Section 18 — Category: Social

The Category Social tab controls how category pages are represented when shared on social platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn, X (Twitter), and similar networks.

This tab defines social preview metadata, not storefront presentation.

Purpose of the Category Social Tab

The Category Social tab exists to:

  • Provide optimized preview titles and descriptions for social sharing
  • Ensure consistent, brand-safe messaging when category links are shared
  • Support social platforms that rely on OpenGraph and Twitter Card metadata

These fields are machine-read by social platforms, not by customers browsing the site.

OpenGraph Fields

OpenGraph metadata is primarily used by:

  • Facebook
  • LinkedIn
  • Messaging platforms that generate link previews

Available fields include:

  • OpenGraph Title

     The headline shown in social previews when a category link is shared.

  • OpenGraph Description

     A concise description used beneath the title in previews.

  • OpenGraph Image (optional)

     When present, defines the image shown in social previews.

     If not set, platforms fall back to default category imagery.

  • OpenGraph Type (optional)

     Typically inferred automatically and rarely requires manual input.

Most merchants will not need to modify these fields after initial enrichment.

Twitter Fields

The Twitter section controls how category links appear on X (Twitter):

  • Twitter Card (optional)

     Defines the card layout type. Defaults are usually sufficient.

  • Twitter Title

     Optimized title used in the tweet preview.

  • Twitter Description

     Short descriptive copy optimized for social consumption.

  • Twitter Image (optional)

     Image used in Twitter previews when specified.

As with OpenGraph, these fields are not required to be completed manually unless a merchant has specific branding requirements.

Editing Behavior

All fields follow the same system-wide rules:

  • Green outline → Approved CatalogPilot content

  • Orange outline → Optional / not required

  • Edit icon → Manual edits allowed

  • Original-content icon → View or revert to platform-provided content

Edits should be made only when correcting factual issues or enforcing brand tone.

Relationship to Category SEO & Gallery

  • The Category SEO tab governs how categories are indexed by search engines.

  • The Category Gallery visualizes machine-readable output.

  • The Category Social tab governs how categories appear when shared externally.

Each serves a different audience:

  • Search engines
  • AI crawlers
  • Social platforms

Recommended Merchant Guidance

  • Do not chase perfection in social metadata
  • Avoid rewriting content simply for stylistic reasons
  • Leave optional image fields blank unless there is a clear need

CatalogPilot’s defaults are designed to produce safe, consistent previews across platforms.

Key Takeaway

The Category Social tab is a preview-control layer, not a content editor.

In most cases, review and approve without modification is the correct action.

Follow
Reply