Shopify collections are one of the major components to add to your store to bring more clarity to your customer. It doesn’t take long to arrange it, but the results help you improve your customer’s experience.
In this article, you will learn more about the benefits of Shopify collections, their types, how to add collections to your Shopify store, and how to manage them continuously. Without further ado, let’s dig in deeper.
What is a collection on Shopify?
Shopify collections are product category pages. Collections allow you to group your online store's products by type and other characteristics. And orgaznizing products in a Shopify store helps your customers find their desired products much faster.
Depending on how much control you want over Shopify product categories over time, you can choose an automated or manual collection.
However, keep in mind that Shopify collections aren’t the same as Shopify product catalogs. While the latter shows all the merchandise you have in your store, Shopify collections carry only related products you have grouped.
How to add collections on Shopify: a quick guide
- Open your Shopify admin.
- In the Products section, select Collections
- Click Create collection in the top right corner
- Enter your new collection name and description
- Select collection type
- Choose a collection’s featured image
- Add the collection’s information for SERP
- Set the collection’s availability
- Click Save
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Start using TinyIMG appWhy do you need product collections?
It’s clear that using Shopify collections to group your products brings structure to your online store. But why is it needed, and what comes out of it?
First of all, product collections help you enhance your customers’ experience. Most of the time, customers aren’t up for wandering around online stores, as they seek to find their targeted products quickly. Adding Shopify collections to your store allows visitors to find what they need quickly without frustration.
Collections can also be one of the effective methods to drive more targeted SEO traffic. Our study on 100 Best Shopify stores showed that well-optimized product collection pages could receive more than 40% of the total organic traffic.
So, optimizing collection pages will draw SEO traffic, which is a) free and b) converts well. This way, you reach out to audiences without paid ads and attract people through organic search instead of social media.
Two Shopify collection types
You can choose between two Shopify collection types: automated and manual. While both of them allow you to organize your shop accordingly to your chosen groups, one method gives you more control over what you want to add in the long run, and another is simpler to use. Let’s find out more about each type in the coming sections.
Automated collections
Automated Shopify collections are based on selection conditions, and they systematically include analog products. Using this type, you can add up to 5000 different collections to your store overall. The added products can conform to the same conditions, or you can specify additional conditions too so that some of the exclusive merchandise would be added automatically as well. Note that you can add up to 60 conditions to the collection.
Automated Shopify collections are the way to go if you have large quantities of products that need to be organized. First of all, this way, you can save up loads of time, as you don’t need to choose each item individually. But time isn’t the only perk. Another benefit is that you won’t overlook newly uploaded merchandise that should go to the collection.
On the downside, you can’t remove selected products from the collection unless you change the conditions of the collection or the characteristics of a product.
Manual collections
Manual Shopify collection includes only your selected products. With this method, you can repeatedly decide which item should be added to a specific collection. If there are no changes from your side, the collection always includes the same products.
Creating Shopify collections manually gives you more control over individual items. It’s also helpful if you don’t want to plan ahead of what products should belong to different collections. Moreso, you can set the publish date for the collection to be visible in your online store. The method is perfect for flash sales as well as for small businesses.
Yet, note that the collection type can’t be changed after the collection is created.
How to create collections on Shopify?
Selling dozens of product types is both profitable and fun. But it gets even better if you optimize your Shopify store and add collections to it. Let it be a summer collection, one for men, another for children – after all, you can have up to 5000 automated collections, so the sky is the limit.
So, we already hear you asking how to create that legendary Shopify collection for your store. Well, you can find out right below:
Creating manual Shopify collections
1. Open your Shopify admin.
2. Find the Products section and then locate Collections in the list.
3. After the Collections page opens, click Create collection in the top right corner.
4. Now that you are on the Create collection page, it’s time to add some eye-catching but clear collection Title as well as Description. Remember, these elements can impact your conversion rates, so ensure you use ranking keywords and present your collection correctly.
5. In the Collection type section, select Manual, and then Save.
6. Add a tasteful image to your collection and pick the Theme template.
7. Locate the Search engine listing section and tap Edit.
8. After the section opens, you get to create a meta description and meta title for your Shopify collection as well as a page URL. These are one of the major players in a successful Shopify store ranking, so we suggest you check our tips and tricks on writing meta descriptions and titles for a Shopify store.
9. Find the Collection availability section and choose Schedule availability if you want to make your collection visible at a particular time.
10. Set the date and time, and save by clicking Schedule availability.
11. All fields are filled – you’re ready to finish the work here. To do so, click Save in the top right corner.
After you create a new Shopify collection, it’s possible to edit its information down the road. We will show you how in a couple of sections.
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Creating Automated Shopify collections
Creating an automated Shopify collection includes adding conditions (up to 60) that will define what products are and will be added to a collection down the road. You can also set the order of the items and other details too.
And this is how an automated Shopify collection is created:
1. Go to Shopify admin.
2. Find Products and Collections in the left-side dashboard.
3. Once the Collections tab opens, tap Create collection.
4. Create the title and description for your automated collection.
5. In the Collection type section, choose Automated.
6. Use the drop-down menus to add the collection conditions. Also, check whether products must apply to all conditions or any of your added conditions to be included in the collection.
7. Click Save. You will see all the products that match the collection’s conditions in the Products section that is displayed. Continue with adding the collection image, meta title, meta description, URL, as well as other details.
Note that:
- You can add new conditions even after publishing a collection. To do this, you’d need to find your created collection in the list, tap on it and choose conditions through the drop-down menu.
- Each time you add a new product to your Shopify store matching a particular collection’s conditions, the product will be added to that specific collection automatically.
- Automated collections can’t be changed into manual collections.
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How to show collections in a Shopify store?
Hooray, you have created your collections! But now it’s also crucial to make them visible online. In a moment, you will learn how to add collection links and how to add collections to the home page as well as to the collection pages. Read on to find out.
Add collection links to navigation
Adding a link to the collection in the navigation for your Shopify store allows the customer to detect and view your collection. So, if your collection is already available on the online store sales channel, then follow the steps below to add links:
1. From your Shopify admin, go to Online Store and then Navigation.
2. Once you’re on the Navigation page, select the menu to that you want to add the link to.
3. After getting to the selected Menu page, tap on Add menu item.
4. Locate the Name field, and write the name of a collection. It will be seen by your customers.
5. Find the Link list below the Name field, select Collection, and then pick the collection to that you want to add the link to.
6. Click Add button in the lower right corner.
7. Tap Save menu to finish adding the link to a collection.
Keep in mind that you can also create a drop-down menu in the Shopify store navigation linking to your collection.
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Add collection to the store's home page
Adding a collection to your Shopify store’s home page is a great way to make your shop easier to navigate for the customer. Burning to find out how to do that? Find out right below:
1. Choose Online store on the left side of the admin page. Then, the Themes section will load automatically.
2. At the largest scale, you can see your currently used theme, tap Customize to add your collection to a home page.
3. You can see the site editor with the Home page preview. Click Add section on the left sidebar, and then choose whether you want to add a Featured collection or a Collection list.
4. If you add a Featured collection, click on it and tap Select collection to pick a collection you want to present on your home page. Adjust settings according to your needs, and then click Save in the top right corner.
5. If you select to add a Collection list, then you can rename the list by clicking on the Collection list bar. To add collections to the list, tap on Collection under the Collection list bar and then Select collection. Complete the process by tapping Save in the top right corner.
Note that you can edit an existing section by tapping it on the left sidebar. Or you can also customize the layout of the sections by dragging the section using the icon with 6 dots.
Add collections to a collection page
Adding collections to a collection page helps you manage your stocks better, as you don’t have loose ends of numerous products hanging around the store. And your customer will be satisfied by the ease of navigation in your Shopify store. Read our guide on how to add sub-collections to the collections on Shopify for detailed instructions.
Managing Shopify collections
Now that you have your collections, it’s also important to know how to edit their information in the long run, update the availability of selected collections, and how to add their publish date too. Keep the notes for already existing or future collections.
Edit collection information
Changes are inevitable if you want your Shopify store to be successful. And collections also require edits here and there. In fact, you can edit the collection’s name and description, change the images, update the order of displayed products, use a different template, or even change the URL. To learn how to do all that, follow the steps below:
1. Navigate to Shopify admin.
2. Find Products and then Collections.
3. Locate the collection you want to edit and click on it.
4. When the selected collection’s editor opens, choose what details you want to edit.
5. To edit a particular item, click on it. There, you will be able to update the product’s description as well as the title. You can also change the pricing, add tags, inventory information, and more. When you’re done editing the product, click Save.
6. To edit the SEO settings of a collection, such as a URL, head back to the collections main editor page, find the Search engine listing section, and tap Edit.
7. When you complete all the edits, tap Save.
Keep in mind that if you wish to change the URL of a collection, the first thing you should do is check the URL’s ranking so that you don’t harm the conversion rate. And, if you’re still changing the URL, ensure you add Shopify redirects for your customers.
Change collection availability
Changing collection availability comes in handy when you have seasonal collections and you want to set the collection available for a particular time of the year. It’s also useful if some of the products don’t fit the qualification requirements for the specific sales channel. Or perhaps you want to sell a particular item on a chosen sales channel – then knowing how to change collection availability is crucial too.
Anyhow, here’s how you do it:
- From your Shopify admin, head to Products and then to Collections.
- Choose the collection. You will be able to see in what sales channels the collection is available in the Sales channels section.
- To change your collection’s availability, click Manage.
- Select sales channels where you want your collection to be available. Otherwise, the collection won’t be visible in the sale channel.
- Click Done and Save.
Keep in mind that changing the collection’s availability doesn’t apply to individual products within the collection.
Change collection publish date
Setting the Shopify store’s collection publishing date is possible too. And it’s as easy as said. Here’s how:
- From your Shopify admin, navigate to Products and then Collections.
- Select a collection.
- In the Sales channel section, find the calendar icon next to Online store.
- Choose the date and time you want a collection to be published.
- Click Save.
Shopify collection best practices
As bright minds say, “The best preparation for tomorrow is doing your best today”. Well, setting up your collections properly before releasing them is no exception. Before you make your collections visible in your store, there are some chores to do that can save heaps of time in the long run and ensure higher revenue in a little time. Here’s what we suggest you do:
Optimize to be SEO-friendly
Shopify collections are great for helping the search engine to find your store easier. But for that to happen, you need to optimize the collection’s information using the ultimate Shopify SEO guide. For instance, choose the correct keywords, apply an SEO-friendly URL, and other details that can help put your collection at the top of the SERP.
But that’s not all. You can also add internal links to your Shopify Blog posts on Shopify collection pages (and vice versa). Having a blog on your Shopify store is a proven tactic to drive more organic traffic and build customer trust.
If you don’t have a blog in your online shop, you can use the Shopify FAQ app to provide more information about your products on collection pages.
Use powerful visuals
Images that are candy to the eye play an important role in increasing your revenue and customer satisfaction level. Ensure you use the recommended Shopify collection image size, add the most representative featured image and keep the style of the visuals consistent throughout the store. However, note that the correct images add up to your Shopify store’s speed optimization, just like too heavy ones harm the page loading speed.
Empower customers’ reviews
Trust is one of the main aspects that encourage your customer to buy the product. Hence, adding reviews is another key to success. Of course, the comment section isn’t the only element you can add. You can also use Shopify apps for product labels and badges that add icons to your item for social proof.
Other practices for successful Shopify collections
As it’s known, there are no limits to improving. The same rule applies to Shopify collections. Here are some other tips and tricks for managing your Shopify collections:
- Make use of seasonal collections
- Add Shopify collection filters
- Use logical collection list structure
- Add Collection schema markup
- Use featured collection element
Summary
Putting it all together, Shopify collections are one of the key aspects of your online store’s success. With them, not only your shop becomes easy to navigate for a visitor, but you can also increase targeted SEO traffic and conversion rates.
However, for collections to be effective, ensure you polish all the details first. For instance, make your collections easy to find, add intriguing descriptions as well as visuals, and don’t forget customers’ reviews too!
Curious to read more? Check out these articles:
- Wondering if having stock for the Shopify store is necessary? It’s not! Find out how to sell on Shopify without inventory.
- Making your store suitable cross-platform is easy if you know how to optimize a Shopify store for mobile.
- Worried there won’t be any sold products? Earn your first revenue after learning how to generate sales on Shopify.
Frequently asked questions
The Shopify collection includes multiple products grouped based on their similarities, and collections can also help your customers find their desired items easier. Whereas product types help the merchants categorize their products. Plus, an item can only fit one product type.
To edit your Shopify collection, you’d need to navigate to your Shopify admin. Then, select Products > Collections. Choose the collection you wish to edit and click on the pencil icon to start editing the chosen collection.
Featured collections include your current top-priority products or new arrivals. These collections are effective in order to drive more traffic to your most important merchandise on the Shopify store.
Yes, you can change your collection URL on Shopify. To change the URL, you’d need to go to Shopify admin > Products > Collections > choose a Collection > Engine Settings > edit SEO fields. However, if your current collection URL is ranking, then changing it might reduce organic traffic.
The easiest way to duplicate a collection in Shopify is by heading to the Shopify Dashboard > Create Collection > Save > Products > More filters. After you apply the filter that will show all the products from the main collection, select the products and choose Add to collection. Select your newly built collection and hit Save.
