---
title: Get started with catalogs
slug: commerce-connect-14/docs/get-started-with-catalogs
docTags: 
createdAt: 2026-07-20T15:44:23.400Z
---

A catalog consists of products and variants (SKUs) organized into a structure based on product categories or *nodes*. Products and variants have associated information such as:

- [pricing](docId\:lzXmX2EFfR9WZuOqPgQiu)
- [markets](docId:7f2h3T_5adtf4eDwYPVsv)
- [inventories](docId\:lzXmX2EFfR9WZuOqPgQiu)
- [warehouses](docId\:aZ_OKsDcDsKdcsqujiO5B)
- [assets](docId\:lzXmX2EFfR9WZuOqPgQiu), such as images and documents

Catalogs are independent of one another and a product can exist in multiple catalogs.

- You can create as many catalogs as you want and assign them to multiple websites.
- You can import product catalogs from an externally integrated system, or create them manually.
- You can define dates when a catalog is available, so you can prepare future revisions to items and review them before the release date.

:::hint{type="info"}
**Note**

This article describes examples from the sample catalog delivered with the Optimizely Commerce Connect sample site. Your installation may look different from the sample catalog.
:::

## Catalog structure

A catalog is the top-level container for all types of products. You can structure a catalog in several ways. For example, your site has several brands or product lines, and each brand or product line has its own catalog. Or, a retailer may have multiple suppliers, and you can segment each supplier into its own catalog. See [Work with catalog entries](docId\:ML4mC_-jC3MldFQV9qu7N).

## Catalog meta-classes and meta-fields

You can define meta-classes and meta-fields for both catalogs and [orders](docId:0v8FnGx9qUdSN0N1oaIIM) in the [Administration](docId:1VAayCSbZz6pUWRhofsNV) page. For example, you create a meta-class called *Wine*. Then, add meta-fields to capture characteristics of wine, such as *color*, *taste*, *vintage,* and *maturity*.

## Related topics

- [Import and export a catalog](docId:3YyhpKY3LMnIhT3r1J8bQ)
- [Browse and search catalogs](docId\:SpJYDMt0PAe72ViZtHuGb)
- [Create and edit a catalog](docId\:rNvEauqGgMdDHfzIhn5TO)
- [Work with catalog entries](docId\:ML4mC_-jC3MldFQV9qu7N)
  - [Edit catalog entries](docId\:bXzy7Wv1ekJRVkZVmIy3a)
  - [Catalog entry properties](docId\:lzXmX2EFfR9WZuOqPgQiu)
  - [Work with categories](docId\:GAXylE4__B_iqWyDHvuJe)
  - [Packages and bundles](docId\:zAmAvx8RZkwCML0LkTa3J)
  - [Manage multiple content versions](docId:0w1jM3_emVTMPrYsA4mwV)