# The Catalog System

## Catalog System

The catalog system works step-by-step: first, you add products to the catalog. Then, those products get added to the inventory for listing. After that, they show up on the front end for users to see..

Here are some options in the system: admins and vendors(when admin allows) can both add products for vendors. Vendors can then add these products to their inventory. The system is flexible, so you can set it up to let vendors only use their own products for their inventory if you want.

### Disable the Catalog System

The catalog system works well for big marketplaces, improving the shopping experience for customers. But for vendors, it might feel tricky to list items fast. As an admin, you can fully turn off the catalog system if you want. To make things easier and skip the catalog, let vendors add products straight to the system. Those products will then quickly appear on the front end. This change simplifies the process, giving vendors a faster, more direct way to show their products to users.

### Configuration:

Navigate to the Configuration section within the admin panel, and turn off the CATALOG SYSTEM from settings, also turn on the CAN USE OWN CATALOG ONLY option. This straightforward action ensures the deactivation of the catalog functionality, providing a more efficient and focused system experience to your vendors.

Your vendors can now effortlessly add products directly for listing, removing the need for stock or inventory management. This improved process simplifies things, allowing vendors to rapidly feature their products on the platform without the extra task of managing the catalog.

### When Catalog System is Needed:

We built zCart to power large marketplaces, designing its structure to minimize data duplication and enhance the shopping experience for customers, even if it makes admin tasks a bit trickier. With the catalog system active, all vendors share the same product data for their listings, letting the system use consistent data across the board. This setup lets shoppers see all offers for a product in one place, helping them pick the best deal on your marketplace.

With the catalog system, admins can decide which products make it onto the platform by restricting vendors from adding to the catalog. However, this might mean you’ll need more staff to manage the marketplace and keep it up to date.

So, if you’re aiming for a big leap and have solid infrastructure and a capable team, we recommend keeping the catalog system turned on.

Note: If you decide to turn off the catalog system, please avoid switching the enable option back on later to avoid unexpected issues.

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