Create a manual collection in Shopify
A manual collection holds exactly the products you pick, in the order you set. This tutorial builds Trail Picks, a manual collection of 5 trail products, for a curated shelf that never changes unless you change it.
Written · Shopify admin, desktop steps · 5 minutes read
The worked example
| Collection | Trail Picks |
| Type | Manual |
| Products added | 5 |
| Products added by new listings | 0, by hand only |
| Sort order | Manual |
Download the record: trail-picks-collection-products.csv (133 bytes).
A product list for the Trail Picks manual collection: the 5 products added by hand, in their display order.
1Open Collections
From your Shopify admin, go to Products, then Collections. The Collections page lists every collection in the store.
2Start a new collection
Click Add collection. A new collection page opens with fields for title, description, image, and the products it will hold.
3Add the title and description
Click Add title and enter Trail Picks. Click Add description and write one plain sentence about the shelf: the five trail products the store recommends this season.
4Add a featured image
Click the upload icon and select a photo of the trail range. The image is the face of the collection on the collection page and in menus that show it.
5Add the products by hand
In the default Products source, click Add products. In the Select products to include dialog, select the 5 trail products: the Trail Crew Tee, the Summit Hoodie, the Trail Cap, the Trail Socks, and the Trail Pack. Click Add.
6Set the sort order and save
Set the sorting method to Manual, so the products stay in the order you set, then click Save. A manual collection holds only the products you add, and a new product never joins it on its own.
7Link it from a menu
Add a link to the collection in your online store menus, so customers can find and view it. A collection with no menu link is reachable only by its direct address.
The arithmetic
| Figure | Number |
|---|---|
| Products added by hand | 5 |
| Products added automatically | 0 |
| Products in the collection | 5 |
Five products were added by hand and none were added automatically, so the collection holds exactly the 5 products picked. Adding a sixth product to the store will not change this collection.
Held at the counter
Manual means manual for ever. A manual collection never gains a product on its own. When a new trail product launches, someone has to open the collection and add it, or it will not appear on the shelf.
You cannot switch a collection type later. A manual collection cannot be turned into an automated one, and the reverse is also true. Pick the type before you save, or you will have to rebuild the collection.
A collection with no menu link is hidden in plain sight. Creating a collection does not put it in your store menus. Until you add the link, customers can only reach it by typing its address.
Sources
- Creating collections and adding products — Shopify's help pages: the create collection steps, manually adding products, and that manually added products stay unless removed by hand.