Set up product categories (collections)
Categories — also called collections — group related products so buyers can browse them together. They power your storefront menus, collection pages (e.g., /collections/summer-sale), filters, and on-site search.
Create a category
- Sign in to your admin.
- Go to Products > Categories.
- Click Add category in the top right.
- Enter:
- Name — e.g., "Summer Sale" or "Men's T-shirts".
- Description — shown at the top of the collection page.
- Image — banner shown on listings.
- URL handle — the slug (
summer-sale). - SEO title & SEO description — for Google.
- Click Save.
Add products to a category
- Manual — open the category and click Add products. Pick products from the picker.
- Automatic — set conditions (e.g., tag is "summer" or price <= $30) and the category populates itself. New products that match the rule are added automatically.
- From the product — in any product's edit screen, use Select categories to assign one or more.
Nested categories
Categories can have parents and children. Example: Apparel > Men > T-shirts. Parents inherit child products in the storefront, so a buyer browsing Apparel sees everything under it. Drag-and-drop the tree to reorder.
Add the category to your menu
- Go to Online Store > Navigation.
- Open the menu (e.g., Main menu).
- Click Add menu item, link it to your category, and save.
FAQ
Can one product be in multiple categories?
Yes. A "Red Linen Dress" can sit in Summer Sale, Dresses, and New Arrivals simultaneously.
What's the difference between a category and a tag?
Categories drive their own URL and menu entry (a buyer-facing page). Tags are smaller labels used inside the category page for filtering. A category like T-shirts might use tags like cotton, v-neck, oversized.
How do automatic categories work?
Set match rules (price range, tag, vendor, product type). Any product meeting the rules is included; products that no longer match are removed automatically.
Can I reorder products inside a category?
Yes — open the category and drag products to reorder. You can also sort by best-selling, newest, price, or alphabetical by default.
How do I attach custom data to a category?
Use metafields. Define them under Settings > Custom data > Collections, then fill values per category. Themes read them as {{ collection.metafields.<namespace>.<key> }}.