Shopify Product Organisation: Collections, Tags, and Structured Navigation
Why Product Organisation Matters
A well-organised Shopify store helps customers find what they need quickly. Poor organisation means frustrated shoppers who leave before purchasing. Two key tools make the difference: collections and tags.
Collections — Group related products together, like sections in a store
Tags — Enable filtering and search refinement, helping customers narrow results to exactly what they want
Without these, customers face an overwhelming wall of products with no clear path to what they're looking for.
Collections: Grouping Products Logically
Collections bring related products together. Shopify offers two approaches:
📋 Manual Collections — You hand-pick which products belong. Time-consuming but precise. Ideal for curated selections like "Staff Picks" or "Limited Edition".
🤖 Automatic Collections — Products are added based on rules you define (matching tags, product type, vendor, price range). Faster to maintain, but requires consistent tagging across your catalogue.
Pro Tip: A PIM system ensures your products are consistently tagged, making automatic collections reliable and accurate.
Products: The Core Data Structure
Each Shopify product contains multiple attributes:
🏷️ Title — The product name customers see
📝 Description — Detailed information, features, and benefits
🔢 Identifier/SKU — Your internal reference code
📁 Category — The product classification
📦 Type — Product type for filtering and organisation
🏭 Vendor — Manufacturer or brand name
📂 Collections — Which groups this product belongs to
🏷️ Tags — Keywords for filtering and search
🖼️ Media — Images, videos, and other visual assets
🎨 Option Labels & Data — Variant information (size, colour, material)
Some products have attributes that Shopify's native fields can't fully capture — technical specifications, compliance data, internal notes. That's where PIM extends your capabilities.
Listing Multiple Products Efficiently
For stores with substantial catalogues:
- Collections are essential for logical grouping
- Your Shopify plan determines product limits
- Adding products individually is impractical at scale
- Third-party tools and PIM systems enable bulk uploads and automated synchronisation
Creating a Collection: Step by Step
- Navigate to the "Collections" page in Shopify admin
- Click "Create collection"
- Choose manual or automatic collection type
- For automatic collections, define your rules (e.g., products tagged "Blue" AND tagged "Shirt")
- Products matching your criteria are added automatically
- Save and review your collection
Collections can be broad ("All Clothing") or highly specific ("Blue Cotton Shirts Under £50"). Structure them around how your customers actually shop.
Why PIM Transforms Product Organisation
A PIM system like OneTimePIM provides capabilities beyond Shopify's native tools:
📊 Extended Attributes — Store product data that Shopify fields can't accommodate
📄 Automated Datasheets — Generate professional product documentation instantly
🏷️ Consistent Tagging — Ensure every product has the tags needed for automatic collections
📤 Bulk Management — Add, update, and organise products at scale
🔄 Seamless Sync — Push organised product data to Shopify automatically
See It In Action
Book a demo and see how easily new products flow from OneTimePIM to a fully organised Shopify store — complete with collections, tags, and all attributes in place.
Ready to bring order to your product catalogue? Discover how OneTimePIM can streamline your Shopify organisation.