> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://ctracker-docs.keywordrush.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://ctracker-docs.keywordrush.com/shops-and-cashback-rates/shop-directory.md).

# The shop directory

The directory is the page where visitors browse every shop you carry. On most sites it is the second most visited page after the home page.

### Where it already is

You do not create it. Cashback Tracker publishes the directory automatically as soon as you have shop pages, at:

```
https://yoursite.com/shops/
```

That page is the full thing: the A–Z letter strip, the search box, the sort control and paging, all working without any setup.

{% hint style="warning" %}
**Nothing links to it until you do.** The directory is not added to your menu, so most operators never notice it exists. Add `/shops/` to your main navigation under `Appearance` → `Menus` before you do anything else — it is the page you want visitors landing on.
{% endhint %}

### Changing the address

`/shops/` is the default. To use a different word, add a filter to your theme's `functions.php`:

```php
add_filter( 'cbtrkr_shops_slug', function () {
    return 'stores';
} );

add_filter( 'cbtrkr_shop_category_slug', function () {
    return 'store-type';
} );
```

The first moves the directory **and every shop page** under `/stores/`; the second moves category archives from `/shop-category/` to `/store-type/`.

{% hint style="danger" %}
**Save your permalinks afterwards.** Open `Settings` → `Permalinks` and press **Save Changes** once. Until you do, the new address returns 404 and the old one still works — which looks exactly like the filter being ignored.
{% endhint %}

### Putting shops on other pages

Separately from the directory, the shortcode drops a **grid of shop tiles** into any page, post or widget:

```
[cashback-shops limit="8" cols="4"]
```

That is a different tool for a different job. It shows the shops you ask it for and nothing else — **no letter strip, no search, no sorting, no paging**. Use it for a "top cashback shops" block on your home page, and link to the directory for browsing.

There is a block version too, if you prefer the editor — see [Blocks](/putting-it-on-your-pages/blocks.md). Full options are on [\[cashback-shops\]](/putting-it-on-your-pages/shortcodes/cashback-shops.md).

### How visitors sort it

| Sort                 | Order                                  |
| -------------------- | -------------------------------------- |
| **Name**             | A to Z                                 |
| **Newest**           | Most recently added shops first        |
| **Highest cashback** | Best rate first                        |
| **Best rated**       | Highest member rating first            |
| **Most coupons**     | Shops with the most live coupons first |

On a coupon site, **Highest cashback** is replaced by **Most coupons**, since there is no rate to sort on.

### How many per page

`Settings` → `General` → **Shops per page**. Default 24, maximum 100. It applies to the directory and to category archives.

24 is a sensible default. Much higher and the page gets slow and heavy on phones; much lower and browsing becomes a chore.

### Category pages

Every shop category has its own archive listing the shops in it, using the same layout and the same per-page setting. Those pages are worth linking to from your navigation — a visitor looking for *Fashion* is a much better lead than one browsing all 400 shops.

See [Shop categories](/shops-and-cashback-rates/shop-categories.md).

### Searching

`[cashback-shop-search]` puts a search box wherever you want one, including outside the directory page. See [\[cashback-shop-search\]](/putting-it-on-your-pages/shortcodes/cashback-shop-search.md).

### What each tile shows

The shop's logo, its name, its tagline, its star rating, and its cashback rate — or, on a coupon site, how many coupons it has.

The tagline and the stars are what make a tile look finished, and both are easy to leave empty without noticing:

* **Tagline** — a short line saying what the shop sells, set per shop. A shop without one shows a gap where the others have a line. See [Shop pages](/shops-and-cashback-rates/shop-pages.md).
* **Stars** — the average member review score, shown once a shop has been reviewed. See [Ratings and reviews](/shops-and-cashback-rates/ratings-and-reviews.md).

A shop with no logo shows its name in the space instead, so the grid stays aligned. If a lot of your shops have no logo, the [logo service](/shops-and-cashback-rates/shop-logos.md) fills them in.

![The shop directory](https://3545740495-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-x-prod.appspot.com/o/spaces%2F-M69sU0hfZj3QsteYxmI%2Fuploads%2Fgit-blob-3113a0a50caaeec5597eb7b45ab111db1c10f649%2Fshop-directory.webp?alt=media)

### Which shops appear

Only shops that have a **published page**. The Shop catalog may hold thousands of shops your networks know about, but the directory shows the ones you have actually made pages for.

If a shop is missing from the directory, that is nearly always the reason — see [Creating shop pages in bulk](/shops-and-cashback-rates/creating-shop-pages-in-bulk.md).

Pages left as drafts or pending review do not appear either, which is a useful way to build a shop out before it goes live.

### Related

* [Shop pages](/shops-and-cashback-rates/shop-pages.md)
* [Shop categories](/shops-and-cashback-rates/shop-categories.md)
* [\[cashback-shops\]](/putting-it-on-your-pages/shortcodes/cashback-shops.md)