[vQmod] Hide Information & Category Pages + On/Off Site Map

This vQmod essentially allows certain pages to be hidden from the standard navigation (modules & footer etc.) but also offers the choice to list these pages in the Site Map (both on site and the XML feed) or not.

Some may want to hide specified pages from standard locations such as navigation modules and the footer but still have these pages visible in the Site Map to maximise SEO efforts and to encourage indexing by the search engines.

This vQmod performs two main functions:

1) Adds the option to remove visibility of Information and Category Pages from your site (links are removed but the page is still accessible via the URL).

2) Adds the option to remove visibility of Information and Category Pages from your site (Category Module, Information Module and Footer Links) but still leave these pages visible in the Site Map (both on site and XML).

Note: As of OpenCart v1.5.2, the option to remove Information Pages with a negative sort order is no longer in the core. This module includes version tolerance and should work for all versions from v1.5.1.3 to 1.5.4.1. Please report any errors in this thread.

How This Works

To remove from site completely: Set sort order to negative figure (-1).

To remove from site but still retain visibility in Site Map: Set sort order to be greater than 1000.

Normal sort order will still function as is (for sort orders assigned between 0 to 1000).

This method also ensures that the links/pages you would like visible in the Site Map remain at the bottom (important pages/links first).

Tested to work on OpenCart versions from 1.5.1.3 through to v.1.5.4.1. However, this mod may work on older versions. Please post if you have success with older versions to help others.

Note: If you have a store with more than 1000 categories or information pages, you will need to adjust all instances of 1000 to the quantity you require in the vQmod accordingly.

Updated version just uploaded.

Added in version tolerance for OpenCart versions v1.5.2 through to v1.5.4.1 as the ability to remove Information Pages with a -1 sort order was removed from the core after v1.5.2.

Thank you for this FREE vQmod!

Just what I needed

I have updated to the newest versions of opencart & vqmod so I am checking all my add-ons/modules. I uploaded the newest version of this mod and so far I can't get it to work : (

Thank you so much for this vQmod!

I was trying to move one of the information link on the footer from the first column to the second. After adding the link of the url to the second column, my problem was - if the information page is not enabled to the store, then the url won't work but if the page is enabled, it will show up in both columns!

Your mod solved it by hiding the link in the first column, beautiful!

i'm using OC 1.5.5.1 & i got this error message:

Fatal error: Call to undefined method ModelCatalogCategory::getCategoriesModule() in /home/pride/public_html/vqmod/vqcache/vq2-catalog_controller_module_category.php on line 33
hope it work for me.

Any chance this fine mod can be updated for 1.5.5.1?

hi there,

I'm running a 1.5.6.4 store and i have used the latest VQMod (thanks!)

the mod works but in my VQMod Manager I'm seeing a repeating error:

SEARCH NOT FOUND (SKIPPED): public function getCategoriesByParentId($category_id) {

it doesn't seem to effect anything. how would i "fix" this? is this something i need to worry about?

many thanks

Since the original post, this vQmod has been completely rebuilt, which is why I haven't been able to provide any updates.

There are now checkboxes on each form to enable or disable the respective page in all areas. To be honest, setting sort orders to achieve this isn't the most elegant approach but it does work with minimal development time involved (no database modification).

This new method provides a greater control level of control, but requires database modification.

Category
- Top (for all menu levels)
- Category Module (for all menu levels)
- HTML Sitemap
- XML Sitemap

Information
- Information Module
- HTML Sitemap
- XML Sitemap

Unfortunately the extension is currently tied into a custom theme and other modifications. I will see if I can find time soon to update this to work with the default theme.