Not every product belongs on every channel. With category exclusion, you decide per export which of your shop categories are exported, with a simple on/off toggle in the Category Mapping. When you switch a category off, all articles in it are left out of that export. You don't need an extra product filter for this.
Note: The setting applies to one export only. Other exports of the same Shop, even on the same Channel, are not affected.
How the toggles work
Each shop category in the Category Mapping has a toggle:
On (green): the category and its articles are included in the export.
Off (white): the category and its articles are excluded from the export.
By default, all categories are switched on.
Categories follow their parent category:
If you switch a parent category on or off, all its subcategories, down to the lowest level, are switched to the same position.
If you switch a subcategory, only this subcategory and the categories below it change. The parent category and the other categories on the same level stay as they are.
Example: You switch off "Garage Equipment". All its subcategories, such as "Lifts" and "Tools", are switched off too. If you then switch "Tools" back on, only the articles in "Tools" are exported. Everything else in "Garage Equipment" stays excluded.
Exclude a category from an export
Open the export you want to change: "Exports" -> your Channel export -> "Category Mapping".
Find the category in the shop category tree on the left. Use the search field or expand the tree to see subcategories.
Switch off the toggle next to the category. Its subcategories are switched off automatically.
Switch on any subcategory you still want to export (optional).
Click "Save" to apply your changes. Click "Discard" to reset all toggles to their last saved position.
[Screenshot: toggles in the Category Mapping, English UI]
Your changes take effect with the next export run.
Note: You can also switch off categories that don't have a channel category assigned yet.
Check which articles are excluded
The export preview on the data field page of your export shows whether an article is left out because its category is switched off, and which category caused it. This way, you can tell a category exclusion apart from an exclusion by a product filter.
[Screenshot: export preview with category exclusion message]
Good to know
Category exclusion and product filters work together. An article is only exported if it passes your product filters and its category is switched on.
Works for all exports. You can use category exclusion for feed exports and for marketplace exports.
Every change is logged. Each time you switch a category on or off and save, the change is recorded in the logbook. [name/location to confirm]
FAQ
Are my articles deleted when I switch a category off? No. The articles stay in your Shop and in Channel Pilot. They are only left out of this one export. [Marketplaces: confirm what happens to listings that are already online]
I switched a category off, but the articles are still in the export file. Why? The change takes effect with the next export run. Check that you clicked "Save", then wait for the next scheduled export.
I switched off a parent category, but one subcategory is still exported. Why? A subcategory that you switched on yourself stays exported, even if its parent category is switched off. Switch the subcategory off, or switch the parent category off again to reset all subcategories.