Updated: 22-05-26
This guide ensures your listings are high-quality, professional, and compliant with New Zealand law. Following these standards helps your products rank better in search engines and keeps our community safe.
The information written under each segment and within the placeholder is your first port of call; the most important information for listing your products can be found there.
PRO TIP: Before you start adding listings, make sure you have connected to your Stripe account and set up your shipping. Without either, your listings cannot go live!
WE STRONGLY RECOMMEND USING A PC, LAPTOP, OR TABLET TO USE YOUR VENDOR DASHBOARD.
IF MOBILE PHONE IS YOUR ONLY OPTION, PLEASE FLIP PHONE TO LANDSCAPE MODE
Your title is the first thing a customer sees and is the single most important factor for marketplace and search engine visibility.
Keep it Simple: Aim for 3–5 descriptive, high-impact words.
Avoid “Keyword Stuffing”: Adding a long string of search terms looks messy to buyers and actually hurts your Google ranking.
Formatting: Use standard sentence case (e.g., Handmade lavender heat pack). Do not use ALL CAPS, as online shoppers view this as shouting.
Be Honest: Calling a product something it is not will result in your listing being disabled.
Language: Keep it professional. Use special characters (e.g., $#!t) to mask coarse language if it is part of your branding.
SEO & Competition Tip: Think like a buyer. A customer will rarely search Google for your custom product name like “Amy the Magnificent,” but they will search for a “Handmade Rag Doll.” Put the actual item type at the front of your title.
The permalink is the unique web address (URL) that shoppers use to visit your product page.
How it Works: The first part of your product URL is fixed as https://thehivenz.co.nz/product/. In the new product form, you can see this preview and simply enter the final part (the “slug”) yourself.
SEO & Character Tip: Because the first part of the URL is already quite long, it is absolutely vital to keep your custom text short, clean, and focused purely on main keywords (e.g., handmade-lavender-soap). A short web address ranks significantly better on Google and looks much cleaner when shared on social media.
Choosing the correct type ensures your checkout process functions seamlessly for the buyer.
Simple Product: A basic, standalone physical product with no extra options (e.g., a single art print).
Note: Vendors on our Starter plan can only add Simple listings.
Variable Product: Use this if your item has distinct options like sizes, colours, scents, or fabric choices.
Note: This feature is not available on the Starter plan.
Grouped Product: This allows you to link multiple independent simple products together on a single page so a customer can buy them as a set or individually (e.g., a matching skincare set where they can buy just the toner, just the cleanser, or both).
Variations allow your buyers to choose options like different sizes, colours, or fabric choices on a single product page. Follow these exact steps to set them up correctly:
Set Product Type to Variable: Before doing anything else, scroll to the top of the listing form and change the Product Type dropdown from “Simple Product” to “Variable Product.” This unlocks the variation settings.
Add New Attribute: Scroll down to the Attributes section. Choose from our pre-loaded list where possible (like Size or Colour) to keep things consistent across the marketplace.
Add Values: Enter your specific options (e.g., Small, Medium, Large) separated by the pipe character (|).
Crucially, ensure you tick the box for “Used for variations.”
Generate Variations: Head to the Bulk Actions dropdown menu, select “Create variations from all attributes,” and click “Go.”
Confirm the Pop-Up: Click “OK” on the browser confirmation box to let the system generate the unique combinations for you.
Edit Each Variation: Click on each generated option to expand it. You must add the specific price, stock level, and matching image for that exact choice.
SAVE! Scroll down and save your changes. If you skip this step, your hard work will be lost and the options won’t show on the live site.
Competition Tip: Keep your variation names clean and standard. When options are straightforward and easy to navigate, customers are far less likely to abandon their shopping cart!
Downloadable: Check this box for digital files (like PDFs, patterns, or printables) that buyers should receive instantly after payment. No shipping costs will be applied to the order.
Virtual: Check this box for services or highly personalized digital items that you will create and email to the buyer later. Like downloadable items, no shipping fees will be applied.
Categories group your items logically across the marketplace so shoppers can easily find them using our main navigation menus.
How to Choose: The new product form allows you to easily scroll through the full list of available categories and tick the ones that apply to your product.
The Limit: You can pick a maximum of 5 categories (excl the ones mentioned below) for your listing to appear in. Please do not select categories your product does not belong in, as misplacing items ruins the customer experience and creates extra cleanup work for Admin.
Small Kiwi Business (DO NOT UNTICK): This category is selected by default for every single listing. It is vital that you leave this ticked. This specific category powers our main /shop link, ensuring your product appears on the ALL/SHOP page alongside all other items on the marketplace. If you untick it, your product will be hidden from the main shop feed.
Wholesale: This category is strictly reserved for bulk-buying trade options. If you have utilized the Wholesale Pricing section to offer volume discounts to vetted and approved stockists, you must tick this category.
Our VIP Brands (Pro+ Boost): This is an exclusive premium category. It is reserved solely for vendors who are currently on our Pro+ Boost subscription plan. Ticking this option grants your items elite visibility, highlighting your business as one of our top-tier featured brands on the platform.
These are the search words that power our internal marketplace search bar.
What they are: Type and select from our existing tags first to help buyers find your item instantly. (currently waiting for developers to fix: If your specific word isn’t there, you can type it out and create a new one.)
SEO Tip: Using existing tags prevents duplicate tag confusion and ensures your products accurately show up when buyers use our marketplace search filters.
Assigning a brand name to your listing adds a professional touch and ensures your products sync correctly across the web.
Why We Use This: Google Merchant Center strictly insists on a brand name being attached to every item. Without it, your items cannot be pushed to Google Shopping feeds.
How it Works: You don’t need to create your own brand name! The Hive NZ automatically adds you as an official brand to our system right after your very first product listing has been published.
External Brands: If you create items made from fabrics or licensed materials by a major external brand (or sell items manufactured by them), we add those specific big brand names to our marketplace list too.
Need a New Brand Added? If you need a specific brand name added to the list that isn’t currently there, please don’t invent a workaround. Simply contact Admin directly from your vendor dashboard, and we will get it set up for you.
This is the standard retail price your customers will pay for the item.
What it is: The baseline cost of your product or service before any shipping or external discounts are applied.
Use this field when you want to run a specific promotion or clearance on an item.
What it is: A lower price that temporarily overrides your standard price. When active, the system will visually cross out your original price and add a “Sale” badge to the item.
Competition Tip: Everyone loves a deal! Running occasional, timed sales can give your products a temporary visibility boost on the marketplace homepage filters.
This is your primary sales hook. It appears near the top of your product page, right next to your main product image.
What it is: A brief, punchy summary designed to create an immediate “want.” Make every single word count here, but keep it brief!
SEO Tip: Words at the start of your listing carry far more weight with search engines than words at the bottom. Ensure your main search terms appear naturally right here in the first paragraph.
This is where you outline the full technical and creative details of your product.
What it is: A thorough breakdown detailing exactly what the customer will receive. You are held legally responsible for the accuracy of the information written here.
The “Buying Track”: If you mention a variation option in this text (e.g., “available in 5 sizes”), you must actually set it up as a selectable variation option for the customer. Do not force them to message you to specify their choice—this extra step stops sales instantly. (Note: Adding variation options is not available on our Starter plan).
No External Links: Mentioning your social media handles, personal website URL, or email address anywhere in your descriptions is strictly prohibited and may result in immediate account suspension.
An alphanumeric code used to track your internal inventory.
What it is: Enter product SKU (e.g., SOAP-LAV-01 or BLK-HAT-M).
SEO Tip: Having unique, structured SKUs is highly vital for your Google Search Engine Ranking, as search engines use them to index and verify unique e-commerce products.
This setting reflects your business’s tax status and tells the system whether you are registered for GST or not.
Your Options: You can choose from Taxable, Shipping Only, or None from the dropdown menu.
If You Choose ‘Taxable’ or ‘Shipping Only’: Selecting either of these options means you are GST registered. The retail price you have set for your product is considered inclusive of GST. The system will automatically calculate and display the GST component clearly to the customer on their invoice at checkout.
If You Are Not GST Registered: Simply set this field to None so no tax calculations are applied to your products.
While your Tax Status defines your business, the Tax Class defines the specific tax rate for this individual product.
Standard: This is the default setting. It applies the standard New Zealand 15% GST rate to the product. Leave it on this option for almost every standard retail item.
Exempt: There are very few products in New Zealand that are legally exempt from GST. Only choose this option if Inland Revenue has explicitly classified your specific item type as tax-exempt.
💡 Note: If your business is simply not registered for GST, do not change this setting to exempt. Keep this on ‘Standard’ and ensure your main Tax Status (Section 13) is set to None.
A dedicated area to offer bulk pricing to verified commercial retailers, stockists, and high-volume trade buyers.
How it Benefits You: Offering wholesale pricing opens up an entirely new revenue stream for your business. It allows you to move larger volumes of stock in single transactions, lowering your packing overheads and securing steady, predictable income from retail stockists.
Strictly Protected Visibility: You do not need to worry about regular retail customers seeing your trade rates. This wholesale pricing is hidden from the general public and is only visible to vetted and approved wholesale buyers who have logged into their verified trade accounts.
Remember Your Categories: As mentioned in the Categories section, if you add wholesale pricing here, you must also tick the Wholesale category in your product settings.
Want to Learn More? For a full breakdown of how to structure your trade rates and set up your account for bulk buyers, check out our comprehensive Wholesale Guide
Upsells recommend alternative, highly relevant options directly to browsing shoppers.
What it is: Showcase up to 4 similar items below the product on the product page that buyers might like. Displaying related options here keeps customers browsing your range.
Where They Show: These items appear prominently in a dedicated row right beneath your main product details.
Note: The Hive NZ reserves the right to display general “Related Products” from other sellers on listings to maintain marketplace variety. Utilizing the Upsell section ensures a row of your own items sits proudly above those external recommendations.
Cross-sells promote smaller, complementary additions during the final stages of the buying journey.
What it is: Suggest up to 2 complementary items that pair perfectly with this product. Displaying related accessories at cart easily increases your average sale.
Where They Show: Unlike upsells, cross-sells do not show on the main product page. Instead, they pop up strategically on the cart page, tempting buyers just as they are about to pay.
How to Use It (With Examples): Think of small, low-cost add-ons that naturally enhance the main item.
The Gift Option: If you sell handmade items, cross-sell a Gift Wrapping Service or a Hand-written Greeting Card.
The Maintenance Option: If you sell leather boots, cross-sell a small tin of Leather Conditioner. If you sell delicate jewellery, suggest a Polishing Cloth.
The Perfect Pair: If you sell artisan coffee beans, cross-sell a reusable Cloth Coffee Filter or a branded scoop.
The Benefit: Cross-selling captures impulse buys at the exact moment a customer has their wallet out. It is the easiest way to increase your average order value without having to find brand-new customers.
An automated way to incentivize larger retail orders of the exact same item.
What it is: Set a retail discount for this product. Note: This discount is visible to all regular customers. If you want to offer bulk pricing for stockists, please use the Wholesale Pricing section instead.
How it Works: Set up a percentage discount that triggers automatically when a customer orders more than a specific quantity of that listing.
Boost your product’s visibility by pushing it to premium traffic locations across the marketplace.
Featured Listings: These high-visibility listings appear directly on our Home Page and at the top of relevant category pages.
Pro+ Boost Plan Perks: Vendors on our Pro+ Boost plan receive a set amount of free featured slots built directly into their plan. These slots stay active for 21 days at a time.
Buy Extra Slots: Any vendor can purchase additional featured slots for a small fee of $5 to secure 14 days of prominent homepage and category visibility.
Controls the current workflow state of your product listing.
Draft: Use this state if you want to save your progress, work on your text, or pull an item down temporarily without sending it to admin for approval.
Pending Review: Only applies to your FIRST time listing, providing we do not find any major issues. Once you submit your first new product, it enters this state for Admin verification. All vendor plans get pre approval after this which means your listings and edits go live when you want them to. We reserve the right to revoke this privilege.
Unpublishing a Product: From your Dashboard > Products screen, you can use the ‘Quick Edit’ feature to toggle the status back to DRAFT and click UPDATE PRODUCT. This safely hides the product from the public.
This setting controls exactly how and where your product can be discovered by shoppers browsing the marketplace.
Visible (Highly Recommended): Your product will show up everywhere—in the main shop feed, inside category pages, and in all internal search results. For best results, always keep your listings on “Visible.”
Catalog: The product will appear when customers browse through your shop and category pages, but it will be completely hidden from the marketplace search bar.
Search: The product will pop up if someone types the exact keywords into the search bar, but it will not appear visually in the catalog or category pages.
Hidden: The product is completely invisible across the entire public website. It can only be viewed by someone who has the exact, direct website link.
⚠️ CRUCIAL SALES WARNING: If you choose anything other than “Visible” for a active product, you cannot expect optimum results. Hiding your items from search bars or category feeds severely limits your exposure, drastically drops your page views, and makes it incredibly hard for new Kiwi buyers to find your brand. Keep it visible to maximize your sales!
The primary visual anchor for your product listing page and search cards. It is your ultimate tool to grab a buyer’s attention as they browse.
Go Square for Success: You must use square images (a 1:1 aspect ratio). Square images ensure your photos look beautifully aligned and professional across all shop grids, search results, and category pages without getting awkwardly cropped.
JPG/JPEG Format Only: Please upload only .jpg or .jpeg files. Format types like PNG are designed for heavy graphic design files with transparent backgrounds. They are not needed for standard product photography and make your pages load far too slowly.
Dimensions & File Size Limits: Images must be no larger than 1000px by 1000px, and the file size must be no bigger than 200KB.
Admin Enforcement: To ensure the marketplace remains lightning-fast for mobile shoppers, we reserve the right to remove images larger than 200KB or 1000px without notice. Please compress your files before uploading!
No Contact Info: Images must not contain website URLs, email addresses, phone numbers, or social media handles.
R18 / Risque Content: The Hive NZ prides itself on being accepting of diverse product types and lifestyles, allowing some risque or restricted items. To protect general consumers from unexpected exposure, you must cover part of the image or replace your first image with a dedicated “This is an R18 Listing” placeholder.
⚠️ REGULATORY IMAGE NOTICE: Strict online advertising laws apply to product imagery in New Zealand. This is especially true for industries involving vape accessories, restricted items, and therapeutic goods. Images must remain strictly compliant with NZ consumer laws. They must not show prohibited lifestyle imagery, unauthorized medical claims, or restricted branding.
We reserve the right to remove any image that breaches these legal guidelines or platform standards to protect the marketplace.
Gallery images provide the supporting visual evidence that convinces a browser to become a buyer. They allow customers to virtually “explore” your product from the comfort of their screen.
File and Size Requirements: Just like your Main Image, all gallery images must be square, strictly in JPG/JPEG format, no larger than 1000px by 1000px, and have a file size no bigger than 200KB. We reserve the right to remove any image that exceeds these limits to keep page loading times fast.
No Links or Contact Info: Just like your main photo, gallery images must not contain website URLs, email addresses, phone numbers, or social media handles. All off-platform contact details are strictly prohibited and will result in the image being removed.
Plan Limits Apply: The maximum number of gallery slots available to you depends entirely on your specific vendor tier (Starter, Pro, or Pro+ Boost). Because your slots are defined by your plan, you need to make every single image count.
In online shopping, customers cannot pick up, touch, or hold your items. The vendors who win the sale are the ones who use their gallery slots strategically to remove any doubt from the buyer’s mind.
Show the Details: Use your slots to show close-up shots of textures, intricate stitching, ingredient labels, or the back and sides of the item.
Provide Scale and Context: Place your product next to a familiar object (like a coffee cup or a hand holding it) or show it in use. If a customer can instantly see exactly how big a handbag is or how a pair of earrings hangs, they will buy with confidence.
Show Off Your Packaging: Kiwis love gifting! Use a gallery slot to showcase your gorgeous branded packaging, unboxing experience, or how safely the item is wrapped for transit. It adds massive perceived value.
Create a Micro-Infographic: You can use a square JPG text graphic to highlight key selling points, care instructions, or a quick size chart. It is a fantastic way to capture the attention of shoppers who skip reading the main description text.
An automated, private note sent directly to the customer after a successful checkout.
What it is: Use this field to add a brief thank-you message, care instructions, or access details for digital goods. It will appear on the customer’s order confirmation email and invoice.
From your Dashboard > Products screen, you can permanently remove a listing. Click on the 3 dots behind a product and click DELETE PERMANENTLY.
Accidentally deleted a listing? If you contact Admin as soon as possible, there is a chance we may be able to retrieve the database record for you.
If you sell personalised items where a buyer needs to type in custom information—such as a name for engraving or a custom message for embroidery—you will need a dedicated text box on your listing.
The Current Workaround: Our new product form has not made the custom add-ons feature directly available to vendors just yet (our developers are currently working hard on this!). In the meantime, Admin will happily set this up for you manually. It is a bit annoying, but it is only a temporary fix.
How to Request a Text Box: Once you have created and saved your product listing, go to your vendor dashboard and click the “Contact Hive NZ Admin” tab. Send a message with the following details:
The exact name of the product that needs the text box.
What the text box is for (e.g., a short name, a date, or a larger paragraph of text).
The character limit (if any) that you want to set for the customer (e.g., “Maximum 15 characters”).
Behind the Scenes: Please note that you will not be able to see or edit this custom text box from your own vendor dashboard. However, as soon as Admin sets it up, it will go live instantly on the public listing for your customers to use.
Other Ways Customers Can Leave Notes: Aside from a dedicated product text box, please remember that buyers have other ways to give you custom instructions:
The Checkout Text Box: Every single customer can utilize the general text box available during the checkout process to leave specific delivery or order instructions.
Registered Customer Order Notes: Buyers who have a registered account with The Hive NZ can also log into their dashboard and leave a direct note on their specific order after purchase.
Use Attributes for Non-Text Options: Remember, this Admin request process is only for custom text input boxes. If you just want customers to choose from dropdown choices like colours, sizes, or fabric styles, do not contact Admin. You can easily set those up yourself right now using Attributes and Variations (note: this feature is not available on the Starter plan).
New Zealand law enforces strict requirements for specific goods. As an independent vendor, you are legally responsible for everything you list.
Vaping & E-Liquids: These are strictly prohibited on The Hive NZ. Due to the severe “Dark Site” restrictions of the Smokefree Environments and Regulated Products Act (which bans product imagery and requires strict hardware ID-scanning), our platform cannot legally host them.
Vape Accessories: Non-regulated items like standard unbranded batteries or chargers are permitted, but they require Manual Admin Approval before going live.
Product Standards: If you sell toys, children’s sleepwear, cosmetics, dietary supplements, electronics, or food, you must fully comply with NZ Safety Standards, the Food Act, and the Medicines Act.
Prohibited Claims: Do not make unauthorized medical or therapeutic claims (e.g., stating a topical cream “cures eczema” or a supplement “treats anxiety” is illegal under the Medicines Act without Medsafe registration).
Strictly Prohibited: Adding external hyperlinks, mentioning alternative web addresses, or adding text designed to motivate customers to leave The Hive NZ to purchase elsewhere is not allowed. This includes embedding email addresses or website links directly onto product images.
Where to put them: You are welcome to link your official social media channels in your designated Vendor Dashboard > Settings > Social Profile area only.
Independent Operation: You operate as an entirely independent business seller. The Hive NZ does not claim ownership of your products or text.
Intellectual Property: You must possess the explicit legal right or licence to sell what you list. For example, creating and listing items made from commercial Disney-branded fabrics or using trademarked logos without official authorization from the rights holders violates IP law.
Legal Action: If a rights owner or government enforcement agency (such as Medsafe, MPI, or the Commerce Commission) flags a listing, the legal responsibility sits entirely with you. The Hive NZ will always prioritize a cautious course to protect the platform.
Dispute Escalation: If a visitor believes a listing violates their rights, they are directed to contact you first. If they do not see a compliant resolution, marketplace admin will intervene.
