Creating collections and adding products

Note

A new collections model is replacing the legacy manual and smart collections model. If the new collections model is available in your Shopify admin, then all your previous collections have been automatically converted to the new type. If the new collections model isn't yet available in your Shopify admin, then you can continue to use manual collections and smart collections.

You can create new collections, add products to collections, edit existing collections, and view your collections list in your Shopify admin or using the Shopify mobile app.

When you add products to a collection or edit the products in an existing collection, you can set different sources using either your main product list, product variants, other existing collections, or app sources. If the same product is added to a collection by different sources, then it's displayed only a single time in the collection.

For adding products or variants to a collection, you can use conditions to automatically include only certain products or variants, or you can manually add specific products or variants that you choose.

To automatically add products or variants to a collection, you set conditions that products or variants must match in order to be included in the collection. When you add multiple product or variant selection conditions in a collection, you can specify whether products or variants need to meet all the conditions, or only any single condition, in order to be included in the collection.

When you manually add products or variants to a collection, those products or variants are always contained in the collection unless you manually remove them.

If you create a collection with only specific variants, then the storefront filters for that collection display the relevant price range, swatches, and options for only those variants.

You can also automatically or manually exclude products from a collection.

Tip

Before you edit an existing collection, review the collection page in your Shopify admin or the Shopify mobile app to ensure that no other staff members are making changes to the same collection.

Considerations for creating collections

Before you create collections and add products, review the following considerations for the numbers of collections that you can have:

• Your store can have a maximum of 5,000 collections that contain any conditions.
• Your store can have a maximum of 100 collections that contain any manually or automatically added variants.
• Your store can have a maximum of 50 collections that contain another collection.
• Your store can have a maximum of 5 collections that exclude another collection.

Grow your business

If you need help setting up collections for your products, then you can hire a Shopify Partner. The Partner Directory is available only in English.

Create a collection

You can create collections and then link them to the navigation menu on your online store.

By default, new collections contain an empty Products source. You can add other sources by clicking or tapping and then selecting the source that you want to use.

If you don't want to publish a collection as soon as you create it, then you can set a specific date when the collection is published to your online store.

If you want to use a collection only as an input for a Shopify admin workflow that you use in your store, then you can leave the collection unpublished from all sales channels. For example, you might create unpublished collections in the following scenarios:

• For a group of products that all require the same tax override on your store.
• For a group of products in a collection that you assign to a specific discount.

Steps:

Desktop

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Collections.

2. Click Add collection.

3. To add a title, click Add title, and then enter a title for your collection.

4. To add a description, click Add description, and then enter your description in the rich text editor.

5. To add a featured image, click the icon, select the image that you want to use, and then click Done.

6. Add sources containing products, variants, products from an existing collection, or products from an app. To add more than one source, click . You can also exclude products from a collection.

7. Set the sorting method for the order in which you want the collection's products to be displayed in your store.

8. Optional: Set the sales channels where you want the collection to be available.

9. Optional: To connect metafields that let you add custom content to your collection pages in the theme editor, in the Metafields section:

   1. Click the metafield definition that you want to use.
   2. Enter or select a value for your metafield.

10. Optional: Change the theme template for displaying the collection page.

11. Optional: Edit the search engine listing for the collection.

12. Click Save.

13. Add a link to your collection in your online store menus so that customers can find and view the collection.

Mobile

1. From the Shopify app, tap the icon

2. Tap the Products drop-down menu, and then tap Collections.

3. Tap the icon.

4. To add a title, tap Title, and then enter a title for your collection.

5. To add a description, tap Description, enter your description, and then tap Save or ✓.

6. To add a featured image, tap Add a poster image, and then find and select the image that you want to use.

7. Add sources containing products, variants, products from an existing collection, or products from an app. To add more than one type of source, tap Add in the Add to collection section. You can also exclude products from a collection.

8. Set the sorting method for the order in which you want the collection's products to be displayed in your store.

9. Optional: Set the sales channels where you want the collection to be available.

10. Optional: To connect metafields that let you add custom content to your collection pages in the theme editor, in the Collection settings section, tap Collection metafields:

    1. Tap the metafield definition that you want to use.
    2. Enter or select a value for your metafield.

11. Optional: Change the theme template for displaying the collection page.

12. Optional: Edit the search engine listing for the collection.

13. Tap Save or ✓.

14. Add a link to your collection in your online store menus so that customers can find and view the collection.

Adding sources and products to collections

To add products to a collection, you use the following different types of source:

• Products: Automatically or manually include products from your store's product list. You can also automatically or manually exclude products, and you can exclude products that are part of another collection.
• Variants: Automatically or manually include only specific product variants.
• Collection: Include the products from another existing collection.
• App: Include products from an app source.

Add product conditions to a collection

Desktop

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Collections.

2. Click a collection that you want to add products to.

3. In either the default Products source, or in a new Products source that you add, click Add condition.

4. Select a product attribute, and then select your criteria for how the product attribute should be matched.

5. Depending on the product attribute that you select:

   • Enter the text that products should be matched with.
   • Enter a value that products should be matched with.
   • Select an option that products should be matched with. If the product attribute allows more than one option to be chosen, then do any of the following:
     • If products can match any of the options that you choose, then select OR.
     • If products should match all the options that you choose, then select AND.

6. Optional: To use multiple selection conditions for automatically adding products to the collection:

   1. Click Add condition, and then follow steps 4 and 5 above.
   2. Select whether products need to Match any conditions or Match all conditions to be included in the collection.

7. Click Save.

Mobile

1. From the Shopify app, tap the icon

2. Tap the Products drop-down menu, and then tap Collections.

3. Tap a collection that you want to add products to.

4. In the Add to collection section, tap Add, and then tap Products.

5. In the Include section, tap Add condition.

6. Select a product attribute, and then select the relevant Matching criteria that you want to use for the product attribute.

7. Depending on the product attribute that you select:

   • Enter the text that products should be matched with.
   • Enter a value that products should be matched with.
   • Select one or more options that products should be matched with, and then tap Save or ✓. If you choose more than one option, then in the Match values section, do any of the following:
     • If products can match any of the options that you choose, then select Any (OR).
     • If products should match all the options that you choose, then select All (AND).

8. Optional: To use multiple selection conditions for automatically adding products to the collection:

   1. Tap Add condition, and then follow steps 6 and 7 above.
   2. In the Match section, select whether products need to match All conditions or Any condition to be included in the collection.

9. On the Products page, tap Save or ✓.

10. On the collection page, tap Save or ✓.

Manually add products to a collection

Desktop

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Collections.

2. Click a collection that you want to add products to

3. In either the default Products source, or in a new Products source that you add, click Add products.

4. In the Select products to include dialog, select the products that you want to add.

5. Click Add.

6. Click Save.

Mobile

1. From the Shopify app, tap the icon

2. Tap the Products drop-down menu, and then tap Collections.

3. Tap a collection that you want to add products to.

4. In the Add to collection section, tap Add, then tap Products.

5. In the Include section, tap Choose products.

6. Select the products that you want to add, and then tap Save or ✓.

7. On the Products page, tap Save or ✓.

8. On the collection page, tap Save or ✓.

Add variant conditions to a collection

Desktop

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Collections.

2. Click a collection that you want to add variants to.

3. In either the default source or in a new source that you add, change the source's drop-down menu from Products to Variants.

4. Click Add condition.

5. Select a product attribute, and then select your criteria for how the product attribute should be matched to variants.

6. Depending on the product attribute that you select:

   • Enter the text that variants should be matched with.
   • Enter a value that variants should be matched with.
   • Select an option that variants should be matched with. If the product attribute allows more than one option to be chosen, then do any of the following:
     • If variants can match any of the options that you choose, then select OR.
     • If variants should match all the options that you choose, then select AND.

7. Optional: To use multiple selection conditions for automatically adding variants to the collection:

   1. Click Add condition, and then follow steps 5 and 6 above.
   2. Select whether variants need to Match any conditions or Match all conditions to be included in the collection.

8. Click Save.

Mobile

1. From the Shopify app, tap the icon

2. Tap the Products drop-down menu, and then tap Collections.

3. Tap a collection that you want to add variants to.

4. In the Add to collection section, tap Add, then tap Variants.

5. In the Include section, tap Add condition.

6. Select a product attribute, and then select the relevant Matching criteria that you want to use for the product attribute.

7. Depending on the product attribute that you select:

   • Enter the text that variants should be matched with.
   • Enter a value that variants should be matched with.
   • Select one or more options that variants should be matched with, and then tap Save or ✓. If you choose more than one option, then in the Match values section, do any of the following:
     • If variants can match any of the options that you choose, then select Any (OR).
     • If variants should match all the options that you choose, then select All (AND).

8. Optional: To use multiple selection conditions for automatically adding variants to the collection:

   1. Tap Add condition, and then follow steps 6 and 7 above.
   2. In the Match section, select whether variants need to match All conditions or Any condition to be included in the collection.

9. On the Variants page, tap Save or ✓.

10. On the collection page, tap Save or ✓.

Manually add variants to a collection

Desktop

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Collections.

2. Click a collection that you want to add variants to.

3. In either the default source or in a new source that you add, change the source's drop-down menu from Products to Variants.

4. Click Add variants.

5. In the Select variants to include dialog, select the variants that you want to add.

6. Click Add.

7. Click Save.

Mobile

1. From the Shopify app, tap the icon

2. Tap the Products drop-down menu, and then tap Collections.

3. Tap a collection that you want to add variants to.

4. In the Add to collection section, tap Add, then tap Variants.

5. In the Include section, tap Choose variants, and then do any of the following:

   • To choose all variants of a product, select the product.
   • To choose only certain variants of a product:
     1. Tap a product that you want to select variants from.
     2. Tap the variants that you want.
     3. Tap Save or ✓.

6. On the Add variants page, tap Save or ✓.

7. On the Variants page, tap Save or ✓.

8. On the collection page, tap Save or ✓.

Add a collection to a collection

You can nest several existing collections within a single new collection. For example, you could create a Teaware collection by adding your existing Teapots, Steepers, and Infusers collections to a Collections source.

Steps:

Desktop

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Collections.

2. Click a collection that you want to add a collection to.

3. In either the default source or in a new source that you add, change the source's drop-down menu from Products to Collection.

4. Click Connect a collection.

5. In the Select a collection dialog, click the collection that you want to add.

6. Click Save.

Mobile

From the Shopify app, tap the icon

2. Tap the Products drop-down menu, and then tap Collections.
3. Tap a collection that you want to add a collection to.
4. In the Add to collection section, tap Add, and then tap Collection.
5. On the Select collections page, choose one or more collections that you want to add, and then tap Save or ✓.
6. Tap Save or ✓.

Add products from an app to a collection

If you use an app to create collections of products, such as Complimentary products or Trending products, then you can connect your app source to a collection.

Steps:

Desktop

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Collections.

2. Click a collection that you want to add products to from an app.

3. In either the default source or in a new source that you add, change the source's drop-down menu from Products to App.

4. Click Connect an app.

5. In the Select an app dialog, click the app source that you want to add products from, and then click Connect.

6. Click Save.

Mobile

From the Shopify app, tap the icon

2. Tap the Products drop-down menu, and then tap Collections.
3. Tap a collection that you want to add products to from an app.
4. In the Add to collection section, tap Add, and then tap App.
5. On the Select an app page, select the app source that you want to add products from, and then tap Connect.
6. Tap Save or ✓.

Exclude products from a collection

If you set a range of conditions to include only certain products in a collection, but there are still products being displayed that you don't want to have in the collection, then you can manually or automatically exclude products from the collection. You can do this by excluding individual products, or by excluding another existing collection, but you can't do both of these together in the same source. Product exclusions always override any manual or automatic product inclusions.

Steps:

Desktop

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Collections.

2. Click a collection that you want to exclude products from.

3. In either the default Products source, or in a new Products source that you add, click Exclude, and then do any of the following:

   • To automatically exclude products based on conditions that you set:
     1. In the Exclude section, click Add condition.
     2. Select a product attribute, and then select your criteria for how the product attribute should be matched.
     3. Depending on the product attribute that you select:
        • Enter the text that products should be matched with.
        • Enter a value that products should be matched with.
        • Select an option that products should be matched with. If the product attribute allows more than one option to be chosen, then select OR if products can match any value that you select, or select AND if products should match all the values.
     4. Optional: To enter another condition for automatically excluding products from the collection:
        1. Click Add condition, and then follow steps b and c above.
        2. Select whether products need to Match any conditions or Match all conditions to be excluded from the collection.
   • To manually exclude products:
     1. In the Exclude section, click Add products.
     2. In the Select products to exclude dialog, select the products that you want to exclude from the collection.
     3. Click Add.
   • To exclude another existing collection:
     1. In the Exclude section, click the Products drop-down menu, and then select Collection.
     2. Click Add collection.
     3. In the Add collections dialog, select the existing collections containing products that you want to exclude from your collection, and then click Add.

4. Click Save.

Mobile

1. From the Shopify app, tap the icon

2. Tap the Products drop-down menu, and then tap Collections.

3. Tap a collection that you want to exclude products from.

4. In the Add to collection section, tap Add, then tap Products.

5. On the Products page, turn on the Exclude setting, and then do any of the following:

   • To automatically exclude products based on conditions that you set:
     1. In the Exclude section, tap Add condition.
     2. Select a product attribute, and then select the relevant Matching criteria that you want to use for the product attribute.
     3. Depending on the product attribute that you select:
        • Enter the text that products should be matched with.
        • Enter a value that products should be matched with.
        • Select one or more options that products should be matched with, and then tap Save or ✓. If you choose more than one option, then in the Match values section, select whether products should match Any (OR) or All (AND) values.
     4. Optional: To enter another condition for automatically excluding products from the collection:
        1. Tap Add condition, and then follow steps b and c above.
        2. In the Match section, select whether products need to match All conditions or Any condition to be excluded from the collection.
   • To manually exclude products:
     1. In the Exclude section, tap Exclude products.
     2. Select the products that you want to exclude, and then tap Save or ✓.
   • To exclude another existing collection:
     1. In the Exclude section, tap the Products drop-down menu, and then select Collection.
     2. Tap Exclude collection.
     3. Select the existing collections containing products that you want to exclude from your collection, and then tap Save or ✓.

6. On the Products page, tap Save or ✓.

7. On the collection page, tap Save or ✓.

Editing a collection

You can change a collection's appearance by editing its title, description, or featured image, and change the sorting method for the order in which products are displayed to customers on a collection page.

You can also manage your collection sources and conditions, including removing sources and editing your conditions for matching products or variants with.

To edit the sales channel availability, theme template, or search engine listing for a collection, refer to Managing your collection settings.

Duplicate a collection

You can duplicate an existing collection, including the title, description, image, and product list.

When you duplicate a collection, the new collection that you create has the text (Copy) added to the end of the title. The new collection isn't automatically included in any sales channels.

Steps:

Desktop

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Collections.

2. Click a collection that you want to duplicate.

3. Click Duplicate.

4. In the new copy of the previous collection, make any changes that you need to.

5. Click Save.

Mobile

1. From the Shopify app, tap the icon

2. Tap the Products drop-down menu, and then tap Collections.

3. Tap a collection that you want to duplicate.

4. Tap … or ⋮, and then tap Duplicate.

5. In the new copy of the previous collection, make any changes that you need to.

6. Tap Save or ✓.

Delete a collection

Note

When you delete a collection, it's permanently removed from your Shopify admin. You can also hide a collection from sales channels without deleting it.

Links to deleted collections are automatically removed from any online store menus that you previously added the collection to.

You can also delete more than one collection at the same time using a bulk action.

Steps:

Desktop

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Collections.

2. In your collections list, select a collection that you want to delete.

3. Click … > Delete collection.

4. Click Delete.

Mobile

1. From the Shopify app, tap the icon

2. Tap the Products drop-down menu, and then tap Collections.

3. Tap a collection that you want to delete.

4. Tap … or ⋮, and then tap Delete.

5. In the dialog, tap Delete.

Add a product to a collection on its details page

You can manually add a product to an existing collection without having to navigate away from the product details page in your Shopify admin. You can do this only for collections containing products that you added manually in a Products source.

Steps:

Desktop

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products.

2. Click a product that you want to add to a collection.

3. In the Product organization section, click the icon for the Collections field.

4. Select one or more available collections to add the product to.

5. Click Save.

Mobile

1. From the Shopify app, tap the icon

2. Tap a product that you want to add to a collection.

3. On the product details page, tap Collections.

4. Select one or more available collections to add the product to.

5. Tap Save or ✓.

Remove a product from a collection on its details page

You can manually remove a product from an existing collection without having to navigate away from the product details page in your Shopify admin. You can do this only for collections containing products that you added manually in a Products source. If the product is also included in a collection because it matches particular collection conditions, then you can't manually remove the product from that collection on its product details page.

Steps:

Desktop

1. From your Shopify admin, go to Products.

2. Click a product that you want to remove from a collection.

3. In the Product organization section, hover over the relevant collections in the Collections field, and then click x.

4. Click Save.

Mobile

1. From the Shopify app, tap the icon

2. Tap a product that you want to remove from a collection.

3. On the product details page, tap Collections.

4. Deselect one or more collections that you want to remove the product from.

5. Tap Save or ✓.