the developing or for testing is always free.

After your order has been processed by our manager, it will be transferred to Completed state, you will receive an email to your mailbox with ordered add-ons license numbers (usually it takes from 15 minutes to 8 hours depending on the day time and week day).

Then follow the steps below, which differs depending on your version of the CS-Cart platform:

You can also install the add-on with a standard installation for CS-Cart. To do this, download the appropriate archive with an add-on version compatible with your version of the CS-Cart platform.
Go to the website cs-cart.alexbranding.com, log in under the account of the order holder and go to the page My Profile → Orders → Relevant Order, go to details and you will see a list of available archives for the ordered add-on. Download the version (archive) you need and make the installation (standard for CS-Cart installation: Add-ons → Downloaded add-ons and in the gearwheel menu select Manual installation).

For access to the add-on settings you should go to the page Administration panel → Add-ons → Manage add-ons and at the add-on name in the gearwheel menu select appropriate menu item.

Add-on allows to create SEO pages for filters in two modes:

• [automatic]To generate SEO page for filters in the automatic mode, it is necessary to create the page generation rule on the page Administration panel → AB: Add-ons → AB: SEO pages for filters → SEO pages generation rules for filters → [+] Add the new rule. During the Rule creation, all used characteristics will be available to you, but only those features which have the corresponding filter will be active for the choice. During the Rule creation you can use placeholder that carries out the certain data autosubstitution.
  After the Rule creation, execute generation by the chosen rule. For each filter version, you can automatically generate SEO pages with category name and filter version autosubstitution. To execute generation go to the page SEO pages generation rules for filters, choose necessary Rules with the checkboxes and press in gear menu Generate SEO pages. To have a look at the generated pages go to the page SEO pages for filters.

Also, you can adjust automatic generation through CRON (see the rule editing page lower part). ‒ on the bases of pre-created rules of generation;

• [manual]1. Specify by what category and by what filters combination you want to create SEO page. For example, for products category Electronics/Phones you want to create SEO page and brands Motorola and HTC with diagonal 4". For this note consistently filters variants, for getting hash 10-109-108_8-67 combination.
  
  Specificity CS-Cart. For versions CS-Cart 4.3.4 and higher, divider hash by filters is point [ . ] symbol, for versions CS-Cart 4.3.5 and higher — underscore [ _ ] symbol.

2. To create SEO page for filters manually, it is necessary to go to the page Administration panel → AB: Add-ons → AB: SEO pages for filters → SEO pages for filters → [+] Add a SEO page and fill field by example:

3. As a result on the storefront we will have the next SEO page,

where:
1) Breadcrumbs;
2) Chosen brand Motorola;
3) Chosen brand HTC;
4) Chosen display 4.0;
5) Page tag h1;
6) Page description;
7) Page meta tags;
8) Canonical link;
9) Alternative links.

To generate SEO pages for filters in the automatic mode, it is necessary to create the page generation rule on the page Administration panel → Add-ons → Manage add-ons and at the add-on name AB: SEO pages for filters in the gearwheel menu select section SEO pages generation rules for filters. On the opened page click [+] Add the new rule. During the Rule creation, all used characteristics will be available to you, but only those features which have the corresponding filter will be active for the choice. During the Rule creation you can use placeholder that carries out the certain data autosubstitution.
After the Rule creation, execute generation by the chosen rule. For each filter version, you can automatically generate SEO pages with category name and filter version autosubstitution. To execute generation go to the page SEO pages generation rules for filters, choose necessary Rules with the checkboxes and press in gear menu Generate SEO pages. To have a look at the generated pages go to the page SEO pages for filters.

Если в рамках одной категории уже существует Зафиксировання или Незафиксированная SEO-страница с такой же SEO-ссылкой, то для новой SEO-страницы с такой же SEO-ссылкой будет добавлен суффикс -absf-dublicate-<lang_code>-<hash_string>.

If SEO page exists with status Fixed or Unfixed and consists of the same SEO link, then suffix -absf-dublicate-<lang_code>-<hash_string> will be added for a new SEO page with the same SEO link.

Also, you can adjust automatic generation through Cron command.

1. Specify by what category and by what filters combination you want to create SEO page. For example, for products category Electronics/Phones you want to create SEO page and brands Motorola and HTC with diagonal 4". For this note consistently filters variants, for getting hash 10-109-108_8-67 combination.
   
   Specificity CS-Cart. For versions CS-Cart 4.3.4 and higher, divider hash by filters is point [ . ] symbol, for versions CS-Cart 4.3.5 and higher — underscore [ _ ] symbol.

2. To create SEO page for filters manually, it is necessary to go to the page Administration panel → Add-ons → Manage add-ons and at the add-on name AB: SEO pages for filters in the gearwheel menu select section SEO pages for filters. On the opened page click [+] Add a SEO page and fill field by example:

3. As a result on the storefront we will have the next SEO page,

where:
1) Breadcrumbs;
2) Chosen brand Motorola;
3) Chosen brand HTC;
4) Chosen display 4.0;
5) Page tag h1;
6) Page description;
7) Page meta tags;
8) Canonical link;
9) Alternative links.

Every SEO page for filters is characterised by its own settings that can be changed according to situation and requirements. To go to the editing page of SEO pages for filters follow the path Administration panel → Add-ons → Manage add-ons and at the add-on name AB: SEO pages for filters in the gearwheel menu select section SEO pages for filters. On the opened page choose appropriate SEO page to edit.

There are two methods available for adding of SEO pages into XML sitemap:

1. Recommended method: use the add-on AB: Advanced Sitemap where it is possible add SEO pages for filters in general XML sitemap automatically, by choosing corresponding setting Add SEO pages to the "AB: Advanced sitemap" on the page General settings of the add-on AB: SEO pages for filters.
2. On the add-on page Sitemap SEO pages for filters you can get the link for getting SEO pages XML sitemap. Obligatory, don't forget to add link to the file robots.txt.

On the page Administration panel → Products → Features, for features which Filter type is set how Checkbox and Variants list as text, new field SEO variant is available. Its using will allow you to show feature variant on the SEO page in a better way. For example, if you want to replace Apple red covers with Apple red color covers you should specify SEO variant value as red color.

Autosubstitution templates allows you to fill SEO pages quicker.
For example, for field Title add [category] [variant] buy at the low price | MyStore template pages.

Now while editing SEO pages generation rules for filters or SEO pages for filters you can make template pasting by one click.

You can work with SEO pages through the CSV file.
There are the following fields that keep informational character only and are not used at import:

• *Category Name (category name);
• *Filter Name (filter name);
• *Variant list (variants list);
• *Total products (number of the products on SEO page);
• *Tag H1 (H1 tag of SEO page that is displayed on the storefront).

Before import, it is necessary to make reserve copy of two tables — ?:ab__sf_names and ?:ab__sf_name_descriptions or of all database.

To make export/import of SEO pages for filters you may use one of the following methods:

1. On the add-on page SEO pages for filters export. Surely specify CSV delimiter — semicolon.
2. On the page Administration panel → Administration → Export/Import data → AB: SEO pages for filters. Surely specify CSV delimiter — semicolon.
3. On the add-on page SEO pages for filters mark test SEO page and press in gear menu Export of the selected SEO pages.

1) Action plan for the ONESTORE WEBSTORE by SEO pages manage through the CSV file (the last add-on version must be installed!):
A) Create manually one workable SEO page (if you have multilanguage website, then bring right data to every language);
B) Make SEO pages export. Go to the add-on page SEO pages for filters, mark test SEO page and click in gear menu Export of the selected SEO pages. Choose Exported fields, Language and CSV delimiter according to screenshot and click the button Export:

C) As a result the next file will be that should be opened with LibreOffice Calc:

D) Enter the necessary editing to the CSV file and save changes in right format: File → Save as, first set File name, type — Text CSV (.csv) and mark Filter parameter editing

then set the next saving parameters:

E) Make SEO pages import on the add-on page SEO pages for filters import. Surely specify CSV delimiter — semicolon.

2. Action plan for the MULTISTORE WEBSTORE by SEO pages manage through the CSV file (the last add-on version must be installed!):
   A) Create manually one workable SEO page for every store (if you have multilanguage website, then bring right data to every language);
   B) Make SEO pages export on the add-on page SEO pages for filters export:

a) If you want to manage the SEO pages through the CSV file by all stores at once, then you must-do export and next import strictly in the mode ~All stores~, either make SEO pages doubling, i.e.SEO pages of the one store will appear in another store, where, most likely, there will be categories, features and their variants discrepancy! At export performing an obligatory field Store will be added, which defines SEO page [Store];
b) If you want to manage the SEO pages through the CSV file only by selected store, then you must-do export and next import strictly in the mode [Store], either make SEO pages doubling, i.e.SEO pages of the one store will appear in another store, where, most likely, there will be categories, features and their variants discrepancy! At export performing field Store will be optional and there is no need to use it.

C) Open the CSV file with LibreOffice Calc (see screenshot in 1.D);
D) Enter the necessary editing to the CSV file and save changes in right format (see screenshot in 1.E);
E) Make SEO pages import in needed mode — All stores or [Store]: Administration panel → Add-ons → Manage add-ons and at the add-on name AB: SEO pages for filters in the gearwheel menu select section SEO pages for filters import. Surely specify CSV delimiter — semicolon.

To activate block with Most similar products on SEO pages, for which temporarily there are no products, it is necessary:

1. On the page Administration panel → Design → Layouts → Categories add two new blocks:
   1.1 Block 1:
   а) Block type: HTML-block with Smarty support;
   b) Specify the name: AB: SEO filters "Maximally similar products" — title or any other;
   c) Specify the content: <h2>Products with similar features</h2><p>To our regret, at the moment {$category_data.category} — products out of stock. But we choose for you products with maximally similar features.</p> or any other;
   1.2 Block 2:
   а) Block type: Products;
   b) Specify the name: AB: SEO pages for filters — most similar products or any other;
   c) Specify the content: AB: SEO filters "Maximally similar products" — products or any other;
2. Switch off this blocks;
3. In the page source code mode in the browser — find this blocks block_id and specify them in add-on settings in needed sequence by coma, for example, 145,146;
4. Go to the SEO page, on which there is no products. There these blocks will be displayed.

Similar products will be chosen by the next rule. For example, SEO page hash: A-a1-a2-a3.B-b1-b2.C-c1-c2-c3.1-0-124941-USD.D-d1-d2-d3-d4-d5, then the following hash variants will be consistently checked (filter variants subtraction since the end), until hash with products will not be found:
A-a1-a2-a3.B-b1-b2.C-c1-c2-c3.1-0-124941-USD.D-d1-d2-d3-d4
A-a1-a2-a3.B-b1-b2.C-c1-c2-c3.1-0-124941-USD.D-d1-d2-d3
A-a1-a2-a3.B-b1-b2.C-c1-c2-c3.1-0-124941-USD.D-d1-d2
A-a1-a2-a3.B-b1-b2.C-c1-c2-c3.1-0-124941-USD.D-d1
A-a1-a2-a3.B-b1-b2.C-c1-c2-c3.1-0-124941-USD
A-a1-a2-a3.B-b1-b2.C-c1-c2-c3
A-a1-a2-a3.B-b1-b2.C-c1-c2
A-a1-a2-a3.B-b1-b2.C-c1
A-a1-a2-a3.B-b1-b2
A-a1-a2-a3.B-b1
A-a1-a2-a3
A-a1-a2
A-a1
In case, if products will not be found, then products will be selected from SEO page category.

For autogeneration performing use one of two variants:

1) On the page list of SEO-pages for filters where Cron task is located to generate all Rules at once. Example:

23 23 * * * php /path/to/store/admin.php --dispatch=ab__sf_rules.generate_cron --company_id=CID

2) On the editing page of the appropriate Rule where Cron task is located to generate this Rule. Example:

23 23 * * * php /path/to/store/admin.php --dispatch=ab__sf_rules.generate_cron --rule_id=RID --company_id=CID

where:
RID — rule ID, on which will be performed generation;
CID — if you have multistore — specify storefront ID obligatory.