CopyCat Category Duplicator App for BigCommerce – Multi Storefront
🔧 Quick Info: CopyCat Category Duplicator is a standalone BigCommerce app for Multi-Storefront stores. It copies or synchronizes individual categories and complete category branches within one storefront or between different storefronts.
Multi-Storefront Guide: This article is for BigCommerce stores using Multi-Storefront. For a store with only one storefront, see the standard app guide.
What It Does
This is the standalone app version of CopyCat Category Duplicator. You install it directly into your BigCommerce store, where it provides its own embedded Dashboard, Billing, and Contact Us pages.
Instead of launching CopyCat from the YourStoreTools dashboard, you manage everything from inside your BigCommerce administration area.
CopyCat can duplicate the following category information:
- Category name
- URL
- Description
- Meta title
- Meta description
- Meta keywords
- Assigned products
- Product sort order
- Category image
- Category page banner, when selected
You can create either:
- A single-category copy with control over the destination, name, URL, description, SEO fields, image, and banner.
- A bulk copy of one or more parent categories and all their subcategories, preserving the category-tree structure.
Each copied category can be configured as either:
- Copy – A one-time duplicate that does not update automatically.
- Sync – A mirrored category that is checked and updated once a day, including its product sort order.
Cross-Storefront Copying: On a Multi-Storefront store, you choose the source storefront, destination storefront, and destination parent category. CopyCat also assigns copied products to the destination storefront’s channel so they can appear there.
When Should You Use This?
- You only need CopyCat and do not need the full YourStoreTools dashboard.
- You want CopyCat available inside BigCommerce like any other installed app.
- You need to copy a category from one storefront to another.
- You want the same category structure available across several storefronts.
- You need a copied category to stay synchronized with its source.
- You want a one-time copy that can be edited independently.
- You need to duplicate a complete category branch with all its subcategories.
- You want products and their sort order copied along with the category.
Before You Get Started
- Install the CopyCat Category Duplicator app in your BigCommerce store.
- Complete the app’s onboarding and billing setup.
- The app subscription is $10 per month.
- Choose the source storefront and source category.
- Choose the destination storefront and destination parent category.
- Decide whether the new category should be a one-time copy or a synchronized copy.
- Decide whether to copy the category image and page banner.
- Make sure the app has the BigCommerce permissions required for categories, products, channels, and banners.
Onboarding Required: You cannot use the app until the Sync Settings and Payment steps have been completed.
First-Run Onboarding
The first time you open the app, CopyCat guides you through a short setup wizard.
1 Choose the Daily Sync Time
On the Sync Settings step, choose when CopyCat should run its daily synchronization.
This is the time when Sync-type copies are checked against their original categories. You can change the setting later from the Dashboard.
2 Complete Billing
On the Payment step, approve the app’s subscription charge through BigCommerce.
The Dashboard opens after both onboarding steps are complete.
The Dashboard
After onboarding, the app opens on Welcome to your CopyCat Dashboard!
From the Dashboard, you can create new category copies, manage existing copies, review synchronization history, and change the app’s settings.
A help icon at the top of the app provides quick access to assistance.
Dashboard Buttons
| Button | What It Does |
|---|---|
| Create | Opens the CopyCat form to create a new single-category or bulk copy. |
| Settings | Opens CopyCat Category Settings, where you can change the daily sync time and category-description editor. |
CopyCat Categories Table
| Column | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Name | The name of the copied or synchronized category. |
| Original Category ID | The BigCommerce category ID of the source category. |
| Copied/Synced Category ID | The BigCommerce category ID created by CopyCat. |
| Type | Shows whether the entry is a one-time Copy or a daily Sync. |
| Last Synced At | The last time CopyCat created or synchronized the category. |
Row Actions
- Edit – Changes the CopyCat entry’s settings.
- History – Opens the background-job history for that copy.
- Edit Copied Category – Opens the copied category in BigCommerce.
- Edit Original Category – Opens the source category in BigCommerce.
- View Copy – Opens the copied category on the storefront.
- Delete – Removes the CopyCat entry and stops future synchronization.
Deleting a CopyCat Entry: Delete removes the entry from CopyCat and stops synchronization. It does not delete the copied category from BigCommerce.
Dashboard Settings
Select Settings on the Dashboard to open CopyCat Category Settings.
| Setting | What It Controls |
|---|---|
| Sync Daily At | The time of day when CopyCat checks and updates synchronized categories. |
| Select Category Description Editor | Chooses whether category descriptions are edited using the HTML Editor or Text Editor. |
How to Create a Copy
1 Select Create
Select Create on the CopyCat Dashboard.
2 Choose Single or Bulk Copy
At What would you like to do?, choose one of the following:
- Copy a single category
- Bulk copy a category and all of its subcategories
3 Choose the Source Storefront
Select the storefront containing the category you want to copy.
After you choose the source storefront, the remaining category fields appear. Category names are shown with their storefront so you can identify the correct category tree.
Changing the Source: If you change the source storefront after beginning the form, the category selections and related settings are reset.
4 Select the Source Category
In single-copy mode, use Select the category to be copied or synced to choose one category from the searchable category tree.
In bulk-copy mode, use Select the parent categories to bulk copy (with all subcategories). You can select one or more parent categories.
A preview shows every category and subcategory that will be included in the bulk copy.
5 Choose Copy or Sync
At Do you want to keep this category in sync with the original category or just copy it?, choose:
- Yes, sync with original category – Creates a mirrored category that updates daily.
- No, just copy the category – Creates a one-time copy that can be managed independently.
6 Choose the Destination
Under CopyCat Category Settings, use Select storefront to copy category into to choose the destination storefront.
You can choose the same storefront as the source or a different storefront.
After selecting the destination storefront, choose the destination parent category. Leave the parent category blank to create the copy at the storefront’s category root.
7 Review the Name, URL, and Description
In single-copy mode, review the pre-filled category Name, URL, and Description.
- Same-storefront copies receive a number in the name and URL to avoid a conflict with the original category.
- Cross-storefront copies keep the original name and URL because they are being created in a different storefront category tree.
8 Set Additional Category Details
In single-copy mode, review the options under Set Additional Category Details:
- Meta Title
- Meta Description
- Meta Keywords
- Would you like to copy the category image?
- Would you like to copy the category page banner (if one exists)?
You can copy the existing category image or upload a different image.
Copying the category banner requires the appropriate BigCommerce Marketing permission.
Meta Keywords and Sync: Meta Keywords can be edited for one-time copies. Synchronized copies manage keywords automatically as part of the ongoing SEO synchronization.
9 Submit the Copy
Submit the form to begin creating the category.
The app displays:
Created Category Mirror. In process of creating category in the store.
The copy is then built as a background job.
10 Review the Progress
Return to the Dashboard to review the copy’s status.
Use the row’s History option to review the background-job log and any errors.
Single Copy vs. Bulk Copy
| Mode | How It Works |
|---|---|
| Single Category | Copies one category and provides detailed control over the destination, name, URL, description, SEO fields, image, and banner. |
| Bulk Copy | Copies one or more selected parent categories and all their subcategories while preserving the branch structure. |
Bulk Copy Order: Bulk jobs create parent categories before their subcategories so the copied structure is built correctly.
Copy vs. Sync
| Type | Behavior |
|---|---|
| Copy | Creates the category once. Future changes to the original are not applied automatically. |
| Sync | Checks the original category once a day and updates the copied category, including product assignments and product sort order. |
One-Time Copies Do Not Update: Changes made to the source category after a one-time copy is created are not transferred to the copied category.
Same-Storefront vs. Cross-Storefront Copies
| Copy Type | Name and URL Behavior | Product Channel Behavior |
|---|---|---|
| Same Storefront | A number is appended to the copied name and URL to prevent a conflict with the original category. | Products remain on the same storefront channel. |
| Cross Storefront | The original category name and URL are retained in the destination storefront. | CopyCat assigns the copied category’s products to the destination storefront channel. |
Product Visibility: CopyCat assigns products to the destination channel during a cross-storefront copy. If a product still does not appear, review that product’s storefront and channel assignments in BigCommerce.
More Detailed Field and Sync Information
The app uses the same CopyCat form and copying behavior as the YourStoreTools Multi-Storefront version.
For the complete field-by-field reference, synchronization behavior, and conflict-handling details, see the Multi-Storefront tool guide.
Troubleshooting and FAQ
The app will not let me continue past setup
The Sync Settings and Payment steps must be completed before the Dashboard becomes available.
Choose the daily synchronization time, approve the subscription charge through BigCommerce, and finish the onboarding wizard.
The new category did not appear immediately
Category copies are created as background jobs. Return to the Dashboard and review the entry’s status.
Use the row’s History option to see the current progress or review an error.
My copied category is not updating
Only entries with the Type set to Sync are updated automatically.
Synchronized copies are checked once a day at the time shown in Settings. One-time Copy entries never update automatically.
The copied name or URL has a number added
This is expected for same-storefront copies. The number prevents the copied category from conflicting with the original category’s name or URL.
Cross-storefront copies can retain the original name and URL because they are created in a different storefront category tree.
Products appear on one storefront but not another
Cross-storefront copies assign the products to the destination channel automatically.
If a product is still not visible, review the product’s storefront and channel assignments in BigCommerce and confirm that the product itself is available and visible on the destination storefront.
The category banner was not copied
Confirm that you selected the option to copy the category page banner and that your BigCommerce connection has the required Marketing permission.
I changed the source storefront and my selections disappeared
This is expected. Categories belong to a specific storefront category tree, so changing the source storefront resets the source category and related form settings.
I deleted an entry, but the category still exists
Deleting an entry from CopyCat stops future synchronization and removes it from the Dashboard. It does not delete the copied category from BigCommerce.
Delete the category separately in BigCommerce if you no longer want it in the store.