How to fix seo category description missing on BigCommerce

Steps for BigCommerce

1. In your BigCommerce control panel, go to Products → Product Categories.
2. Click Edit (pencil icon) next to the category you want to update.
3. Scroll down to the 'Category Description' field — it uses a rich-text (WYSIWYG) editor. Write or paste your 100–200 word description here.
4. Use the editor's formatting tools to bold your primary keyword or add a short bullet list of sub-categories if relevant.
5. Click Save & Exit.
6. The description is output in your Stencil theme via the {{category.description}} Handlebars helper, which most themes render above the product listing by default.
7. If it doesn't display, open your Stencil theme files in Page Builder or the Theme Editor (Storefront → My Themes → Edit), locate templates/pages/category.html, and ensure {{category.description}} is present in the template.

What is seo category description missing?

A category description is a short block of text — typically 100 to 200 words — placed on a collection, department, or category page that explains what products shoppers will find there and why those products are relevant to them. Think of it as an introduction to the aisle: "This is our range of waterproof hiking boots, designed for trail runners and weekend trekkers who need ankle support and grip in wet conditions." Without it, the page is essentially just a grid of product images with no written context for either visitors or search engines.

Category pages are among the highest-value pages on any ecommerce store — they target broad, high-volume keywords like "women's running shoes" or "organic skincare" that drive enormous organic traffic. Google needs readable, unique text to understand what a page is about and to decide whether it should rank for those terms. A category page with zero descriptive text gives Google nothing to work with, so it will rank product pages or competitors' category pages instead, costing you significant organic traffic and revenue. A well-written description also improves click-through rates by giving Google material to generate a useful search snippet, and it builds shopper confidence by immediately confirming they've landed in the right place.

See the complete Seo category description missing guide for every platform and the full background.