How Do You Change the Default "Sort by" Option in Shopify?

Your product order can influence customer behavior. A well-organized store guides shoppers to items they're likely to buy, potentially boosting your sales. Plus, it creates a smoother shopping experience, which can lead to happier customers and repeat visits.

Shopify's "Sort by" feature lets you put your best foot forward, whether that means showcasing bestsellers or highlighting new arrivals. Here's how to manipulate the Shopify "Sort by" options to enhance your store's functionality and user engagement.

» Take control of your Shopify store through automation

Benefits of Customizing the "Sort by" Option in Shopify

• Improve user experience: The right product order can reduce friction in the browsing process, helping customers find what they're looking for faster. For example, showcasing bestsellers first makes it easier for new visitors to see what’s popular without having to navigate through every product.
• Increase conversion rates: Displaying products in a way that aligns with customer preferences—whether by price, popularity, or new arrivals—can influence purchasing decisions and drive more sales.
• Better inventory management: With automated sorting options, you can ensure that your best-performing products or current stock are given priority, optimizing inventory visibility.
• Tailored shopping journey: Dynamic sorting methods, such as using apps like Bestsellers reSort, offer the flexibility to adapt to changing customer behaviors and trends, offering a more personalized experience.
• Enhanced searchability: Using clear categories or sorting by attributes like price and rating allows customers to find exactly what they need quickly, which is crucial for higher satisfaction and repeat business.

» Learn how to create custom sort rules for Shopify product variants

Different Shopify Sorting Options

Shopify offers several ways to arrange your products:

• Manual selection
• Best-selling products (the default setting)
• Price (high to low or low to high)
• Alphabetical order (A-Z or Z-A)
• Date added (newest to oldest or vice versa)

» See how Shopify compares with Amazon in product sorting capabilities

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Step-by-Step Guide to Change Your Default Sorting Options

On most Shopify themes, the default alphabetical sorting order is applied to any collection you add. However, this sorting option may not suit your shop if it requires a more user-friendly display of featured or best-selling products first. Here's what you need to do to change your sorting settings.

When customers view a collection on your online store, products display in the sort order you choose. By default, products are sorted alphabetically by title, but you can change this to better showcase your products.

Step 1: Head over to Products > Collections in your Shopify admin panel.

Step 2: Click on the collection you want to edit.

Step 3: In the Products section, click the Sort dropdown menu and select your preferred sorting option:

1. Best selling: Shows top sellers first (great for social proof)
2. Product title: Alphabetical (A-Z) or reverse (Z-A)
3. Highest/Lowest price: Sort by price point
4. Newest/Oldest: Sort by creation date
5. Manually: Custom order you control

Step 4: If you selected "Manually", you can rearrange products in two ways:

a. Drag and drop: Click the ⠿ icon and drag products to reorder them

b. Move to position: Select one or more products, carry on with selecting the specific position from the drop-down menu, and then click Move

Step 5: Click Save to apply your changes.

» Expanding your collection? Learn how to group and add new products to your Shopify collections

If you want to create a collection that automatically includes all your products with a specific sort order, you can set up an automated collection. This is useful for creating a comprehensive "Shop All" page.

Step 1: Head to Products, then Collections in your Shopify admin.

Step 2: Click "Add collection".

Step 3: Change the title to "All Products" (or your preferred name like "Shop All").

Step 4: Under Collection type, select Smart.

Step 5: For "Products must match", select all conditions.

Step 6: Set the condition: Price is greater than 0. This ensures all products with a price are included.

Step 7: Click Save.

Step 8: After saving, use the Sort dropdown (from Section 1) to choose how products display in this collection.

» Discover how to add a product to a Shopify page

How to Remove the "Sort by" Drop-Down Menu

Sometimes, less is more. To simplify your customers' shopping experience and guide them toward making a purchase, follow these steps:

Step 1: Navigate to Online Store > Themes in your Shopify admin.

Step 2: Click "Edit theme" on your active theme to open the theme editor.

Step 3: In the theme preview, use the page selector at the top to navigate to Collections (or select a specific collection page).

Step 4: In the left sidebar, look for the Collection or Product grid section in the Template settings.

Step 5: Within the collection, there's a Filtering and sorting feature; click on it.

Step 6: Then, on the right-hand side of your screen, toggle off Sorting.

Step 7: Click Save in the top right corner.

Supercharge Your Sorting With Bestsellers reSort

While Shopify's built-in sort by options are useful, Egnition's Bestsellers reSort app takes product organization to the next level. This tool lets you:

• Automatically sort products based on revenue, sales, inventory, and more
• Create custom collections with specific sorting rules
• Update product order dynamically to reflect real-time data

By using Bestsellers reSort, you can craft a more personalized shopping experience that adapts to your business needs and customer preferences.

» Read this Bestsellers reSort review to find out more

Advanced Sorting Rules Suitable for Every Store

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Bring Your Product Sorting to Order

Whether you stick with Shopify's built-in options or explore advanced tools like Bestsellers reSort, the key is to find an arrangement that works for both you and your customers. The Shopify sort by feature allows you to organize products effectively, ensuring a seamless shopping experience that encourages conversions.

Remember, there's no one-size-fits-all solution—experiment with different sorting methods, analyze your sales data, and make adjustments as needed. Your ideal product order, designed to meet customer expectations and drive sales, is just a few clicks away.

» Try Egnition Bestsellers reSort app to improve your Shopify store