Method and system to categorize items automatically

A system comprising:

• at least one processor of a machine;
• and
• a memory storing instructions that, when executed by the at least one processor, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:
• communicatively coupling a network-based category system that includes a data manager, a first database of category identifiers, and a second database of category relationships to a marketplace, the marketplace publishing listings under categories managed by the network-based category system, wherein the network-based category system is communicatively coupled to a plurality of marketplaces and provides category management to each of the plurality of marketplaces;
• receiving, by the data manager of the network-based category system via a network from a category manager of the marketplace, update information to re-list a first category represented by a first category identifier, the second database of category relationships storing a mapping from the first category identifier to a second category identifier based on a previous merge of the first category with a second category represented by the second category identifier;
• responsive to receiving the update information to re-list the first category, updating the first database of category identifiers by storing the first category identifier in the first database of category identifiers;
• responsive to receiving the update information to re-list the first category, updating the second database of category relationships by removing the mapping from the first category identifier to the second category identifier from the second database of category relationships;
• subsequent to the updating of the first database and second database, receiving, by the network-based category system, listing information including a description of an item that is associated with the first category;
• based on the listing information, automatically categorizing the item under the first category;
• and
• causing the marketplace to publish a listing associated with the listing information under the first category.

A non-transitory machine-readable storage medium comprising instructions that, when executed by one or more processors of a machine, cause the machine to perform operations comprising:

• communicatively coupling a network-based category system that includes a data manager, a first database of category identifiers, and a second database of category relationships to a marketplace, the marketplace publishing listings under categories managed by the network-based category system, wherein the network-based category system is communicatively coupled to a plurality of marketplaces and provides category management to each of the plurality of marketplaces;
• receiving, by the data manager of the network-based category system via a network from a category manager of the marketplace, update information to re-list a first category represented by a first category identifier, the second database of category relationships storing a mapping from the first category identifier to a second category identifier based on a previous merge of the first category with a second category represented by the second category identifier;
• responsive to receiving the update information to re-list the first category, updating the first database of category identifiers by storing the first category identifier in the first database of category identifiers;
• responsive to receiving the update information to re-list the first category, updating the second database of category relationships by removing the mapping from the first category identifier to the second category identifier from the second database of category relationships;
• subsequent to the updating of the first database and second database, receiving, by the network-based category system, listing information including a description of an item that is associated with the first category;
• based on the listing information, automatically categorizing the item under the first category;
• and
• causing the marketplace to publish a listing associated with the listing information under the first category.