Default menu item ID for product / category links

[Rsn]

Hello!
I offer to introduce a new setting into the Virtuemart configuration - The default menu item for generating links to products / categories.

It happens that there are several suitable menu items and Virtuemart cannot correctly determine the desired menu item for linking.

Example:

Configuration - Use full category tree for product links - No
For the store, the top-level menu item (not homepage) - "VirtueMart - Category Layout" with alias "catalog" (top level category - not selected) is used.
So the link to the goods looks approximately: https://gnevyshev.ru/catalog/product1-detail
The link to the categories looks approximately: https://gnevyshev.ru/catalog/cat1

But there was a need to make a new menu item "filter" for the product filter - "VirtueMart - Category Layout" - also at the top level (top level category - not selected).
Here I display all the goods, but I don't show the subcategories and additionally filter the goods as I need.

As a result, VM cannot exactly understand which menu item should be shown in each situation.
And sometimes (for example, when displaying products on the homepage, and not only) it forms links to products not as I need (https://gnevyshev.ru/catalog/product1-detail), but through the menu item "filter" (https://gnevyshev.ru/filter/product1-detail)
Similarly - with links to categories. They are formed incorrectly.
This is very bad for search engine indexing.

Even if I go to the page https://gnevyshev.ru/catalog/cat1 product links may look like this: https://gnevyshev.ru/filter/product1-detail (through "filter").

I propose to introduce the setting in the VM configuration - The default menu item for links to products / categories.
And every time then VM (component, modules, plugins) forms a link to a product / category, if the menu item ID is not clearly defined, then take this particular priority ID specified in the configuration.

What do you think about this?

[AH]

Set a canonical category for an item

IN the product configuration - your use case is exactly why it was introduced

Google then sees always the desired canonical category in the product url

[Rsn]

Set a canonical category for an item

AH, thanks for the answer!
But this solves only part of the problem.

I know very well about the possibility of choosing the canonical category for each product.

Another part of the problem is, for example, that if the link to the product is built through the wrong menu item, then when opening this product we will not see the necessary modules. In addition, the Breadcrumbs module will not show the visitor the path that he expects.

And another part of the problem is category links. For them there is no canonical choice, right?



If necessary, I can record a short video with a demonstration.

[Studio 42]

Hi,
i understand your problem, but if you set product in 2 categories, then the user can access it from 2 links so you have to set the modules for the 2 links/parent category menu. if needed

[Rsn]

Thanks!
But don't you think it would be much better if you could specify a priority Itemid in the VM configuration?

[pinochico]

For this option we use SEO app - Artio JoomSEF, SH404 or another.
Or You can create redirect manually (Joomla, httacess...)

SEO option inside VM is limited (long time).

[AH]

IMHO - dont use 3rd party sef plugins

Regarding path etc

Build a hidden menu option for every VM category as a "root menu"

Then build as many joomla alias menu links to these categories in the menu you show to users - this removes the issue of hierarchy of joomla menus and VM categories

Yes it will create significantly more maintenance work.

[pinochico]

AH:

Really manually create 1500 menu items if exist?
I think is it bad idea

[AH]

Or create 20 if they exist. RSN did not mention the number of categories they were wanting to manage.

It all depends on how you decide to manage your store and administer it.

Use a plugin if you want - it is your own choice

[Rsn]

If to talk about the site in which I apply this approach to the structure of links, there are about 600 categories at the moment.
15-20 - main (top level), and they have a lot of subcategories of different levels.
And I do not create menu items for them.
Only one menu item Catalog.
Creating menu items for each category - I see no reason.
And it is very time consuming.

Link to site: мкэлектро.рф/externalAccessAllow