If you're running a Jiwa webstore or portal store, your website categories have probably been built using Jiwa custom fields. Someone types a category name into a custom field against a product in Jiwa, and that text gets mapped through to create or match a category on your website. It works, but it depends on that text being typed consistently, every time, by whoever is entering the product.
That's the catch with a custom-field approach: it's still manual data entry, it doesn't give you a real category tree inside Jiwa, and mapping that text through to your actual website structure has been something Web Ninja has had to handle on the back end. Rename a category, and the custom field text has to be updated on every affected product for the mapping to stay correct.
Web Ninja's new direct category sync for Jiwa 8 removes the custom field step entirely. Instead of typing a category name into a text field, you build a real category tree directly in Jiwa's Web Store module and tick a box against the categories each product should appear in. No custom fields, no text mapping.
Before this feature, getting a product into the right category on your website relied on a custom field workflow:
None of this was necessarily wrong, but it put the accuracy of your entire category structure in the hands of consistent manual typing, with Web Ninja bridging the gap on the back end.
Jiwa 8 category sync replaces the custom field workflow with a real category tree, built and managed directly inside Jiwa's Web Store module.
Here's what that covers:
In practice, this means you no longer need a custom field or any text-based mapping at all. You build the tree once in Jiwa and tick the boxes; the sync handles the rest.
The sync is built around the existing Web Store tab on each product record in Jiwa 8, so if you've already got products marked as web-enabled, you're most of the way there.
Because the mapping is handled behind the scenes using RecIDs rather than category names, you can rename, move, or restructure categories in Jiwa without worrying about breaking what's already live on your site.
For a distributor managing a large, frequently changing catalogue, this isn't a small convenience.
If your team has been carefully typing category names into a custom field and hoping it maps correctly, this feature removes that step entirely.
What happens to the custom field I've been using for categories? Once category sync is set up, you no longer need it. Your existing website categories are matched against the tree you build in Jiwa during setup, so you're not starting from a blank slate, and the custom field can be retired.
Will renaming a category in Jiwa create a duplicate on my site? No. Because the sync tracks categories by their Jiwa RecID rather than their name, a rename updates the existing category on your storefront instead of creating a new one.
Can I still have products that don't sync to the website? Yes. Only products marked "Web Enabled" on their Web Store tab are included in the sync, so you retain full control over what does and doesn't appear online.
What if a product needs to sit in more than one category? That's supported directly. Tick each relevant category on the product's Web Store tab, and all of them will be reflected on your storefront.
This category sync is built specifically for Jiwa 8. If you're still running an earlier version of Jiwa, upgrading unlocks this along with the rest of Jiwa 8's Web Store improvements.
Either way, our team can walk you through what the upgrade and the sync setup look like for your specific catalogue and category structure.
Web Ninja builds and maintains the connection between Jiwa and your online store for Australian distributors and wholesalers. Our Jiwa 8 category sync is part of that broader integration, alongside product, pricing, and order sync between the two systems.
Setup involves mapping your existing web categories against your Jiwa category tree, confirming which products are web-enabled, and testing the sync before it goes live, so there's no disruption to your storefront while it's switched on.
If you're upgrading to Jiwa 8, or you're already on it and want to move off the custom field workflow, get in touch with the Web Ninja team and we'll walk you through setting up direct category sync.
Does Jiwa 8 category sync work automatically, or do I need to trigger it manually?
It's automatic. Once set up, changes you make to your category structure in Jiwa 8, including new categories, renames, and re-parenting, sync through to your Web Ninja storefront without any manual step.
Does this replace the need to manage products in my storefront admin at all?
For category structure, yes. Product categorisation is managed entirely from Jiwa. Other storefront settings outside of category assignment are still managed as normal.
How long does it take to set up category sync for an existing Jiwa 8 store?
It depends on the size and complexity of your existing category tree, but most Jiwa 8 businesses are up and running within a few days, including mapping and testing.
Can I control which categories appear publicly versus which are internal-only?
Yes. Only categories tied to products marked "Web Enabled" flow through to your live storefront, so internal-only classifications can be kept out of the sync.
Is this only for new Jiwa 8 customers, or can existing Web Ninja clients on Jiwa 8 add it?
Existing Web Ninja clients already running Jiwa 8 can have category sync added to their integration. Contact the Ninjas, and we'll set it up against your current store.