Shopify collections help organize products into clear groups such as categories, new arrivals, promotions, seasonal offers, or special campaigns. This matters not only for store administrators but also for shoppers: the clearer the product structure, the easier it is to find what they are looking for.
In 2026, Shopify introduced an updated collections experience. According to Shopify’s official announcement, collections are becoming more flexible: they can be built from multiple sources, applied to specific product variants, use app data, connect with other store workflows, and be managed in an updated admin experience.
What is changing in Shopify collections?
Until now, creating collections was often more limited. A store could either automatically include products based on rules or select products manually. Because of this limitation, merchants sometimes had to duplicate collections, adjust themes, or use additional apps.
With the new collections experience, these approaches can be combined. This means one collection can update automatically based on set rules while still allowing specific products to be manually promoted, added, or removed.
For businesses, this is important because collections become more than just product lists. They become a more flexible way to manage products. This is especially relevant for stores with larger catalogues, frequently changing inventory, regular promotions, or a need for more control over what shoppers see on category pages.
Collections can be built from multiple sources
One of the most important updates is the ability to build a single collection from multiple sources. Shopify says a collection can now combine automatic conditions, manually selected products, and even other collections.
A simple example: an ecommerce store wants to create a “New Arrivals” collection. Newly added products can be included automatically, while the most important products can be manually placed at the top of the collection. This allows the collection to update on its own while the store still controls which products get the most visibility.
This is also useful for everyday categories. For example, a store can create a collection based on a certain price range or product availability. If the price or stock level changes, the collection can update according to the set conditions, so it does not need to be managed manually all the time.
Automatic rules and manual control in one place
The new Shopify collections make it possible to combine automatic rules, manually selected products, and exclusions within the same collection. This is especially useful when a collection needs to run automatically but still requires human control.
For example, a “Summer Sale” collection can automatically include all products with a discounted price. If some products have very low stock or should not appear in that campaign, they can be removed manually. The most important products can also be placed at the top of the collection.
This approach helps avoid two extremes: fully manual work or a fully automatic collection that may include products that are not quite right for the campaign.
App data in collections
Shopify collections can use not only the store’s own catalogue data but also app sources. This means apps can provide product groups that can then be used in collections.
For businesses, this is relevant when an app already helps select products based on specific data, such as popularity or sales. That app source can be used in a collection and combined with the store’s own rules or manually selected products.
This can also reduce repetitive work. If the same app-managed product list is needed in several places, it can be used as a shared source. When that source is updated, related collections can also be updated.
Collections based on product variants
Previously, collections were usually tied to the entire product. After the update, Shopify allows collections to be created based on specific product variants. This means a collection can apply not to the whole product, but to a specific colour, size, or another variant.
This is especially useful for stores that sell clothing, footwear, accessories, or other products with many variants. For example, instead of adding the entire product with all available colours to a collection, the store can show only selected colour or size variants.
Shopify says variant-level collections can be used in the online store, POS, and the Shop channel.
Collections built from other collections
Shopify also allows collections to be created from existing collections. This means one product group can become the foundation for a broader collection.
For example, a store might have separate collections for “Dresses,” “Blouses,” and “Trousers,” and then use them to create a broader “Women’s Clothing” collection. If the individual collections are updated, the broader collection can also update based on those sources.
This is useful for stores with many categories that want to combine them into larger campaigns or navigation blocks without rebuilding the same product lists from scratch.
Sidekick support for creating collections
Sidekick is Shopify’s AI assistant, built into the Shopify admin. Instead of manually searching through all the settings, a store administrator can describe the collection they need in plain language, and Sidekick can help create or edit it. Shopify says Sidekick can help complete tasks using natural language and presents suggested changes for review before they are applied.
For example, a store may want a collection where new products are shown only for a limited time. In that case, the administrator can describe the logic they need, and Sidekick can help prepare the collection structure, tagging, automation, and conditions. The merchant can then review the result and approve it.
For businesses, this means collection creation can become simpler and less technical. This is especially useful for stores that often create new campaigns, seasonal pages, or short-term product lists.
Collections are not only for category pages
Updated collections can be used not only for what shoppers see in store categories. Shopify says collections, including variant-level collections, can also be used for discounts, taxes, and other workflows.
For example, a collection can be used to apply an automatic discount to a specific product group. It can also be used for a tax rule or for internal product management, such as tracking products that are planned to be removed from the catalogue.
This matters because collections become a broader tool. They can help not only present products more clearly to shoppers, but also simplify certain internal store processes.
Updated collection management
Shopify is also updating how collections are managed in the admin. Merchants can use a visual grid, drag and drop products, change product order, switch between grid and list views, and sort products by price, alphabetically, or manually.
This is useful in day-to-day work because collection management becomes clearer. Store administrators can more easily see how products will appear to shoppers and adjust their order faster.
Will existing collections need to be recreated?
No. Shopify says existing collections are automatically moved to the new admin experience. They do not need to be deleted or recreated.
This is important for existing stores. The update allows merchants to start using the new features without rebuilding the entire collection structure from scratch.
If a store uses third-party or custom apps that interact with collections, Shopify recommends that developers update their integrations to API version 2026-07.
Who is this update most relevant for?
This update is most relevant for Shopify stores that:
- have many products or product variants;
- frequently create promotions and seasonal collections;
- want to reduce manual product selection;
- use apps for product grouping or selection;
- want more control over which products shoppers see;
- use collections not only for categories, but also for discounts, taxes, or internal workflows.
For smaller stores, these changes may become relevant gradually. If the catalogue is still small, collection management is usually simpler. But as the number of products, promotions, and product display rules grows, the new collections features can help save a lot of manual work.
Conclusion
Shopify’s 2026 collections update gives stores more flexibility in managing product groups. Collections can now combine automatic rules, manually selected products, data from other collections, app sources, and specific product variants.
For businesses, the most important point is that collections become easier to adapt to real store needs: promotions, new arrivals, seasonal campaigns, product variants, and internal workflows. Existing collections do not need to be recreated, so stores can gradually start using the new features and adapt them to their catalogue and commercial needs.
FAQ
What are Shopify collections?
Shopify collections are product groups that help organize products into categories, promotions, new arrivals, seasonal offers, or other store pages.
What changed in Shopify collections in 2026?
Shopify introduced a new collections experience that allows collections to be built from multiple sources, combine automatic rules with manual control, use app sources, and apply collections to specific product variants.
Can automatic rules and manually selected products be combined in one collection?
Yes. In the new collections experience, automatic conditions, manually selected products, and exclusions can be combined.
Can Shopify collections be created based on product variants?
Yes. Shopify says collections can be applied to specific product variants, not only to the entire product.
Will existing collections need to be recreated?
No. Shopify says existing collections are automatically moved to the new admin experience.
What should stores know if they use custom apps?
If apps interact with collections, Shopify recommends that developers update their integrations to API version 2026-07.
