Indexing Error / No Products in Store / 404 / Something went wrong

[fdsdfsagfdsgf]

Hello,

I tried to create several Test Products in several Test Stores. But none of them show up. All of them give a 404. I tried many options, changed the design resolutions, created several categories. All Stores are set to public. I'm trying this since 15. September.
These are the stores:

https://www.zazzle.com/store/in_ev_2222/products
https://www.zazzle.com/store/test456466454/products
https://www.zazzle.com/store/thenee/product
https://www.zazzle.com/store/teststore6456456/products

All of the products and stores are for testing purposes.

[Angel]

@fdsdfsagfdsgf 

I checked out your links.

I see 6 products in your main store. I don't see any Collections or Categories in it.

https://www.zazzle.com/mbr/238004512169463272/stores 

Three of your other stores don't have any collections. And they don't seem to have any categories.

If a store category doesn't have a picture for it, it will not show up to the public and neither will any products in that category. Even if the products are set to Public.

You do have a Category with an image on it in https://www.zazzle.com/store/in_ev_2222 so if you have any products in that Category and they are visibility is Public, they should be showing up. If you have products in that store check to make sure they are attached to that category.

Go to Actions > Edit Details > Categories

Check to see if the product is still attached to any Categories - Zazzles and your own.

I've found after Posting Items for Sale they often lose their Categories, so I have to go in and reselect the categories they belong too.

Also, you will want to check that your categories are set to be visible.

Click on your category. Click on Edit. Make sure you haven't hidden the category under Category Visibility.

Some links for you.

Store Category Sorting and Browsing 

Closing Stores - Setting Stores and Products to Private/Hidden 

How to Start Selling On Zazzle which says in part:

You must choose a unique store name that has not already been used on Zazzle. Please note once this store has been created the name cannot be changed.

[fdsdfsagfdsgf]

@Angel  Thanks for the fast reply and the tips

Now Ive added a picture to every category in the different stores.
When I click on Set Store Category I see that the category is set for the product, but when I click on Actions ->Edit Details I get a weird red Error in the bottom left corner:
"Oops! You do not have access to this page. If you are the owner of this product, you must login to the associated account."
It's really weird because I'm definitely logged in with the account and I'm in the Store Management Page in the Products Tab.

So yeah whatever. I added pictures to the categories and still anyone who wants to look at my products gets a 404 Error.

[fdsdfsagfdsgf]

Ok, so the Error on Actions ->Edit Details was because of my Browser I found out. The Category is correctly set.

Ive set the zazzle categories now for some products. I didnt set them because I didnt think it was necessary because there was no red '*' on the zazzle category configuration.

Still only 404 on the public store products page.

[Angel]

@fdsdfsagfdsgf  

Oh, good work! 🤣😀🤣

Did you change https://www.zazzle.com/store/in_ev_2222/products

to hidden or private? That would account for why I can't see it now.

[fdsdfsagfdsgf]

No, I only added category pictures and set some zazzle categories like Events & Occasions and Recipient. And yes I know that you can access https://www.zazzle.com/store/in_ev_2222 but cant access https://www.zazzle.com/store/in_ev_2222/products.

I could never access the public products page on any of my stores so I really wondered that you could.

On other stores of other users I dont encounter this problem.

[Angel]

@fdsdfsagfdsgf 

Oh, I hadn't realized I used a link that wasn't your main page. No wonder I couldn't see anything.

Your main page looks the same as I first saw it. With your Products and Stores.

And now the other stores and their categories are visible to me too. No more 404's!

Well Done!  🌟 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Just remember a product will not show up if there isn't an image on the category. That is why after 14 years I am deleting my categories and using the Collections option instead. It's easy to connect a product with a collection. And collections can show in more than one store, whereas categories can only be for one store.

So, this month I've started using a New Products category and a Current Products category and I will be using Collections to group my products.

From my testing it seems collections will show up to the public even without a banner image, so less stress.

Feel free to message me if you get stuck. But you are well on your way. 🎈

[fdsdfsagfdsgf]

Yes but I dont want to sell products from my profile page https://www.zazzle.com/mbr/238004512169463272 but from a product page of any of my stores

https://www.zazzle.com/store/in_ev_2222/products
https://www.zazzle.com/store/test456466454/products
https://www.zazzle.com/store/thenee/product
https://www.zazzle.com/store/teststore6456456/products

Nothing works on this site and I'm trying it since 6 days.

[Angel]

Quick - go here Chat with zazzle 

Chat isn't available very often, maybe they can help fix the 404 issues.

On my public view of my Profile page my most recently created products show up too.

[fdsdfsagfdsgf]

The Chat is only a Bot that links you to the Page where you can write a Ticket.............

[Angel]

@fdsdfsagfdsgf 

You think you're having a bad day? I just finished replying to you and it said I wasn't signed in and I lost it - emojis and all.

I hadn't realized I was trying a link for your products page. I don't know where i got that link from.

On https://www.zazzle.com/mbr/238004512169463272 I can see your products and your categories. 😂

On your stores I can see the categories. Good work! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Remember that products will not be visible to the public if the category doesn't have an image. So many of my products haven't been seen because I forget that. So after 14 years on Zazzle I am only going to have a New Products category and a Current Products category. Everything will go in those two categories. And then to group them I'm going to use collections.

From my testing it seems the public can see a collections products even it there isn't a banner for the collection.

And whereas Categories are only related to one store, anything in a Collection can be seen in as many stores as I want to share that collection to.

As a newbie, you might not know that if you use collections anything from that collection that is purchased will show as a sale for whichever store the product was Posted for Sale in.

Enjoy creating.... 🎈

[fdsdfsagfdsgf]

I have added a picture to every category. I dont need collections because I want to use the Zazzle API to dynamically change the Picture... But this can only work if the Products are viewable in my store................................

[Angel]

It sounds like categories will work best for you.

I've found Chat works really well when it's available. On my laptop it's on the right hand side of the page.

Chat's gone again. I just saw your reply, yes just the bot is there now but for maybe five minutes I saw a live chat. It's not there very often but it's on the same page. I love it when it's available.

I think what might be happening is:

When you post a product for sale in the Categories section you choose the two Zazzle categories and then your Store Category. 

Once you've posted it for sale sometimes the categories don't stick. Then you have to go to the Product Management page, Choose Actions, Edit Details (for the product, not the category) and make sure all three categories are still chosen for that product.

If that's the problem that would explain why your products aren't showing up in your categories, but that doesn't explain why they aren't showing up in your stores.

Oh, you just made the products yesterday. Maybe they just need more time to show in your stores?

If that doesn't work, why don't you email Zazzle Support - it's the same page as the Chat Bot. The email link is just above the blue footer on the page.

[Angel]

Here's the info on live chat https://help.zazzle.com/hc/en-gb/articles/221463567-How-Do-I-Contact-Zazzle-Customer-Support- 

[fdsdfsagfdsgf]

Ok thank you very much 🙂 I could chat with the support and they forwarded my ticket to the it department.

[Angel]

@fdsdfsagfdsgf 

Oh, I'm so glad for you! That's the best help you can get!  🎉

Enjoy creating...

[Angel]

@fdsdfsagfdsgf  

Sometimes we can be timed out and need to refresh the page or log out and back in.

Computers just glitch sometimes and it is frustrating.  😭 😥

  This morning when I was answering you - so I was logged into the forum - I was told I couldn't reply to another topic because my email hadn't been verified.

Try logging back in.

What did you do to store https://www.zazzle.com/store/in_ev_2222/products  ?

I could see it and all of your stores earlier. I could see the products in this store too. But I can't even see the store now. Let's start with what you changed there and then work over to the other things.  Because the other stores will probably work if we figure this one store out. Okay? ⛑

If you're not happy with that idea you can email the help desk on this page https://www.zazzle.com/about/ask 

[Bel_Je_Designs]

Hi Angel, I read through this whole thread because I'm experiencing the same issue as OP. You said you're stopping using categories and will use collections exclusively. I like that idea, but I'm wondering if people could get lost? How are you organizing your collections - by product or theme or both? Can I look at your store to see what you've done?

[Angel]

@Bel_Je_Designs 

Hi Maha, I'm honoured you would ask for my advice. 😊 😊😊

I think people could get lost either way, so you have to do what will work for you.Just like in a department store you might see a section that is all mattresses, or all lamps, but then you have little room settings that take different products and make them into a collection for a specific room. Think of how you want to setup your store, your products. There isn't any right or wrong way.

You have collections on your Profile home page. People can see at a glance where they want to go.

I started out with just a few products like you. But as time went on there were more and more. I used categories, but often would forget that if there wasn't an image for the category, none of the products would be seen by the customers.

Then Zazzle brought in Collections. At the time and until this month I was creating products and then trying to figure out how to arrange them into Collections. This month I'm doing a lot of store maintenance despite all the 404 messages etc that are going on.

So I have sat down and came up with some creative names for collections. Like "For Bold, Courageous Adventurers" and I am going to make designs specifically for a certain collection.

I had thought a collection had to be like the same design on different products. But when we go to the home page of Zazzle they have different products with completely different designs but they work as a collection.  It's kind of like putting an outfit together. They go together, but your purse doesn't necessarily have the pattern on it that the dress does.

I'm liking Collections better because Categories are only for products from one store, whereas collections can have products from many stores. I like that about them.

Sure, you can look at my store, but please keep in mind I'm spring cleaning it. I still have collections that are product specific, but I will be changing that. For example you will see my collection 'Love Is'. It's a set of posters - all the same but in different colors. I will be changing that to other titles and each color will go into the title that fits it best. So the posters won't be together until a customer is at the product page and the other colorways will show up.

You can visit anyone's store that has posted on this forum by clicking on their name in their post  and then on the page that opens up you will see their Forum Name and just under that is a link to the name they use on Zazzle. Just click on that link and you are at their Profile Page on Zazzle.

Yours looks like this:

Bel_Je_Designs

Maha Aldoori on Zazzle

I've been here since 2008 so if you want to chat just message me.

[Bel_Je_Designs]

Thank you for explaining. I like how you describe a collection as an outfit. That makes a lot of sense. I'm starting to rethink even that now! Thanks also for explaining how to get to someone's store - I thought there would be an easy way, but I missed it! Thanks for offering to chat as well - that's awesome you've been doing this for so long. I'm sure you have a wealth of knowledge, so I will keep that in mind :-). Have a great day!

[Angel]

@Bel_Je_Designs

I'm glad my answer was helpful.

It's taken me a couple of years to learn what a good collection is.

As for getting to someone's store - there's always something new to learn even for us oldies.

Enjoy designing on Zazzle.  😊😀😊

[Angel]

@Bel_Je_Designs 

Hi Maha, As I've been travelling around Zazzle this past week, I've seen people make a lot of different kinds of Collections. So I want to link you to two Zazzle articles about creating them. Because you may choose to make them differently than me.

https://help.zazzle.com/hc/en-us/articles/227835067-Curate-and-Share-Your-Favorites-with-Zazzle-Coll...

https://help.zazzle.com/hc/en-us/articles/360000289534-How-Collections-Work

And you might like this article about how to make Design Themes

https://help.zazzle.com/hc/en-us/articles/360033801273-How-Design-Themes-are-Created

[Bel_Je_Designs]

Thank you, Angel! These were helpful!