Category Tree- Advanced Guide

This guide is for users who need complete control over how content is displayed in their site and apps.

If you haven’t created your basic categories yet, start with Building Your Category Tree (Basic Guide) first.

• How Bamboo Reads Your Category Tree
• Why Structure Matters
• Multi-Level Trees: Series, Seasons & Genres
• App-Style Homepage Structure
• Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them
• Managing Categories & Final Takeaway

How Bamboo Reads Your Category Tree

Bamboo follows your category tree exactly as you build it.

Display Rules

• A category with subcategories → displays its subcategories
• A category without subcategories → displays its videos

Nothing is broken — if something doesn’t appear where you expect, it’s because of the tree structure.

Visual Guide: Display Logic Flow

User opens a category
        ↓
Does this category have subcategories?
        ↓
      Yes → Subcategories are displayed
        ↓
      No  → Videos inside the category are displayed

Bamboo Pro Tip:

When selecting a category for a menu, homepage section, or app drawer item, Bamboo displays whatever that category contains, following the rules above.

Why Structure Matters

Your category tree controls:

• Homepage layout
• App navigation
• What users see when clicking a category
• Whether users see sections or videos
• How series, seasons, and genres behave

Bamboo never “breaks.” Unexpected results usually mean the structure doesn’t match your intent.

Bamboo Pro Tip:

Before creating a complex tree:

• Decide which categories are containers
• Decide which categories should display videos
• Sketch the tree to visualize homepage and navigation

Planning saves time and prevents rework.

Multi-Level Trees: Series, Seasons & Genres

Advanced setups often require more than one level, e.g., series with multiple seasons or movie genres.

Series & Seasons – Visual Example

TV Shows
 └─ Series 1
     ├─ Season 1  → videos appear here
     ├─ Season 2  → videos appear here
     └─ Season 3  → videos appear here

Videos assigned directly to Series 1 will not appear because the category contains subcategories.

Videos must be assigned to Season 1 / Season 2 / Season 3.

Genres – Visual Example

Movies
 ├─ Comedy  → videos
 ├─ Drama   → videos
 └─ Kids    → videos

Categories without subcategories display videos directly.

App-Style Homepage Structure

Many users want a homepage that looks like an OTT app.

Example: App Homepage Category Structure

App
 ├─ Most Viewed
 ├─ Newly Added
 ├─ TV Shows
 │   ├─ Series 1
 │   │   ├─ Season 1
 │   │   └─ Season 2
 │   └─ Series 2
 │       ├─ Season 1
 │       └─ Season 2
 └─ Movies
     ├─ Comedy
     ├─ Drama
     └─ Kids

Why this works:

• Homepage sections appear in the order of the category tree
• Categories with subcategories act as containers
• Categories without subcategories act as content pages
• Navigation feels predictable and app-like

This layout prioritizes dynamic content like Most Viewed and Newly Added at the top, which keeps the homepage fresh.

Common Mistakes & How to Avoid Them

❌ Videos “disappearing”

• Videos assigned to a category that has subcategories

❌ Category opens but shows nothing

• Subcategories exist but are empty
• Videos were added to the wrong level

❌ Homepage doesn’t look as expected

• Category order doesn’t match the intended layout
• A category chosen for display contains subcategories instead of videos

Bamboo Pro Tip:

Always check your category tree visually before publishing to make sure everything is assigned correctly. This prevents unexpected results and saves time later.

Bamboo is working correctly — the structure just doesn’t match your intent.

Managing Categories & Final Takeaway

Each category has additional settings that affect:

• Visibility
• Ordering
• Display behavior

These are explained in detail here:

👉 Edit Category Settings Guide (link to be added)

Key Takeaway:

Bamboo displays exactly what your category tree specifies.

Once you understand this, all behavior becomes predictable — from series and seasons to homepage sections and genres.

Watch a video about category tree in Bamboo