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How to Change the Order of Products on Shopify: A Merchant’s Guide to Curated Catalogs

Changing the order of products on your Shopify store is surprisingly straightforward, but the “how” depends entirely on where you want to change that order. Fundamentally, Shopify allows you to manually reorder products within a collection, or, for the homepage, highlight certain products through featured collections or customized sections. You’ll navigate to Products > Collections, select the collection you want to adjust, and then use the “Sort” dropdown menu to choose a sorting method or manually drag-and-drop products to your preferred arrangement.

Understanding Product Sorting on Shopify

Product presentation is paramount to online success. Customers rarely scroll through endless, unsorted lists. They want a curated experience, one that intuitively guides them to the items they’re most likely to purchase. Shopify understands this, which is why it offers multiple ways to control the order in which your products are displayed.

Default Sort Order vs. Customization

By default, Shopify often sorts products based on their creation date, which is rarely optimal. Imagine a new customer landing on your “Best Sellers” collection and seeing items you haven’t restocked in months! That’s where manual sorting becomes your best friend. You can strategically arrange items to highlight new arrivals, promote seasonal products, or boost the visibility of slow-moving inventory.

Navigating the Shopify Admin Panel

Let’s get our hands dirty! Here’s a step-by-step guide to changing the order of products within a collection:

Log in to your Shopify Admin Panel. This is your command center.
Navigate to Products > Collections. The “Collections” section is where you organize your merchandise into logical groupings.
Select the Collection you want to modify. Click the name of the collection you wish to reorder.
Locate the “Products” section. Scroll down until you see a list of products included in the collection.
Use the “Sort” dropdown menu. This is the magic wand. You’ll find it above the list of products, usually on the right-hand side.

Sorting Options Explained

The “Sort” dropdown offers several options, each with its advantages:

Featured: This is the manual drag-and-drop option. You have absolute control.
Best Selling: Automatically sorts based on sales data. Useful for showcasing popular items.
Title (A-Z): Alphabetical order. Good for easy browsing if customers know what they’re looking for.
Title (Z-A): Reverse alphabetical order.
Price (Lowest to Highest): Ideal for budget-conscious shoppers.
Price (Highest to Lowest): Perfect for highlighting premium products.
Date (Oldest to Newest): Shows products in the order they were added to Shopify.
Date (Newest to Oldest): Highlights recently added items.
Manually (Drag and Drop): Offers the maximum control allowing you to organize each product as you like.

Manual Drag-and-Drop: The Power of Control

For ultimate control, choose “Featured” in the “Sort” dropdown. This activates the drag-and-drop functionality. Simply click and hold the “grip” icon (usually a set of small lines) next to a product, and then drag it to its desired position. This method allows you to carefully curate the order based on your specific marketing goals.

Reordering Products on the Homepage

While you can’t directly “sort” all products on the homepage like you can within a collection, you can achieve a similar effect by:

Using Featured Collections: Create collections specifically designed for your homepage and strategically order the products within those collections.
Customizing your Shopify Theme: Most themes allow you to add, remove, and rearrange sections on your homepage. Use this feature to showcase particular collections or products in a specific order. Consider hiring a Shopify expert for advanced customizations.

The Importance of Mobile Optimization

Remember that most customers browse on mobile devices. Ensure your product sorting choices translate well to smaller screens. A carefully curated order on a desktop can look chaotic on a phone if not properly considered. Test your shop on mobile devices regularly!

Advanced Strategies and Considerations

Beyond the basics, consider these advanced strategies for optimizing your product ordering:

Seasonal Adjustments: Regularly update your product order to reflect seasonal trends and promotions.
A/B Testing: Use A/B testing apps to experiment with different product orderings and see which converts best.
Customer Behavior Analysis: Analyze customer behavior (e.g., popular search terms, frequently viewed products) to inform your sorting decisions.
Inventory Levels: Prioritize products with ample inventory to avoid stockouts and customer disappointment.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are 12 frequently asked questions about changing the order of products on Shopify:

1. How do I change the order of products in a collection on Shopify?

Navigate to Products > Collections, select the collection, and use the “Sort” dropdown menu to choose a sorting method (e.g., manual “Featured,” Best Selling, Price, Date). For manual control, use the drag-and-drop functionality when “Featured” is selected.

2. Can I change the order of products on my Shopify homepage?

Yes, but indirectly. Use Featured Collections to showcase specific products in a desired order. You can also customize your Shopify theme to rearrange sections and highlight particular collections.

3. What is the “Featured” sort option in Shopify collections?

“Featured” allows you to manually drag and drop products within a collection to create a custom order. It provides the most control over product placement.

4. How often should I update the order of products in my collections?

This depends on your business. At a minimum, update your product order seasonally or whenever you launch new products or promotions. More frequent adjustments may be necessary for rapidly changing inventory.

5. Does Shopify automatically reorder products based on sales?

Yes, you can select “Best Selling” in the “Sort” dropdown, which automatically orders products based on sales data.

6. Can I use an app to automatically reorder products on Shopify?

Yes, several apps are available in the Shopify App Store that offer automated product sorting based on various criteria, such as inventory levels, sales performance, or customer behavior.

7. How do I ensure my product order looks good on mobile devices?

Test your store on mobile devices regularly! Ensure the product order is logical and visually appealing on smaller screens. Consider reducing the number of products displayed per row to avoid overcrowding.

8. Will changing the product order affect my SEO (Search Engine Optimization)?

Generally, changing the visual order of products on the page won’t directly impact SEO. However, if you are changing the product titles or descriptions while reordering, that could affect SEO. Focus on providing a good user experience to improve ranking.

9. Can I set different product orders for different collections?

Yes, each collection has its own independent sorting options. You can customize the product order individually for each collection.

10. How do I revert to the default product order in a collection?

If you’ve manually sorted using “Featured,” you can revert to a different sorting method (e.g., Date Added) using the “Sort” dropdown. There is no true “default” as the initial order depends on how products were originally added. You may have to manually rearrange products to return to your previous order.

11. Can I schedule product order changes in advance?

Shopify doesn’t offer native scheduling for product order changes. You would need to use a third-party app or manually make the changes at the desired time.

12. What happens if I delete a product that was part of a manually sorted collection?

When the product is deleted, it is automatically removed from the collection. The order of the remaining products in the collection will adjust to fill the gap. You might need to review the ordering to ensure it still aligns with your intentions.

By understanding and utilizing these strategies, you can create a compelling and effective shopping experience for your customers, ultimately boosting sales and customer satisfaction. The power to curate your catalog lies at your fingertips – use it wisely!