Topics Covered:
- Overview
- Getting Started
- Product Types
- Required Fields
- Dates Section
- Product Images and Videos
- Product Descriptions
- Activating your Product
Overview
Multiple controls are available to develop Products in Configio. To keep these tools organized, they have been separated into different tabs. The Main tab is the first step an Administrator will see when creating a new Product. The Main tab is where all system-required Product information is saved.
Getting Started
To begin, log in to the Administrator Console and select Products in the top menu. This will bring you to the Products Main tab. In the left panel, you will be able to see and select existing Products. To create a new Product, you will select the + Add New Event button:
This will open the Create New Product window. The Type field allows you to select the Product Type.
Product Types
- Event: a Product that has a physical or virtual location, date, and time. This is typically used for Events that have Participants
- Merchandise: a Product that does not have a specific location, date, or time. This is typically used for Products such as shirts, cups, memorabilia, or Memberships
- Donation: allows customers to donate a set dollar amount, such as $50, $100, $200 etc. (for customers to donate amounts of their choice, please use the Money Request feature)
- Gift Card: allows customers to purchase a gift card for a specific amount that can later be redeemed for any Product
- Voucher: allows customers to purchase a specific Event or Merchandise Product for another customer. Vouchers are similar to Gift Cards, but the Voucher can only be redeemed for the designated Product, whereas a Gift Card can be used for any Product
- Time Block: allows customers to reserve a set amount of time with a coach, teacher, or other similar staff members
Important! Once you've selected the Create button, the Product Type cannot be changed.
After you've selected the desired Product Type, you will then enter the Product Name, this can be changed after creating the Product.
Required Fields
Essential information including Title, Region, Location, Category, Inventory, Price, and others are displayed on the Product Main tab. Not all required fields are editable after saving the Product!
Title: Name of the Product for Shopping Cart users. Identifies Products in an Order - Editable.
Internal Title: Name of the Product for Administrators only. May be configured for use in a Quick Search, selection control, or assignment nodes - Editable.
Type: Product Type, such as Event, or Merchandise. Defined when the Product is created - Not editable.
Location: System required - Selectable Product Location, this is typically a physical address. Any Location entered will be displayed on the Map tab (if enabled) - Editable.
Region: System Required - Selectable Product Region, may be selected by default when creating a new Product - Editable.
Category: System Required - Selectable Product Category, may be selected by default when creating a new Product. - Editable.
Available: System Required, default = 0 - Number of units available for purchase. Infinite may be chosen for this control - Editable.
Price: System Required, default = 0 - Amount charged to purchase the Product. The final amount may be affected by Discounts, Fees, etc. - Editable.
Purchased: Displays the current number of units purchased - Not Editable.
ID: System-generated, uniquely identifiable Product number. This may be seen in Order details - Not Editable.
Hold: Number of units held in reserve. Typically done to reserve spots for internal or late registrations - Editable.
Remaining: System tracked, calculation of units that remain for purchase - Not editable.
Budget: Amount Budgeted for the Product. This is used for Forecasting calculations - Editable.
Dates Section
The Dates section is located below the Required section. This is where all Dates and Times about the Product are stored.
Start / End Date: Dates of the beginning and end of an Event. The window during which the Event is scheduled is - editable until the End Date has passed.
Start / End Time: Times of the Event. The start time is on the first day, End is on the last day for multiple-day Events - Editable until End Date has passed.
Online Start / End: Specifies the window when the Product may be seen in the Shopping Cart - Editable.
Purchase Start / End: Specifies a window when the Product may be purchased in the Shopping Cart- Editable.
Season Date: Assigns Product to a specific Season, if within the Season Date Range - Editable.
Seasons: Report Groups that organize Products by Date. Determined by Season Date. May be used to filter results - Not Editable.
Pro-Tip! If the Product is not appearing in the Shopping Cart, please ensure that the Product is marked as Active and that the Online Start/End Dates are correct (i.e. if the Start/End Dates are from January 1st, 2024 to January 6th, 2024, but the date is February 1st, 2024, the Product will not appear in the Shopping Cart).
Once all Required fields and Date fields have been entered, select the Save button.
Product Images and Videos
It is recommended that each Product has at least one image to help promote your Product.
Multiple Product Images and/or Videos may be added to each Product.
To add images or videos, select the Image Window:
This will open the Product Images window. To upload an image, select Add Image or add a video by selecting Add Video.
Both buttons will open the Configio File Manager where your previously uploaded images are stored.
To select a pre-loaded image, select it from the File Manager. Or, to upload an image from your computer, select the Upload button, which will open your computer's file explorer.
You can rearrange the inserted images by clicking and dragging them around. When multiple images and videos are inserted, the image on the far left will be the Product's thumbnail in the Customer Cart:
The process of adding a video is very similar to adding an image. After selecting Add Video, you will be given two options: Video Embed Code and Uploaded Video.
Uploaded Video (Choose a video to upload)
Important! Before selecting a video from the dropdown list, one needs to add a video to the database. To find this go to: Settings> In the Assignments column; select Videos near the bottom of the list.
Once content is uploaded; the video titles will be available in the Uploaded Video dropdown list:
Video Embedded Code (Youtube videos for example)
The other way to upload a video is to use the Video Embedded Code option. To do this go to a video source, right click on the video, and select Copy embed code:
Then, go back to the Add Video modal and paste the embedded code into the text field and select the Save button:
Videos will appear with a Play button over them:
Select Close after you are done uploading and rearranging your images and videos.
Product Descriptions
There are two available Product Descriptions: the Short Description and the Description. The Short Description is a very short description of the Product that will appear on the Product Listing Page in the Customer Cart. The Description is a longer description that will appear on the Product Detail Page.
The Short Description is a text-only field, while the Description can include images, videos, attached files, and general text formatting such as bullet points, alignment, font sizes, colors, and different fonts.
To add a Description, select the + button:
If you want to preview your Description, select the icon in the text editing toolbar. This will open the Preview window:
Activating your Product
To preview your Product before it is live in the Customer Cart, you can select the View In Cart As Admin button. This will allow you to see how the Product will appear in the Customer Cart.
To allow your Product to be viewable in the Customer Cart for all users (including customers), Save any changes, and then toggle the Inactive button to Active. Then, you can select View Product In Cart to view it as a customer would see it:
Before completing your Product, you will need to make sure it has its Assignments set. For more information on Assignments, please visit the Assignments Knowledge Article.
This knowledge article provides information on specific Configio features. To ensure continuity with documentation and product functionality, Configio reserves the right to amend or update this knowledge article as needed. For more information, reach out to Configio Support.