Can a Shopify Collection Be Changed From Manual to Automated?

Manually updating your collections can be a real hassle—especially if you have a large number of products or frequently change your inventory. But what if there was a way to switch your manual collections to automated ones and save yourself a lot of time and effort?

In this article, we'll explain how to make the change from manual to automatic collections and share some tips for maximizing the benefits of this feature.

» See how automated inventory management solutions can save time and boost efficiency

What Is a Manual Collection in Shopify?

This can be beneficial if you want to create collections that showcase related products or make it easier for your customers to navigate and find specific items within your store.

» Learn how to add products to Shopify collections

What Is an Automated Collection Type in Shopify?

Shopify provides sixty different conditions for you to choose from when creating automated collections. And once you set up the rules, Shopify automatically creates and updates the collections for you.

If the number of products in your Shopify collection has become too large to manage manually, switching to automated collections can save you time and keep your shop organized.

» Streamline your Shopify operations with automated inventory management. Understand how automation can simplify your workflow and enhance accuracy

Can You Change a Manual Collection to an Automated One in Shopify?

No, you can't directly change a manual collection into an automated one in Shopify. But you can create a new automated collection to replace your existing manual collection.

How to Replace a Manual Collection with an Automated One

Follow these steps to create an automated collection that replaces your existing manual collection:

Step 1: Tag Your Products

First, you need to add tags to all the products currently in your manual collection. These tags will be used to set up the automated collection's rules.

Navigate to Products:

• Log in to your Shopify admin
• Click on Products in the left sidebar

Filter for the products in your manual collection:

• Click the Search and filter button at the top

• Add a filter for Collection

• Select your manual collection from the dropdown

• This shows only the products currently in that collection

Select all products:

• Click the checkbox at the top left of the product list to select all products on the page
• If you have more than 50 products, click Select all [X] products that appears at the top

Step 2: Add Tags in Bulk

With your products selected, you'll now add tags that describe what these products have in common.

Open the bulk actions menu:

• Click the three-dot menu (...) at the top of the product list
• Select Add tags from the dropdown

Create descriptive tags:

• In the Add tags field (pop-up), enter one or more tags that describe these products
• Use clear, descriptive tags like:

1. summer-collection
2. best-sellers
3. sale-items
4. winter-2024
5. featured-products

Save the tags:

• Click Save to apply the tags to all selected products

Step 3: Create a New Automated Collection

Now you'll create the automated collection that will replace your manual one.

Navigate to Collections:

• Click on Products in the left sidebar
• Select Collections from the menu

Start creating:

• Click the Add collection button in the top right

Add collection details:

• Enter a Title for your new collection (you can use the same name as your manual collection or choose a new one)
• Add a Description to help customers understand what's in this collection

Step 4: Set Collection Type to Automated

In the Collection type section, select Smart.



This tells Shopify to automatically add products based on the conditions you're about to set up.

Step 5: Set Up Automated Conditions

Now you'll create the rules that determine which products appear in this collection.

Configure the conditions:

• In the Conditions section, you'll see "Products must match:"
• Choose all conditions (if products need to have all the tags) or any condition (if products need at least one tag)

Add your first condition:

• From the dropdown menu, select Tag - and then is equal to.
• In the text field, enter the tag you created in Step 2 (e.g., summer-collection)

Add more conditions (optional):

• If you use multiple tags or want to add other criteria (like product type, vendor, price, etc.), click Add another condition.
• Set up additional rules as needed

Example conditions:

• Product tag is equal to summer-collection
• Product price is greater than $0 (to exclude products without prices)
• Product vendor is equal to Your Brand Name

Step 6: Save Your Automated Collection

Click Save at the top right of the page.

Your new automated collection is now live! Shopify will automatically add any products that match your conditions, including the products from your old manual collection.

Step 7: Verify and Delete the Old Manual Collection

Check your new collection:

• Open your new automated collection
• Verify that it contains all the products from your old manual collection
• Make sure the product count matches

Delete the old manual collection:

• Go back to Products > Collections
• Find your old manual collection
• Click the three-dot menu (...) next to it
• Select Delete collection

• Confirm the deletion

Tips for Creating Effective Automated Collections

• Develop a tagging system and stick to it across all products
• Use lowercase tags to avoid duplicates (e.g., summer vs. Summer)

• You can use product type, vendor, price, inventory, and more
• Example: "Product tag = new-arrival AND Product price > $50"

• After creating the collection, check that it includes the right products
• Adjust conditions if needed

• Think about how new products will fit into your automated collections
• Tag new products appropriately as you add them

Automatically Manage Your Collections With Apps

If you find that Shopify's preset conditions don't quite fit your needs or you want to take your collection management to the next level, third-party Shopify apps can help.

Apps like Bestsellers reSort come with many configuration options. You can organize your products in various ways—to fit each collection and the specific products you sell. Plus, you can sort by tags to create your own unique order. Just upload your CSV file once, and the app categorizes your products automatically.

» Discover how to create custom sort rules for better customer engagement and sales

Advanced Sorting Rules Suitable for Every Store

Customize sorting rules based on product type

Automatically sort and organize products

Add featured products to top of collections

Start Free Trial

Learn what other features Bestsellers reSort offers and how they can help you maintain complete control over sorting:

Enhance Your Shopify Inventory Management

Automated collections and third-party apps can improve your Shopify inventory management process. They can save you time, reduce errors, and let you focus on growing your business. But while Shopify's built-in features are great, using additional software can open up even more possibilities.

The key is to find the right balance between automation and customization for your store. Don't be afraid to try out different settings and apps to see what works best. It might take some experimenting, but ensuring a smooth shopping experience for your customers is worth it.

» Use these simple strategies to create lasting loyalty and repeat business