Import category data.

Hello,

Thanks for reaching out. The short answer is: HikaShop's built-in CSV import does not currently include the category metadata fields (page title, meta description, keywords, canonical, alias, etc.) row-by-row. It's primarily a product import that can auto-create categories with a name and a namekey, but it does not read the SEO columns. You have three practical paths depending on what you actually need.

1) Same value across many categories: HikaShop Massactions (built-in, Business edition)

If your goal is to set the same value on many categories at once (for example, applying a SEO title pattern to all subcategories of a parent), the Massactions feature does it without any extra extension.

- HikaShop > System > Massactions > New.
- Massaction table: Category.
- Add filters to select the categories you want to touch (by parent, by name pattern, by ID range, etc.).
- Add the action "Update values" and pick the column you want to set: category_meta_description, category_keywords, category_page_title, category_canonical, category_alias, category_description, etc.
- Save the massaction and run it. You can re-run it later or schedule it via the task plugin.

The limitation is that "Update values" applies the same value to every selected category, so it's perfect for batch SEO conventions but not for a per-row import where every category has its own distinct values.

2) Per-row distinct values via CSV: RO CSVi (third-party extension)

For a real category CSV import where each row carries the values for one category, the most complete option is RO CSVi by RolandD, a commercial Joomla extension dedicated to imports/exports for several Joomla components, HikaShop included. It supports every HikaShop category field, including all the ones you mentioned:

- category_name, category_namekey, category_alias, category_description
- category_meta_description, category_keywords, category_page_title, category_canonical
- category_published, category_access, category_menu, category_layout, category_quantity_layout
- category_parent_id, category_ordering, category_depth, category_left, category_right, category_path
- category_type (mandatory: tells HikaShop whether you're importing product categories, manufacturers, taxes or order statuses, since they all share the same table)
- category_id, category_created, category_modified, category_site_id

Required columns for the import are category_path (the position in the tree) and category_type. The rest are optional and only the fields you include in the CSV are updated, which makes it easy to update only meta/SEO fields without touching anything else.

Their documentation: rolandd.com/documentation/ro-csvi/hikash...shop-category-import (and the full field list at rolandd.com/documentation/ro-csvi/hikashop/available-fields ).

It's the most established CSV import tool in the Joomla ecosystem and it's what most merchants use when they need this kind of granular import.

3) One-shot maintenance: HikaShop Migration tool or direct SQL

If it's a single one-shot job and you don't want to bring in a new extension, you could use a direct SQL on #__hikashop_category in phpMyAdmin or via a small script. The relevant columns are category_meta_description, category_keywords, category_page_title, category_canonical, category_alias, category_description. Quick, but requires some proficiency with PHPMyAdmin.

In your case, if you have many categories and per-row distinct meta values that you want to maintain over time, RO CSVi is probably the most efficient answer. If it's a one-time fix on a known set of categories with a shared SEO pattern, Massactions handles it without any extra extension.