Catalog Links
A catalog link is a private web address that shows a buyer the products you picked for them. Each link has its own expiry, prices and discount.
Think of a link as a small, personal catalog made for one buyer or one purpose. You send it on WhatsApp or email like any other link. The buyer taps it, browses on their phone and sends you a quotation request.
You can make as many links as you need. A dealer in Surat can get a link with your new festive range at 10% off. A retailer in Pune can get a different link with only your best sellers and no discount.
Why use catalog links
Your buyer gets every product, price and option in one place, not scattered across a chat.
Every link expires. Old rates do not stay open in a buyer's phone for months.
Set a discount, bill slabs and price visibility per link, without changing your product prices.
Each link counts its views and keeps its own enquiries and buyer analytics.
Create a link
Open Shared Catalog and click Share Catalog.
- Who is this catalog link for? Choose Specific buyer from your buyer list, or All Buyers for one open link (paid add-on).
- Select Products to Share. Tick products, or use search, the collection filter or Select all products.
- Set Expiry Time. 1, 3, 6, 12 or 24 hours, 3 or 7 days, or custom hours up to 30 days.
- Optional Settings. Banner, note, prices, view mode, discounts and verification.
Click Generate Catalog Link, then Copy Catalog and paste it into WhatsApp or email.
Step 1: Who is this catalog link for?
Under Catalog type, pick Specific buyer and then choose the buyer in Select buyer. The link is tied to that buyer, so their enquiries and visits show on their buyer page.
If your list is empty, the form shows "No buyers yet — add buyers from the Buyers page." Add the buyer first on the Buyers page, then come back.
All Buyers makes one open link that anyone can use. It needs the Open Link add-on. Without it, the option shows a PRO badge and an Activate Open Link link that starts the activation request.
Step 2: Select Products to Share
Tick the products this buyer should see. Use Search products… to find items by name, or the All Collections filter to show one collection at a time. The header shows how many items are selected.
Only active products appear in this list. If you have none yet, you will see "No active products yet." with a link to add products.
If your business uses Packages, this step is called Select Packages to Share. A link holds either products or packages, never both at once.
Step 3: Set Expiry Time
The default is 6 hours. Tap a chip, or type a number in Custom hours (1 to 720). The form confirms your choice, for example "Link will expire in 3 days".
| Expiry | Good for |
|---|---|
| 1 or 3 hours | A buyer on a call with you right now, or a one-time special rate |
| 6 or 12 hours | A normal same-day enquiry. The buyer checks it in the evening |
| 24 hours | Buyers who need to ask a partner or the shop owner first |
| 3 or 7 days | Dealers who plan orders weekly, or a trade fair follow-up |
| Custom (up to 720 hours) | A season catalog or a long price list, up to 30 days |
Step 4: Check the Catalog Summary
The Catalog Summary panel beside the form shows the Buyer, Selection Type, Items Selected, Expires in, Banner, Discount and Conditional Slabs. Read it once before you click Generate Catalog Link.
After you generate, a popup says "Your catalog link is ready". Click Copy Catalog and paste the link into the buyer's chat.
Optional settings
Click Optional Settings to open this section. You can skip it completely. The link then uses each product's own price setting, the Interactive view, no discount and no verification.
| Setting | What it does |
|---|---|
| Banner Image | Wide picture at the top. At least 1200 × 400 px, max 2 MB |
| Note to Buyer | Message at the top of the catalog, up to 500 characters |
| Price Visibility | Use each product's setting, show all prices, or hide all prices |
| View Mode | Interactive (buyer can order) or Showcase (browse only) |
| Allow buyer to enter quantity | Shows a quantity box on each product |
| Discount (%) | Lowers every price. MRP is shown crossed out |
| Conditional Bill Discount Slabs | Extra discount on big orders, for example 5% above ₹10,000 |
| Email or mobile verification | Buyer must enter an email or mobile from your buyer list |
Banner and note
The banner is the first thing the buyer sees, so use it for a season or a theme. A JPG, PNG or WEBP of 1200 × 400 px or larger works best.
The note is a short personal message. For example: "Namaste Rajesh ji, here is our Diwali range. Special rates valid till Sunday." A note with the buyer's name makes the link feel personal, not like a mass forward.
Price Visibility
- Use each product's price setting follows what you set on each product. Pick this when most products show prices and only a few are "price on request".
- Show all prices shows every price on this link. Use it for trusted dealers who already know your rates.
- Hide all prices hides every price on this link. Use it for new contacts, or when the rate depends on quantity and you want to talk first.
View Mode: Interactive or Showcase
| Interactive | Showcase | |
|---|---|---|
| What the form says | Buyer can select items and send enquiry | Static PDF-style catalog. Products only, no enquiry buttons |
| Buyer can select products | Yes | No |
| Buyer gets a quotation | Yes | No. The buyer can Download PDF of the catalog |
| Works with packages | Yes | No, products only |
| Best for | Getting orders and enquiries | Showing your range to a new contact or at a meeting |
See What Buyers See for how each view looks on the buyer's phone.
Discount and bill slabs
Discount (%) applies to every product on the link. The buyer sees the MRP crossed out and your discounted price beside it. Your product prices do not change, so other links are not affected.
Conditional Bill Discount Slabs reward bigger orders. Click + Add Slab, then enter Bill above and the Extra discount %. Use Remove to delete a slab.
Example for a hardware dealer: 2% extra above ₹25,000 and 4% extra above ₹50,000. When the buyer's bill crosses a slab, the selection panel shows an Extra discount line.
Email or mobile verification
Tick Enable email or mobile number verification for links with special prices. Before the catalog opens, the buyer must type an email or mobile number that is saved in your buyer list.
The check uses the Owner Email and Owner WhatsApp No of the buyers you saved. After 3 wrong tries, that device is locked out of the link for 1 hour.
Verification is only for specific-buyer links. All Buyers links always ask visitors for their details instead.
Verification accepts any email or mobile in your buyer list, not only the selected buyer's. It stops strangers, not your other saved buyers. Keep truly private rates on a short expiry too.
Manage your links
- Filter by All Links, Active, Expired or Deactivated.
- Copy or WhatsApp the link to the buyer.
- Open a link to Extend by 6, 12, 24 or 48 hours, or Deactivate it.
- Reactivate an expired link with new settings.
Each row in Shared Catalog shows the buyer's name (or All Buyers), the status, the number of views and the time left. A Showcase badge marks browse-only links.
On the list, WhatsApp opens a chat with the buyer and a ready message: "Hello {name}, please check our latest catalog:" followed by the link.
Links cannot be deleted. Deactivate a link you no longer want; its enquiries and analytics stay.
The link details page
Click a link to open its details. This is where you see how the buyer reacted.
| Item | What it tells you |
|---|---|
| Created / Expires | When you made the link and when it stops working |
| Views | How many times the catalog was opened |
| Unique visitors | How many different people opened it |
| Enquiries | Quotations sent from this link |
| Security | Direct, Verified list or Visitor registration (All Buyers link) |
| Buyer Analytics | Total Opens, Enquiries Sent, Abandoned, Conversion Rate, each session and Product Engagement |
If a buyer selected products but did not send an enquiry, the page lists them under "Selected but NOT enquired". That is your cue to call or message the buyer. See Buyer Analytics for details.
Extending a link
Use Extend by when a buyer asks for more time. If the link is still active, the hours are added to the current expiry. If it has already expired, the new time counts from now.
Example: a link expires at 6 PM today. You click 24 hours at 2 PM. It now expires at 6 PM tomorrow.
Reactivating a link
Reactivate appears on links that are no longer active. It opens the Share Catalog form with the old settings filled in. You can change the buyer, products, prices, discount and expiry, then click Update & Reactivate.
The address stays the same, so the buyer can open the old link in their chat again. This is handy for a monthly price list you refresh with new rates.
The life of a link
| Status | What happens |
|---|---|
| Active | The buyer can open the link. Every open is counted as a view, and each enquiry is saved under the link. |
| Expired | The expiry time has passed. The buyer sees "This catalog has expired" with your contact details, and no products. |
| Deactivated | You stopped the link. The buyer sees the same expired page. |
| Reactivated | You chose Reactivate on an expired or deactivated link and set a new expiry. It works again at the same address. |
Each link address ends in its own random 10-character code, such as showcato.in/c/AB12CD34EF. One link can bring in many enquiries while it is active.
The code is random, so nobody can guess another buyer's link from yours. A link only shows the products you put in it. If you make a product inactive later, it no longer shows on links already sent.
Real-life examples
Sends a Jaipur retailer 40 new designs, 7% off, expiry 3 days, quantity box on. The retailer picks 12 designs and sends a quotation the same evening.
Shares special stockist rates with verification on and a 12-hour expiry. Only chemists saved in the buyer list can open it.
Uses a Showcase link with Hide all prices for an interior designer. The designer downloads the PDF to show a client, and calls back for rates.
Posts one All Buyers link on WhatsApp status for a week. Every mechanic who opens it enters a name and mobile and lands in the buyer list.
Tips for sharing
- Make a separate link for each important buyer, so you can see who opened it and give each one their own prices.
- Use a short expiry for new designs and price lists that change often.
- Use Hide all prices when you share a link beyond trusted buyers.
- Deactivate links when a buyer relationship ends.
- Send the link with one line of context, such as "New stock arrived, rates valid till Saturday."
- Pick fewer, relevant products. A buyer looking for cotton kurtis does not need your silk range.
- Check the link details page a few hours after sending. No views usually means the buyer has not seen your message yet.
Before sending a new kind of link, open it yourself in a private browser window. Note that your own opens are counted as views too.
Common mistakes
- Very long expiry on special rates. A 30-day link with a deep discount can be forwarded and used long after the deal.
- Turning on verification without the buyer's email or mobile saved. The buyer cannot get in. Check their Owner Email and Owner WhatsApp No first.
- Using Showcase when you want orders. Showcase has no enquiry buttons. Use Interactive to receive quotations.
- Making a new link every time a buyer asks for more time. Use Extend by or Reactivate, so the history stays in one place.
- One link for everyone without the Open Link add-on. A specific-buyer link sent to many people puts all their enquiries under one buyer.
Related pages
- What Buyers See: the link from your buyer's side.
- Buyers: save the people you share links with.
- Enquiries: what to do when a quotation arrives.
- Demo Catalogs: open real links and try them.