Why RO CSVI Doesn't Auto-Create Joomla Categories on Import

RO CSVI doesn’t automatically create Joomla categories from the category_path field during article imports because it treats content (articles) and categories as separate components—you must import categories first using a dedicated Joomla Categories template. The category_path only assigns articles to existing categories matching the exact path (like Parent/Child/Subchild), sending mismatches to Uncategorised. To fix this, run a separate categories import beforehand, then retry your content import with fields like title, category_path, introtext, and state.

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Contents

• Why RO CSVI Won’t Auto-Create Categories
• How category_path Really Works
• Step-by-Step: Import Categories First
• Setting Up Your Categories Import Template
• Content Import Best Practices
• Troubleshooting Uncategorised Articles
• Testing and Validation
• Sources
• Conclusion

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Why RO CSVI Won’t Auto-Create Categories

Ever imported a bunch of Joomla articles with perfect category_path values, only to watch them pile up in Uncategorised? You’re not alone—it’s a common gotcha with RO CSVI. This tool handles Joomla content and categories as distinct imports. Articles get created or updated via the com_content template, but category_path (your full hierarchy like категория 1/категория2/категория 3) doesn’t build new categories on the fly.

Why the split? Categories need their own structure—titles, aliases, parents, custom fields, access levels. RO CSVI expects them pre-built so article assignment is fast and reliable. As the official RO CSVI extension page notes, it supports Joomla Content and Joomla Categories separately. Skip the category step, and boom—Uncategorised it is.

Think of it like building a house: you lay the foundation (categories) before hanging doors (articles). No foundation? Everything defaults to the junk drawer.

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How category_path Really Works

category_path isn’t magic. It’s a simple slash-separated string matching existing category paths exactly—case-sensitive, no extras. Your tests with Russian paths, gibberish like vsdfg/sdgdgd/dgdfg, or numbers failed because those categories didn’t exist yet.

From the RO CSVI docs on category paths, it starts at the root and drills down: Top Level/Sub Level/Deep Level. But this is assignment-only. The support page on missing data spells it out: without a matching catid or category_path, you get errors or Uncategorised fallback. Your CSV has title and category_path—good start—but no categories means no match.

Quick tip: Paths ignore aliases by default; use full titles as they appear in Joomla. And state=1 ensures publishing, but categories are the blocker here.

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Step-by-Step: Import Categories First

Ready to fix it? Don’t touch your article CSV yet. First, create categories.

1. Go to RO CSVI > Import > New. Pick Joomla Categories template.
2. Upload or paste a simple CSV: title, parent_title (for hierarchy), alias, access, state=1.

• Example row: категория 1,,kategoriya-1,1,1
• Nested: категория2,категория 1,kategoriya2,1,1

3. Run the import. Check Joomla > Categories—boom, structure built.

Now your article category_path like категория 1/категория2/категория 3 will snap right in. The Joomla Categories import docs confirm this handles custom fields too, once categories exist.

Takes 5 minutes. Worth it?

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Setting Up Your Categories Import Template

Templates are RO CSVI’s powerhouse. For categories:

• Available fields: title, alias, parent_title (key for nesting), description, image, params, custom fields.
• In template settings: Enable Auto-generate alias if needed. Set Operation to Insert/Update.
• Custom fields? Joomla > Articles > Fields > Filter by category, create one. It’ll show in RO CSVI fields list, per Joomla Categories docs.

Your content template looks solid (category_path, introtext, images)—just sequence matters. Import categories > content.

Pro move: Export existing categories first (RO CSVI > Export > Joomla Categories) to template your CSV.

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Content Import Best Practices

With categories in place, tweak your article import:

• Must-haves: title or alias, plus category_path or catid. Add extension=2 (com_content value).
• Images: Your image_intro, image_fulltext_alt etc. work fine—RO CSVI handles them.
• Run settings: Preview first. Set Update on to title or alias. Verbose logging catches path mismatches.

Articles import fast now. But what if paths have typos? RO CSVI logs “No category found”—fix and re-run.

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Troubleshooting Uncategorised Articles

Still stuck? Check these:

• Path mismatch: Exact titles? Trailing slashes? Use English test paths after real import to verify.
• Logs: RO CSVI debug mode shows “Missing required fields” if category_path fails.
• Permissions: Categories need matching access levels.
• Multi-language? Paths per language.

Forum gripes like this VirtueMart thread echo it—subcats fail without priors. Nuke Uncategorised via SQL if needed, but prevent it upfront.

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Testing and Validation

Test small: One category CSV row, one article. Verify in Joomla backend.

Export articles post-import (RO CSVI Export > Joomla Content)—category_path should match.

Scale up. You’re golden.

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Sources

1. RO CSVI - Joomla Extension Directory
2. Joomla Categories - RO CSVI Documentation
3. Joomla Categories Import - RO CSVI Documentation
4. Creating the Category Path - RO CSVI Documentation
5. Missing Data or Problem When Importing - RO CSVI Support
6. Import Products in Sub-Category via RO CSVI Fails - VirtueMart Forum

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Conclusion

RO CSVI keeps things modular: build categories separately, then assign via category_path for bulletproof imports. Miss that step, and Uncategorised awaits. Follow the two-import flow—categories first, content second—and your Joomla articles will land perfectly, every time. Scale confidently, no more headaches.