Automated Shopify Collections: Setup and Best Practices

Automated collections in Shopify automatically include products based on conditions you define. Unlike manual collections where you add products one by one, automated collections use rules to populate themselves. When you add a new product that matches the conditions, it's automatically included—no manual work required.

How Automated Collections Work

Automated collections use conditions based on product attributes:

• Product title: Contains, starts with, ends with, equals
• Product type: Matches a specific type
• Product vendor: Matches a specific vendor
• Product tag: Contains a specific tag
• Price: Greater than, less than, or equal to a value
• Compare at price: For sale items
• Weight: Greater than, less than, equals
• Inventory stock: Greater than, less than, equals
• Variant's title: Contains specific variant text

Creating an Automated Collection

1. Go to Products > Collections in your Shopify admin
2. Click Create collection
3. Enter a title and description
4. Under Collection type, select Automated
5. Set your conditions
6. Choose whether products must match all conditions or any condition
7. Click Save

Condition Logic: All vs. Any

Understanding the difference is critical:

• All conditions: Products must match every condition to be included. More restrictive.
• Any condition: Products matching at least one condition are included. More inclusive.

Example: All Conditions

Condition 1: Product tag equals "summer"
Condition 2: Price is less than $50

Result: Only summer products under $50 are included.

Example: Any Condition

Condition 1: Product tag equals "sale"
Condition 2: Compare at price is greater than $0

Result: Products tagged "sale" OR products with a compare-at price are included.

Common Automated Collection Examples

Sale Collection

Condition: Compare at price is greater than $0

Automatically includes any product with a sale price.

New Arrivals

Condition: Product tag equals "new"

Add the "new" tag to recent products; remove it after 30 days.

In-Stock Only

Condition: Inventory stock is greater than 0

Shows only products currently available.

Price Range

Condition 1: Price is greater than $50
Condition 2: Price is less than $100
Match: All conditions

Creates a collection of products in a specific price range.

Brand/Vendor Collection

Condition: Product vendor equals "Brand Name"

Groups all products from a specific vendor.

Best Practices

Use Consistent Tagging

Tags are the most flexible condition type. Develop a consistent tagging system:

• Use lowercase for consistency
• Avoid special characters
• Document your tag conventions

Test Before Launch

After creating a collection:

• Verify the correct products are included
• Check that unwanted products are excluded
• Test with new products to ensure automation works

Keep Conditions Simple

Complex conditions can be hard to maintain. When possible:

• Use fewer conditions rather than more
• Rely on tags for complex categorization
• Document why each condition exists

Automated vs. Manual Collections

Troubleshooting

Products Not Appearing

• Check if product matches all required conditions
• Verify product is published and active
• Review tag spelling and capitalization

Wrong Products Appearing

• Review condition logic (all vs. any)
• Check for tag conflicts
• Consider using more specific conditions

SEO for Automated Collections

Even automated collections need SEO attention:

• Write unique, descriptive collection titles
• Add keyword-rich descriptions
• Set custom meta titles and descriptions
• Use descriptive URL handles

Conclusion

Automated collections save significant time by eliminating manual product sorting. Set clear conditions, use consistent tagging, and test thoroughly. Once configured properly, automated collections maintain themselves as your inventory changes, letting you focus on other aspects of your business.

Related Resources

• Shopify Help: Automated Collections
• What is a Shopify Collection?
• Using Shopify Tags