How to Add Collections on Shopify (Step-by-Step Guide for Beginners)
If you’re setting up your store, learning how to add collections on Shopify is one of the most important steps. Collections help you group similar products together so customers can browse your store easily and find what they want without scrolling through everything.
Here’s what you’ll learn in this guide:
- How to create manual and automated collections in Shopify
- How to organize sub-collections and link them in your menu
- How to display collections on your homepage or custom pages
- Troubleshoot common issues with Shopify collections
This step-by-step guide walks you through everything you need to organize and showcase your Shopify collections beautifully.
What Are Shopify Collections and Why They Matter
Collections are one of the main tools Shopify provides to help you organize your products. They let you group similar items so customers can browse your store more easily and find what they want faster.
What is a collection in Shopify?
In Shopify, a collection is a group of related products that you organize under one category or theme. Instead of scrolling through your entire catalog, shoppers can go straight to a specific collection such as New Arrivals, Best Sellers, or Summer Sale.
Collections keep your catalog structured, make your store easier to navigate, and create a smoother experience for every customer.
Benefits of using collections on Shopify
Collections do more than just organize your products. They make your store easier to use and help customers shop with confidence. When products are grouped into clear categories, visitors can quickly understand how your store is arranged and move naturally from browsing to purchasing.
Collections also simplify your day-to-day work. You can update, promote, or manage multiple products at once instead of editing them individually. Well-organized collections improve both your store’s usability and its visibility in search results, helping you attract more traffic over time.
Types of Shopify collections (with examples)
Shopify lets you create two main types of collections, each serving a different purpose.
| Type | Manual collection | Automated collection (Smart collection) |
| How it works | You add products one by one. This gives you complete control over what appears in the collection. | Shopify adds products automatically based on conditions such as tags, price, or vendor. |
| Examples | Staff Picks, Gift Ideas, Holiday Specials | Under $50, New Arrivals, Best Sellers |
| Best for | Small or curated product groups where you want to hand-pick every item. | Large inventories that need automatic updates without manual changes. |
Both manual and automated collections make it easier to organize your store, but automated collections save time as your inventory grows.
How to Add Collections on Shopify
You can make as many as you need to group your products into categories that fit your store’s structure and your customers’ shopping habits. Follow these steps to learn how to create a collection in Shopify.
Step 1. Add a new collection
Open your Shopify admin and click Products in the left menu.
Select Collections, then click Add collection in the upper right corner. This opens the setup page where you will define what your new collection contains and how it appears in your store.
Step 2. Add title, description, and image
Enter a clear and descriptive title that matches what customers will see on your site. Write a short description that explains what the collection includes or why it is special.
If you have a suitable image, upload it here. A strong image helps customers recognize the theme of the collection and makes your store look more professional.
Step 3. Choose a collection type (manual or smart)
Shopify gives you two ways to build a collection.
Select Manual if you want to pick each product yourself. This option works well for curated selections such as “Editor’s Picks” or “Gift Ideas.”
Choose Smart if you prefer Shopify to add products automatically based on conditions you set. You can filter by product tag, vendor, price, or other details.
Step 4. Add or tag products to the collection
If you chose a manual collection, click Browse to find and add individual products. You can add as many as you like.
If you created an automated collection, set your conditions instead.
For example, you can include products that have a specific tag such as summer, belong to a certain vendor, or fall within a price range. Shopify will automatically pull in all products that meet those conditions.
Step 5. Save and review your collection
For SEO purpose, you can also customize the Search engine listing option.
When you finish setting everything up, click Save.
After saving, review the collection to make sure the correct products appear and that the title, description, and image look right. You can preview the collection on your storefront to see how it will appear to customers.
How to Create Sub Collections in Shopify
Shopify does not have a built-in feature for true sub-collections, but you can create the same browsing experience by organizing your collections in smart ways. There are two main methods you can use: through product tags and automated collections or by arranging collections in your navigation menu.
Option 1. Use product tags and automated collections
You can group related products under a parent theme by using product tags. Start by adding consistent tags to all products that belong together. For example, tag your belts with belt and your hats with hat.
Next, create a new collection for the parent group. In this case, it might be called “Accessories.” Choose Automated as the collection type. Then, set conditions so that products must have tags equal to belt or hat.
Shopify will automatically include every product that has those tags, effectively combining multiple smaller collections into one larger parent category.
This approach helps you organize your catalog using smart rules instead of manual updates. It also saves time because any new product with the right tag is added automatically.
Option 2. Organize collections through the navigation menu
Another way to create a sub-collection experience is through your store’s navigation structure. This method gives customers the visual impression of parent and child categories, even though Shopify treats all collections separately.
Start by making sure you have created all your collections first. For example, if you want a “Clothing” category with “Men’s Clothing” and “Women’s Clothing” under it, create each of those collections individually.
Then go to Content > Menus and open your Main menu. Click Add menu item, name it “Clothing,” and link it to your parent collection. Add another menu item for “Men’s Clothing,” select Collections → Men’s Clothing, and do the same for “Women’s Clothing.”
Drag the subcollections slightly to the right so they sit underneath the parent collection. This creates a drop-down menu structure. Finally, click Save menu.
When customers visit your store, they will see “Clothing” in the main menu, and when they hover over it, “Men’s Clothing” and “Women’s Clothing” will appear underneath. Most Shopify themes support up to two levels of nested menus, which is perfect for organizing categories in a simple, clean way.
When you use subcollections, keep your naming and structure consistent. You should use the same wording style for all related collections, and make sure each one has a clear image and description.
How to Display Collections on Your Shopify Store
After you create your collections, the next step is to make them visible to customers. Shopify does not automatically display new collections, so you need to publish them to your online store and link them in the right places. Follow these steps to make sure every collection appears where shoppers can easily find it.
Step 1. Make sure your collection is active on the Online Store channel
Go to your Shopify admin and click Products > Collections. Choose the collection you want to display. In the Sales channels and apps section, check that Online Store is selected.
If the collection is not assigned to the Online Store channel, it will not appear anywhere on your site, even if you add it to a menu. Once you confirm this setting, click Save to update it.
Step 2. Add the collection to your store menu
To make your collection visible in your navigation, go to Content > Menus in your Shopify admin. Choose your Main menu or another menu that appears on your storefront.
Click Add menu item, enter a clear name such as “Summer Collection,” then click Link → Collections → [Your Collection Name]. Click Add, then Save menu.
When you refresh your storefront, the new collection will now appear as a clickable menu item. You can also drag it beneath another menu item to create a drop-down structure for subcollections.
Step 3. Display collections on the homepage (optional)
You can feature your most important collections on your homepage to draw attention as soon as visitors arrive.
Go to Online Store > Themes > Customize. From the sidebar, click Add section and choose Collection list or Featured collection.
Pick the collections you want to display, such as New Arrivals, Best Sellers, or Sale Items. Adjust the layout, image size, and heading style to match your theme, then click Save.
This section makes your homepage more dynamic and helps customers explore your products faster.
Step 4. Create a dedicated “Shop by Collection” page (optional)
If you want to show several collections on a single page, you can create a custom “Shop by Collection” page.
Go to Online Store > Pages, then click Add Page. Enter a title such as “Shop by Category” or “All Collections.” Depending on your theme, you can choose a Collection list template or manually add content blocks that display each collection.
After saving, return to Online Store > Navigation and link this new page to your main menu. This gives shoppers one central place to view all your collections in a clean grid layout.
Step 5. Preview and test your navigation
Once everything is set up, visit your storefront and test each link. Make sure every collection opens correctly and displays the right products. If you added dropdown menus, hover over the parent categories to check that the subcollections appear properly.
At LitOS, we recently helped Siipdrink redesign its Shopify store. Our team rebuilt key templates such as the homepage, collection pages, and product layouts. We also created a custom mega menu that makes it easy for customers to browse. The new store loads quickly, works well on every device, and makes exploring collections effortless.
Troubleshooting Common Issues with Shopify Collections
Even after setting up collections correctly, a few common issues can stop them from appearing as expected. Here are the most frequent problems and how to fix them.
1. The collection does not show on the Storefront
If a collection is missing from your storefront, first check that it is available on the Online Store sales channel.
Go to Products > Collections, open the collection, and confirm that Online Store is selected in the Sales channels and apps section. If it is unchecked, the collection will stay hidden until you publish it.
2. The collection link in the menu is broken
Sometimes a collection link does not lead anywhere, especially if the collection name was changed after you added it to the menu.
To fix this, go to Online Store > Navigation, open your menu, and re-add the correct collection link. Always double-check that the name and link match exactly before saving.
3. Products are missing from an automated collection
If an automated collection does not include all the products you expected, review your conditions and product tags.
Go to the collection settings and check that the tags, prices, or vendors match the rules you created. Also, make sure the product status is set to Active, since draft or archived products will not appear.
4. The homepage collection section is empty
If your homepage “Featured Collection” or “Collection List” is blank, it usually means no collections are selected.
Open Online Store > Themes > Customize, select the section, and assign the collections you want to display. Click Save, then refresh your storefront to confirm that they appear correctly.
5. The collection layout looks wrong
If your collections appear with odd spacing, missing images, or inconsistent text sizes, the issue is usually theme-related.
Open the Theme Editor and review your layout settings for that section. You may need to adjust image aspect ratios or text alignment.
If you want a more consistent or customized look, the LitOS team can help fine-tune your theme design to display collections beautifully across all devices.
How to Add Collections on Shopify: FAQs
How do I add collections to a page in Shopify?
You can add collections to a page by using the Collection list section in your theme. Go to Online Store > Themes > Customize, then open the page where you want to show your collections. Click Add section → Collection list and select the collections you want to display. Save your changes, and your chosen collections will appear as a visual grid on that page.
How do I add a collection to the Shopify menu?
To link a collection in your navigation menu, go to Online Store > Navigation, then open your Main menu. Click Add menu item, enter a name for the collection, and choose Link → Collections → [Your Collection Name]. Click Add, then Save menu. The collection will now appear in your store’s navigation bar.
How do I make collections visible on Shopify?
Collections only appear in your storefront if they are published to the Online Store sales channel. Go to Products > Collections, open the collection you want to display, and look at the Sales channels and apps section. Make sure Online Store is selected, then click Save. Once published, you can link the collection anywhere on your site.
What are collections for on Shopify?
Collections help you group related products together so customers can find what they need more easily. You can organize products by category, season, audience, price, or theme. For example, a store might have collections such as New Arrivals, Men’s Clothing, or Sale Items.
Final Takeaway
When customers can see and browse your collections easily, they spend more time exploring your store. A clear structure also helps your products look organized and professional. Good collection design makes your Shopify store easier to use and encourages more sales.
If you want your collections to look clean and match your brand style, the LitOS team can help. Our designers build Shopify stores that organize products beautifully and guide shoppers to what they need.
Make your Shopify collections look clean and easy to explore!
At LitOS, we help Shopify store owners design and organize their collections for a smooth shopping experience. From menu setup and collection page design to full theme customization, our team builds stores that look professional, load fast, and guide customers to the right products.
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