{"section":"tracks","requestedLocale":"en","requestedSlug":"catalog-architecture","locale":"en","slug":"catalog-architecture","path":"docs/en/tracks/vtex-modules-getting-started/catalog-101/catalog-architecture.md","branch":"main","content":"VTEX Catalog architecture is based on four fundamental concepts:\n\n1.\tCategory\n2.\tProduct\n3.\tSKU\n4.\tSpecifications\n\nAt VTEX, __Categories__ represent the way you organize your products, generically dividing items available in your store.\n\nWhen organized into categories, products can be classified into three distinct levels: __Department__, __Category__, and __Subcategory__.\n\nFor a __Product__ to be made available in your store, it needs to be part of a category and be linked to at least one __SKU__. \n\nVTEX Catalog structure requires that a SKU can only be created after defining the product information, since the SKU itself is the product variation. Therefore, we can say that a SKU is the physical unit of a product in stock.\n\nVTEX Catalog architecture also includes __Specifications__, which are a category’s registered properties that attribute specific characteristics to that product and SKUs linked to it. \n\nSuch specifications are, for example, a product's composition or an SKU's voltage, size or color.\n\nAn example of a VTEX Catalog architecture blueprint is found below:\n\n![arquitetura-catalogo-EN](https://cdn.statically.io/gh/vtexdocs/help-center-content/refs/heads/main/docs/en/tracks/vtex-modules-getting-started/catalog-101/catalog-architecture_1.png)"}