Updates and News

JavaScript Libraries Updated on Hotlist.biz

We have completely updated all JavaScript libraries on the site to make the interface faster and more stable.

Main Changes:

• New lightweight image gallery: replaced Colorbox (16 KB) with SimpleLightbox (7 KB) – a fully independent JavaScript gallery. This reduces page load, speeds up performance, and makes the gallery independent of the jQuery framework.
• Full replacement of outdated request methods: all $.ajax, $.get, and $.post calls have been replaced with the standard fetch API. This update is required for the transition to jQuery 4 and the gradual move away from relying on this library.

Benefits of switching to fetch:

• Fewer dependencies: jQuery is no longer required for asynchronous requests.
• Modern standard: fetch is built into all modern browsers and supports promises, making it easier to handle results and errors.
• AbortController support: timeouts and request cancellation are easy to implement, improving interface responsiveness.
• Better optimization and speed: pages load faster because the amount of code is reduced and the data flow between server and client is simplified.

These updates make Hotlist.biz faster, more reliable, and more convenient for all users. Stay tuned for our upcoming improvements!

Important Update on Hotlist.biz: All Sites Now Have SSL!

We are pleased to announce that all sites on the Hotlist.biz platform now run by default through a secure HTTPS connection. Every site receives an SSL certificate, which enhances user data protection and builds trust in your resource.

This update is an important step in improving the security and reliability of sites on our platform. You don’t need to take any additional action — we have automatically configured certificates for all domains and subdomains.

Now your visitors can be confident that their data is protected, and search engines recognize your site as a secure and modern resource.

Hotlist.biz continues to improve the platform for your convenience and safety!

New markup option in Hotlist.biz advertising exports

The Hotlist.biz system now includes a new option for managing markups in advertising XML exports (Google Merchant, Rozetka, Prom.ua, Epicentrk.ua, and others).

You can now flexibly control which markups will be applied when generating exports or completely disable them.

Available options

• completely disable all markups and export the original product price;
• disable markups only for specific advertising platforms (Rozetka, Prom.ua, Epicentrk.ua);
• disable only formula-based markups while keeping other pricing rules;
• use standard markups without changes (default mode) — meaning the markups that are pre-configured for each category in the specific export.

** — on Hotlist.biz, you can set individual markup rules for each category and each advertising platform separately, for example for Rozetka, Epicentrk.ua, or Prom.ua.

This allows you to precisely adjust prices to the requirements of specific advertising channels, avoid unnecessary markups, and increase the competitiveness of your offers.

The new option is already available in the advertising export settings and does not require any additional work.

New menu block position

In Hotlist.biz, a new position for the existing menu block has been added — at the top of the page, but below the category tree.

This position is intended for control elements that are logically placed immediately after the category tree and before the main product list.

• product sorting
• additional catalog display options
• navigation elements

Hotlist.biz Widgets Update: New Script Loading Rules

Hotlist.biz has introduced an important update for all widgets with products, categories, and manufacturers. Previously, the :htmlonly parameter was used to disable loading scripts and styles. Now it is replaced by the new :add-javascript parameter, but with the opposite logic.

What this means:

• Previously, :htmlonly disabled script loading (useful if you wanted to implement your own dropdown menu script, styles, or other functions).
• Now, :add-javascript works the other way — scripts and styles are automatically loaded when it is used.
• All widget functions remain the same, only the logic of script inclusion has become more transparent.

Important:

On all pages and in all blocks/menus where the widget was previously used without the :htmlonly parameter, it has been automatically updated with :add-javascript. This means widget scripts are now loaded correctly without any additional manual setup.

Added Hutko payment system (with support for multiple languages, currencies, and payment methods).

Hotlst.biz improves script loading: moving away from $.getScript

The Hotlst.biz team has optimized JavaScript performance on the platform by replacing $.getScript with dynamic creation of <script> elements using plain JavaScript.

Previously, scripts were loaded like this:

$(function(){
if ($(".hotengine-shop-products-add-count-spinner").length){
         if(typeof $hotengine_shop_product_count_spinner == "undefined"){
		        $.getScript("/templates/scripts/hotengine-script-shop-product-count-spinner.js?v33").fail(function(jqxhr, settings, exception) { console.error("Failed to load script: ", exception);
                });
		 }
} 
});

Now, a different approach is used:

$(function(){
    if ($(".hotengine-shop-products-add-count-spinner").length){
        if (typeof $hotengine_shop_product_count_spinner == "undefined"){
            const s = document.createElement("script");
            s.async = true;
            s.src = "/templates/scripts/hotengine-script-shop-product-count-spinner.js?v34";
            s.onerror = (e) => { console.error(`Failed to load script: ${s.src}`, e); };
            document.head.appendChild(s);
        }
    }
});

Why this is recommended:

• No jQuery required, fewer dependencies.
• Control over duplicate loading: script is inserted only once.
• Asynchronous loading improves performance without blocking the page.
• Simple and predictable error handling via onerror.
• Code is more modern and compatible with plain JavaScript.

Ajax + JSON product variant loading added

A new method for displaying product variants in the product list has been implemented — on-the-fly loading using Ajax and JSON technologies. This significantly reduces site load and speeds up the initial page load.

Product variants can now be loaded dynamically: when clicking the «Buy» / «Select» button or when hovering the mouse cursor. This approach does not create additional server load and is optimal for most stores with a large assortment.

Important: a paid method is also available in which product variants are displayed immediately in the product list. This option requires payment for extended export, as it increases site load due to the constant loading of all variants.

When using Ajax loading, please note that product sliders and widgets with dynamic scrolling may experience issues with correct variant display. Therefore, this method is recommended for standard product list viewing rather than within sliders or product widgets.

Hotlist.biz adds testing for sending messages via Viber and Telegram

Now you can test sending notifications via Viber and Telegram directly from the control panel.
Additionally, it is now possible to remove subscribers without changing the access key.

New Feature: Image Conversion to WebP

The SAAS platform Hotlist.biz now includes the ability to convert images when uploading products to the WebP format. This format provides faster loading and better image compression, which is recommended for website speed optimization.

Conversion is available both during manual product uploads and automatic imports. To enable conversion, simply check the «Convert to Webp» option when uploading images.

Your products will now be uploaded in a modern image format without the need for prior file conversion, improving website performance and user convenience.

A new option to select manufacturers has been added to the main menu

A new feature is now available in the main menu widget — a dropdown list of manufacturers. This allows users to quickly select a brand and go directly to its products.

Added support for a small icon for Store Categories, Manufacturers, and Collections

In addition to the large icon (displayed on the category page when opened), a separate small icon is now available. This small icon is shown in all menu locations — in the main menu, dropdown menus, and the mobile menu:

• Small icons from the built-in library — available in color and monochrome (masked) SVG versions;
• Custom color can be applied to monochrome SVG icons (via CSS/attribute or through the settings interface);
• Uploading your own icon files is supported in SVG, WEBP, PNG, JPG formats;

This makes it possible for each category, manufacturer, or collection to display a recognizable small icon in menu items, improving navigation and overall usability.

Added the ability to set icons in the main menu

You can now add icons to the main menu — several options are available to easily customize the appearance and improve the usability of menu items:

• Icons from the built-in library — both colored and monochrome (masked) SVG are available;
• You can set a custom color for monochrome SVG icons (via CSS/attribute or the settings interface);
• Uploading your own icons is supported in SVG, WEBP, PNG, JPG formats;

This gives flexibility: use ready-made colored icons for a quick result, or monochrome SVG if you need consistency and the ability to adjust the color to match the site’s theme.

Scroll mode added to Categories and Producers widget

The platform now features a new horizontal scroll mode for the "Categories" and "Producers" widgets. The mode is activated automatically if the widget has the :scroll-9999 parameter, which sets the maximum screen width for enabling the scroll (if the actual screen width is smaller, the mode is activated).

If the screen width is smaller than specified:

• The widget automatically switches to horizontal scroll mode;
• Block widths for categories/producers are calculated including padding and margin across all container levels;
• Drag-scroll works on desktop;
• If the second argument is specified in the parameter (:scroll-9999x3), pagination with the specified number of dots is enabled (3 in this example).

If the screen width is larger than specified:

• Scroll mode is completely disabled;
• The layout returns to standard display;
• Pagination (dots) is removed.

How to enable Scroll mode

1. In the categories or producers widget generator, specify the parameter:
   :scroll-9999 — the screen width below which scrolling is enabled.
2. If needed, add the number of pagination dots using the second parameter:
   :scroll-9999x3 — the number "3" enables pagination with three dots.
3. The script activates automatically on page load.

HTML Example (generated automatically)

<div class="hotengine-categories-list"
     data-scroll-width="9999"
     data-scroll-pagination="3">
    ...
</div>

After that, scrolling and pagination work automatically depending on the screen width and parameters set in the widget.

Additional Spam Protection Added

A new level of spam protection has been implemented in the message sending system. Now, verification is performed not only by detecting links, banned words, or phrases, but also by comparing the text with previously sent messages.

If the system detects repeated or fully identical messages, they are automatically marked as spam. This significantly improves filtering accuracy and prevents mass duplicate mailings.

Added HTML Widget with Tabs (fully HTML without JavaScript)

A new HTML Widget with Tabs has been added on the Hotlist.biz platform. This widget works without additional scripts and allows organizing multiple tabs inside a block.

Each tab can interact with product widgets, providing convenient viewing and navigation.

Product Widget Update: Dynamic «append» Mode

In the Product Widget, the :append mode (adding products to the end of the list when clicking «Show More») now has a new feature: the product block can automatically change its display mode depending on the screen width.

Specifically:

• On mobile devices and smaller screens, the block can switch to scroll or swipe mode with limited width and product scrolling.
• On larger screens, the standard :append mode continues to work, adding products to the end of the list.

The :append mode is activated by parameters, for example :append-900x9999, where:

• 900 — minimum screen width (in pixels) to activate the function;
• 9999 — maximum screen width (optional) until which the function works.

If only the first parameter is specified, e.g., :append-900, the function will be active for screens 900px wide and above.

Now the append mode is more flexible and mobile-friendly, keeping the convenience of adding products and the visual layout of the widget.

Added functional block «Frequently Bought Together»

New JavaScript for Dynamic Creation of the “Product Widget”

Example #1 — Related Products in Cart (“Frequently Bought Together”)

Example #2 — Related Products after Adding to Cart

Hotlist.biz platform adds management of additional product blocks

The system now offers full management of additional product blocks, allowing flexible configuration of their appearance and behavior directly from the admin panel.

Block «Frequently bought with» — Related products

New display parameters have been added for the related products block. You can now choose one of the following formats:

• Standard list — with the option to load more products by clicking the «Показать ещё» button.
• Standard slider — classic product scrolling format with navigation arrows.
• Slider with swipe effect — modern way to scroll through products using a mouse or touch gestures.
• Scroll mode — a new convenient horizontal scroll format with product loading inside the block without changing its width (products in a single row).

Additionally, for all modes except the first (Standard list with button), you can enable the «Автоширина» option — products automatically adjust to the available space. You can also specify the number of products for initial display (default — 20).

Bottom block — other products from the category

The bottom block now supports flexible display effect configuration. All modes can be enabled except for the Standard list with the «Показать ещё» button. It is also possible to activate the scroll effect.

When using the scroll mode, you can enable pagination, where you can define:

• Initial number of dots — the number of pages displayed when the block loads.
• Number of additional dots — scroll dots that appear as the user navigates forward through products. For example, if the user scrolls forward 6 times and products are available, 6 navigation dots will appear.

The new settings allow you to create a modern, dynamic, and user-friendly storefront interface, increasing engagement and conversion rates.