Model Selector

The Model selector, also called Parts Finder and Model selector, is a new functionality in Abicart for you with Abicart PRO subscription, which allows the customer to search for specific parts/spare parts based on brand, model and year. The model selector retrieves all parts from the product list and filters them to show only those that match the customer's search criteria.

The model selector mainly consists of two parts:

- Search box: Allows the buyer to enter the make, model and year of the item.
- Results page: Displays a list of the parts matching the search criteria, including sub-categories and filters.

The model selector has several user-friendly features:

- The customer's search criteria/selections are saved for future reference in the browser's cookies and will therefore be available if the user leaves and returns to the website.
- The customer can save an unlimited number of models and view their parts at any time.

How to Set Up the Model Selector:

Catalogue:

1. To get started, go to Catalogue > Product groups and create a new product group for the Model Selector. (We recommend naming the product group “Model selector” or “Parts finder” as the name will be visible in the URL in shop front)
   
   
2. Once you have created the product group, you can add subcategories based on your choice. For example, you could organize your subcategories into a tree model like this: Model Selector (top-level product group) > Brand (level 1 sub-group) > Model(level 2 sub-group) > Model Year (level 3 sub-group). This will help keep your product groups neatly organized and easy to map.
   
3. Next, go to Catalogue > Products and start adding each product to its respective product group. This can be a lot of manual work, but don’t worry - you can also do it via import if you prefer.

Themes: 

Once you have set up the product groups and added the products, you can add the Model Selector to your website under Appearance.

You can choose to display the Model Selector in your webshop header and, or your product group pages.

1. Go to Appearance > Themes > Edit > Site Header and turn on the Model Selector option.
2. Add a title for your Model Selector - this will be displayed on your website.
   Also add Product category, Global Product category, Model selector is visible for the following product groups, Title of the list and Modal default message - visible when nothing has been added yet.
   
   
3. Save
   
4. Under Appearance >> Themes >> Edit >> Product Category pages, select the top-level product category for your Model Selector.
   
   For example, if you named your top-level product group “Model Selector” in the previous step, you would select “Model Selector” here.

General Settings:

Shared settings for site header & product group pages.

1. Under Global Product Category, select the main product category from which the Model Selector should get its products. 
   
   For example, you could put your complete assortment into one product category and then choose it to make sure that none of the products are missed.
   
   
2. The Model Selector is visible for the following product groups option allows you to narrow down your Model Selector to specific product categories.
   
   
3. The next three options - First Product Category, Second Product Category, and Third Product Category - are very important. These should always be selected in the order of your product category tree as discussed above in the Assortment section.
   
   
4. The Title of the List option allows you to add a title for the saved list of parts.
   
   
5. The Model Default Message if Nothing Has Been Selected Yet option allows you to display a message under “My Model” if no selection has been made.
   
   
6. Finally, under “Icon”, you can choose to add your own icon to represent the Model Selector or use our default icon.

Please reach out to customer support if you have any specific questions related to model selector.