Now you can create a comparison table for your products at Catalog Machine. Follow these 4 steps to do it.
Step 1. Creating Categories
Create a new product Category named Feature. Here you are going to hold all the features you need to use for comparison. The main characteristic of this category is that the Features are presented as Products. For example, you need to compare laptops. Then ICORE i5 and ICORE i7 will be two different products, as they are two different features.
Go to Products on the left sidebar menu.
Select Categories.
Click Create New Category on the top right corner.
Name your category Feature or any other name. If you chose a different name you will need to rewrite an expression later.
Click Update Product Category.
At the same time, you need to create a Category for actual products you are going to compare. As an example, let’s use two laptops: Huawei X Pro and HP Spectre.
Following the same steps, create a new category (ex. Laptops).
In this category, you need to create a special field, name Codes. In this field, you will type in the code of the feature and so allocate the feature to the actual product.
Click Add new field.
Enter a new filed name and select type – Text.
Click Apply.
Don’t forget to click the Update product category.
Now you have two categories: one where products = features, second with actual products.
Step 2. Upload products to your categories
Let’s start from the category, where you present actual products.
Go to Products.
Select All Products.
Select the needed category (ex. Laptops).
Click on Add new product to enter product information manually.
You can also import products via CSV, Etsy, WooCommerce, PrestaShop, Magneto, Shopify, eBay.
As a result, I have two products. See the picture below.
Now it’s time to create features that will be used for comparison.
Click Feature under the Category on the left part of the screen.
Important: Each characteristic should be the separate product. For example, Processor Type Intel Core i7 and Processor Type Intel Core i5 are two different characteristics, meanwhile they are both characterizing the type of processor. So, you need to create two separate products.
Step 3. Connect features to the products
From the category Feature copy codes of the characteristics of one product. For instance, Huawei X Pro has Processor Type Intel Core i7 and Memory 16 GB, with the code 8219249567 and 8219249569 respectively.
Go to the category with actual products (ex. Laptops)
Under the field Codes type in copied codes in front of the needed product using coma.
Do the same operation for the rest of your products.
There is no need to do all the process manually. You can use CSV file. However, the idea will stay the same. The actual products should have codes of the features to pair them.
Step 4. Create a table
Go to Catalogs
Press Create New Catalog
Select Blank Type and click Create your catalog
Select Product List from the menu on the right part of the screen. You can also create comparison tables at the existing catalog by adding a new page and selecting the same Product List option.
Drag and drop it to the catalog building area.
Add products to your Product list and click Create List.
Choose the Edit text option on your right.
Go to the Code View regime.
Instead of the existing code copy and paste a piece of code you can find below:
<table>
<thead>
<tr>
<th>Feature</th>
<!--{{Products}}-->
<th>{{Name}}</th>
<!--{{/Products}}-->
</tr>
</thead>
<tbody>
<!--{{Products1: Product1.Category=Feature}}-->
<tr>
<td>{{Product1.Image:Fit:40:40}}{{Product1.Name}}</td>
<!--{{Products}}-->
<td>{{Name}}({{Price}})</td>
<!--{{/Products}}-->
</tr>
<!--{{/Products1}}-->
</tbody>
</table>
Click Save.
You will see a table like this.
Click on the table and select text {{Name}}{{Price}}
Delete if and type in the formula:
{{If Codes ~ Product1.Code}}Yes{{/If}}
With this expression, you will show Yes in front of the feature and under the product. You can Present any other information with help of other Catalog Machine product expressions.
Select Apply
Now you have a clear comparison table for your products. The number of products and features to compare is unlimited. You can also add product image or product description to the header by typing {{Image}} or {{Description}} near the {{Name}}.
Notes:
{{Products}} iterator lists all products you selected in Product List Editor. Reference these products with field name as usually, e.g. {{Name}}, {{Price}}
{{Products1}} iterator lists all your products in the account database, so you can filter them using expressions, e.g. {{Products1: Product1.Category=Feature:LimitBy=5}} - show first five products in category Feature
Use expression prefix Product1 to reference {{Products1}} current iterator's product, e.g. {{Product1.Name}}