BigCommerce Category Management: Master Product Display and Eliminate 'No Products' Messages

As e-commerce migration experts at Big Migration, we frequently encounter common storefront challenges that, while seemingly minor, can significantly impact user experience and conversions. One such pervasive issue for BigCommerce store owners is the appearance of the 'There are no products listed under this category' message on parent categories. This often occurs when a category is designed to serve as a navigational hub for its subcategories rather than directly displaying products.

This message, while technically accurate, can be jarring for customers, creating an impression of an empty or poorly managed store. It detracts from a professional storefront and can lead to confusion or even abandonment. Drawing insights from the BigCommerce community, we've compiled a comprehensive guide to effectively manage and eliminate this message, ensuring a seamless and intuitive shopping journey.

The Core Problem: Navigating Empty Parent Categories

Modern e-commerce stores thrive on intuitive navigation, often employing hierarchical category structures. A common setup involves parent categories (e.g., 'Apparel') acting as containers for more specific subcategories (e.g., 'Men's Apparel', 'Women's Apparel'). Products are typically assigned to these deeper subcategories. When a customer navigates to the broader 'Apparel' parent category, and no products are directly linked to it, BigCommerce's default behavior is to display the 'no products' message.

This scenario presents a dual challenge: it undermines the user experience by suggesting a dead end, and it can negatively impact SEO by presenting pages with minimal content, potentially signaling low value to search engines. Addressing this is crucial for both usability and discoverability.

Solution 1: Leverage BigCommerce's Built-in Category Display Settings (Recommended)

The most elegant and recommended solution, championed by BigCommerce partner Tanner Brodhagen in the forum, utilizes a powerful native BigCommerce setting. This approach allows your parent categories to display products from their child categories, effectively populating the page without requiring direct product assignments to the parent.

How to Implement:

1. Navigate to your BigCommerce Admin Panel.
2. Go to Settings > Display.
3. Scroll down to the Category Settings section.
4. Locate and check the box for "Show products from child categories if the current category is empty."
5. Click Save.

This simple toggle transforms your empty parent categories into dynamic product showcases, pulling relevant products from all nested subcategories. It's a no-code solution that immediately enhances the user experience, provides richer content for SEO, and requires no ongoing maintenance. For most BigCommerce stores, this should be the first and often only solution needed.

Solution 2: The Visual Fix – Hiding the Message with CSS

For scenarios where you explicitly do not want products from child categories to display on the parent level, or if you need a quick visual suppression, CSS offers a direct workaround. This method involves injecting custom CSS to hide the 'no products' message element using display:none;.

Using Page Builder for Non-Developers

BigCommerce's Page Builder is an invaluable tool for non-technical users to make storefront customizations without touching theme code. You can inject custom CSS by adding an HTML block:

1. Go to Storefront > Page Builder.
2. Navigate to the specific category page you wish to modify.
3. Drag an HTML Block onto the page.
4. Inside the HTML block, add your custom CSS wrapped in

   Note: The exact CSS selector (e.g., .category-empty-message) will vary depending on your BigCommerce theme (Stencil framework). You'll need to use your browser's developer tools to inspect the page and identify the correct class or ID for the 'no products' message element.

   Direct Theme File Editing for Developers

   For developers or those comfortable with theme customization, directly editing your Stencil theme files (e.g., within theme.scss or a specific template file) offers a more robust and site-wide solution. This ensures the CSS is loaded efficiently and consistently across all relevant categories.

   Using the Stencil CLI, developers can locate the relevant template file (often templates/pages/category.html or a partial like components/category/product-listing.html) and either remove the message element entirely or apply the display:none; style directly. Always remember to work on a local development environment, create a backup, or use a child theme for safe modifications.

   Solution 3: Elevating Parent Categories with Subcategory Cards

   Tanner Brodhagen also suggested an excellent user experience alternative: transforming parent categories into visual directories of their subcategories. Instead of displaying products (or a 'no products' message), the parent category page showcases attractive, clickable cards for each subcategory.

   This approach is ideal for highly visual brands and complex product hierarchies. It guides customers intuitively deeper into your catalog. Implementing this typically requires custom theme development, where the category template is modified to render subcategory elements (like images and links) instead of a product grid. While more involved than a simple setting change, it offers superior control over the navigational flow and aesthetic.

   Solution 4: Advanced Customization – Dedicated Category Templates

   Jonathan Elder's advice to create a different category template for product categories with no products is particularly valuable for large stores with unique requirements. If you have dozens of such categories and need highly specific layouts – perhaps a custom banner, unique informational text, or a specific arrangement of subcategory links – a custom template is the way to go.

   This involves creating a new template file (e.g., category-no-products.html) within your Stencil theme. You can then assign this template to specific categories in the BigCommerce admin. This provides ultimate flexibility but demands developer expertise and a clear understanding of the Stencil framework.

   Choosing the Right Strategy for Your BigCommerce Store

   The best solution depends on your specific needs:

   • For most stores seeking a quick, effective, and SEO-friendly fix: Use the built-in "Show products from child categories if the current category is empty" setting.
   • For a rapid visual suppression without altering product display logic: Employ CSS via Page Builder or theme files.
   • For enhancing navigation and visual appeal on parent categories: Invest in custom subcategory cards.
   • For complex stores requiring unique layouts for specific category types: Consider dedicated custom category templates.

   Big Migration's Perspective: A Seamless Transition

   At Big Migration, we understand that a clean, intuitive storefront is paramount, especially during or after an e-commerce platform migration. These seemingly small details, like the 'no products' message, can significantly impact customer perception and conversion rates. Proactive planning for category structures, product assignments, and display logic is a critical component of any successful migration strategy.

   Whether you're moving to BigCommerce or optimizing an existing store, addressing these nuances ensures your customers enjoy a seamless and professional shopping experience from day one. Don't let minor display issues detract from your brand's potential.