How the design-tool catalog tree hides empty categories

Learn why the category tree in the design tool only shows divisions, categories and sub-categories that contain SKUs the designer can access.

1. The category tree a designer sees inside the design tool is built bottom-up from the SKUs that user can actually access: a division, category, or sub-category appears only if at least one visible SKU rolls up into it.

2. Empty categories — or categories whose SKUs all live in sales channels the designer isn't assigned to — are omitted entirely, with no 'empty' placeholder.

3. The admin catalog-management view also lists categories the organization created even when they contain no SKUs yet.

4. Deprecated categories and sub-categories are always excluded from the designer tree regardless of contents.