Added option to display neighboring categories at the same level
- The option can be enabled individually for each category or in the general site settings.
- To change it, go to: Settings → Shop → Categories.
- When the option is enabled, the category list element will have the class «
hotengine-categories-sibling-list».
- The setting can be applied individually for each category or in the general site settings.
- To change it, go to: Settings → Shop → Categories.
- When changing the display option for the main element of the category list «hotengine-categories-list», the class «hotengine-categories-list-style-X» is added, where «X» corresponds to the selected display style.
- Available display styles:
- «As in the general site settings»
- «Standard (blocks with title and image)»
- «Compact (with image) [if there are products in the category]»
- «Compact (title only) [if there are products in the category]»
- «Compact (with image)»
- «Compact (title only)»
The combination is formed from selected components: the title and SKU are combined with a “+”, and the price is calculated on the fly based on the current prices of the chosen variants.
If one of the components has a fixed price, it is taken as the base, and deltas (“+” or “-”) are added or subtracted.
Examples:
— =100 and +20 → final price =120.
— +10 and +15 → result +25 added to the base product price.
— =200, =150, +20 → result =220 - the highest variant price is taken.
Display and behavior limitations:
- For multiple groups, some ways of displaying variants may be restricted.
- Each sub-variant cannot have its own “Add to Cart” button.
The combined variant is treated as a single item for the cart and when saving the order.
This feature allows creating a more complex and extended product hierarchy, combining simultaneous selection of color, weight, size, and other parameters. The customer can conveniently combine multiple characteristics into one variant, and the system automatically recalculates the final price based on the current values of the selected options.
Up to 50 different combinations can be created for a single product, providing flexible choice without overloading the interface.
E-commerce Platform Comparison: Hotlist.biz vs WooCommerce vs OpenCart
Choosing the right platform is key to the success of any online store. In this review, we will provide a detailed comparison of three popular solutions: the SaaS platform Hotlist.biz, the WooCommerce plugin for WordPress, and OpenCart with open-source code. We will examine their functionality, unique advantages, real benefits, and help determine which solution is best suited for your business.
The product characteristics import field has been simplified
Now, when importing product characteristics, two formats are available:
- Extended format – each characteristic is entered in a separate cell, allowing more precise value assignment and visibility of all possible options.
- Compressed format – all characteristics are entered in a single cell. In this case, you must specify the product type in the first line, and each characteristic on a new line.
This approach simplifies import and allows flexible handling of different product types and their characteristics, ensuring data accuracy in the database.
Impossible is Possible: How We Achieved Nearly 100% in Google PageSpeed
In today’s web world, site loading speed is one of the key success factors. Recently, we made a real breakthrough and raised our Google PageSpeed scores to nearly 100% across all critical metrics! This is the result of comprehensive and meticulous optimization, into which we poured maximum knowledge and experience.
https://pagespeed.web.dev/analysis/https-hotlist-biz-ru/v87znuv93s?form_factor=desktop
What helped us achieve such a result?
1. Script and style loading optimization
We implemented deferred loading of JavaScript and CSS so that critical resources needed for page rendering load first, while all others load asynchronously and only when necessary. Most scripts on the platform load directly upon user interaction. Thanks to this, users see content instantly, and the browser is not blocked by unnecessary calls.
2. Compression and minimization of data
All scripts, styles, and images were maximally compressed and optimized. Using modern WebP/SVG image formats as well as CSS and JavaScript minification significantly reduced the overall amount of loaded data.
3. Effective caching and CDN
We set up caching on the server and used a content delivery network (CDN), allowing files to be delivered closer to users and reducing server response time.
4. Smart image handling
All images use adaptive loading — different sizes and formats for different devices and resolutions. Lazy loading techniques are applied, so images are not loaded until the user scrolls to them.
5. Font optimization
Fonts are loaded with the font-display: swap parameter, reducing text rendering delays due to font loading.
6. Improved rendering and DOM
We reduced unnecessary elements, optimized the HTML structure, removed redundant reflows and style recalculations, speeding up the first render and making the interface responsive.
All these measures have allowed us to practically achieve maximum scores in Google PageSpeed Insights — meaning the site loads fast, smoothly, and conveniently on any device and network.
Impossible became possible thanks to attention to detail and a comprehensive optimization approach. This opens new horizons for improving user experience and increasing conversions.
You will receive all these benefits if you choose the Hotlist.biz platform for creating websites and online stores.
A new page with a list of manufacturer countries has been added to the Hotlist.biz platform. Now visitors to your online stores can quickly find products by their country of origin.
In addition, on the product page, the manufacturer country name is now a clickable link. Clicking it will take you to a page showing all products from the same country as the selected item.
This update makes searching and selecting products even more convenient and helps users quickly find items of the desired origin.
The Price Range Swiper — a price range slider in the search filter — has been added to the Hotlist.biz platform. Now users can conveniently set the minimum and maximum price using the “From” and “To” sliders, which are displayed above the search form. This improves the ease and accuracy of product price filtering.
To install this code, follow these steps:
- Go to the «Pages» → «HTML Widgets» section.
- In the «Price range swiper - Price range slider in the search filter» item, copy the JavaScript code.
- Create a menu block and paste the copied code into it.
- Check the «JavaScript / CSS style» option.
- In the appeared parameters field, select «Javascript - async».
To connect styles:
- Copy the CSS style from the Price Range Swiper instruction page.
- Paste it into the design editor under the «CSS styles» tab.
The code is available at the link: #Price_range_swiper
Site Performance Update: JavaScript Optimization and Deferred Loading
We have carried out extensive JavaScript optimization on the site to increase loading speed and improve user experience. Now most libraries load deferred — only when truly necessary.
All scripts have been moved to separate files and are loaded exclusively on pages where they are used or when the user interacts with the relevant elements.
As a result, the following features have been improved:
- Scrolling of products and articles
- Changing product quantities when adding to the cart
- Interaction with product variants
- Adding products to favorites
- Showing and hiding filled values in the search filter
- Mobile menu
- Slide menu script
- And more...
This update significantly speeds up page loading and makes the site experience smoother and more comfortable. Thank you for choosing us!
Now on Hotlist.biz, you can create not only cached JavaScript files but also CSS style files — directly within the block/menu text.
What this gives you:
- 🔧 Ability to add custom styles only on selected pages;
- 📁 Styles are stored in a separate cached file, not on the page itself;
- ⚡ Ensures clean and fast page loading without inline CSS.
To create a CSS file, set CSS in the block/menu parameters.
Insert your CSS style into the Block/Menu text and specify the pages where it should appear.
🔹 Previously: during import, the site became temporarily unavailable to the administrator until the entire process was completed. This was inconvenient — especially with a large number of products.
🔹 Now: you can continue working with the site while the import runs in the background. The import process no longer blocks the interface, and lines from the file are processed and displayed in real time directly on the screen.
💡 For example, when uploading 5000 products, each containing dozens of images, processing time can take tens of minutes. Asynchronous import completely solves this problem — the site remains accessible, and you see the progress.
You can enable the "Asynchronous Import" option to upload large volumes of data in the background.
Advantages:
- Import runs in the background — you can continue working with the site during processing.
- The browser is not overloaded, and you see progress in real time.
Important:
- If you do not use asynchronous mode, the site will become temporarily unavailable specifically for you during the import. However, for other users, it will continue to work normally.
- During asynchronous import, a detailed log for each product is not available — you will not see which specific fields were changed for each item in real time.
- After the import is completed, a brief summary report will be available with a list of updated, skipped, deleted, and problematic products and variations.
History is available under "Show previous import result" or "Previous import process".
It is possible to bulk add or update products, including characteristics and varieties.
More details in the instructions: https://hotlist.biz/en/user_guide.html#hotengine-CommerceAPI
