Download catalog

Use Catalog for a family of applications, devices or installation targets. Visitors first choose a product, then download its files from a dedicated page. A single product usually needs only Single downloads.

The working catalog example lives outside the main demo navigation. It demonstrates search, support filters, vendor selection, sorting, an unavailable artifact and a product with no files. These templates are available on the development branch after v0.8.0.

Create the catalog and product pages

content/
  downloads/
    _index.md
    example-app.md
    example-device.md
data/
  downloads.toml

The catalog _index.md selects downloads-hub.html and the data file:

+++
title = "Product downloads"
description = "Choose your product."
template = "downloads-hub.html"

[extra]
data = "data/downloads.toml"
+++

Each product is a regular page. Create content/downloads/example-app.md:

+++
title = "Example App"
template = "downloads-product.html"

[extra]
data = "data/downloads.toml"
product = "example-app"
+++

Installation notes for this product.

extra.product must match exactly one product id in the same data file. The detail page uses its parent section for the breadcrumb. Put product pages directly inside the catalog section. The page title and description also provide search and social metadata; keep them consistent with the product.

Define the catalog data

mode = "catalog"
title = "Product downloads"
description = "Choose your product to see available releases."

[[channel]]
id = "stable"
label = "Stable"

[[support]]
id = "maintained"
label = "Maintained"
tone = "success"

[[product]]
id = "example-app"
name = "Example App"
vendor = "Example Project"
support = "maintained"
summary = "A command-line application."
tags = ["CLI", "Linux"]
url = "@/downloads/example-app.md"

[[product.artifact]]
channel = "stable"
name = "Linux archive"
status = "planned"

Add another product by repeating [[product]], its optional artifacts, and the corresponding content page. Product url is explicit: use @/ links so Zola detects missing content instead of silently constructing an incorrect route. Translated catalogs should point to their translated product files.

All channel, verification and artifact fields work the same as Single. Root verification instructions and mirrors apply to every product; use them only when those instructions and locations really are shared.

Feature selected products

Add a root [featured] table before the product tables, then mark individual products with featured = true:

[featured]
title = "Start here"
description = "Recommended products for new users."

Featured cards are shortcuts to the same product pages. The main catalog below remains complete. Omit [featured] for a simpler page.

Filtering and accessibility

The catalog downloads no remote index and needs no API. Search matches product names, vendors, tags and summaries. Support and vendor filters combine with the search. Sorting can follow the data file, name or the order of the declared support levels. The result count is announced to assistive technology.

The vendor options and the support counts are rendered while the page builds, so the toolbar already describes the catalog before scripts load. Product pages list download locations as a mirror grid and keep their verification instructions in the same card layout.

Reset filters clears all controls and focuses the search field, and All products in the featured strip does the same before it moves to the grid. Escape in the search field clears only the query. Filters appear only when JavaScript initializes; without JavaScript, all product links remain visible and usable. Release channel tabs follow the same progressive enhancement rule and remember the selected channel across product pages.

Keep support labels meaningful and consistent. Products can omit a support level or vendor, but those products will only match the unrestricted filter for that field.

Check before publishing

Test a search with no matches, combined filters, reset, keyboard navigation and a narrow screen. Confirm that every product card opens its intended detail page and that breadcrumbs return to the catalog. Add translated [labels] and translated product data together.

Use the Downloads data reference for required fields, defaults and build-time validation. Keep the simple cards layout if the site does not need this structure.