Shopify Product Type vs Collection: Ultimate Guide
![Shopify Product Type](https://nicheblink.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/pp-12-780x470.jpg)
Shopify product types and collections are both essential for organizing your store, but they serve different purposes. Think of “product types” as labels that categorize your products based on their characteristics, like “T-shirts” or “shoes.”.
“Collections,” on the other hand, are like curated groups of products. They allow you to gather items from different categories based on themes, like “new arrivals” or “best sellers.”.
A Shopify product type, previously known as a custom product type, allows you to define a unique product category on your Shopify store beyond the standard options. For example, “Colorful linens” could be a custom product type.
One of the most common things sold on Shopify is handmade goods. If you have a hobby like jewelry making or baking, you may be able to turn it into an online business. To do this, you’ll need to find customers, optimize your production processes, and prepare your products for online sales.
Shopify Product Types: A Comprehensive Guide to Organizing Your Store
Product types are a powerful tool in Shopify that allows you to categorize and manage your products effectively. It helps organize similar products together. For example, if you sell clothing, you might have product types like “T-shirts,” “Jeans,” and “Dresses.” Each product can have only one product type, and you can either use predefined Shopify product types or create custom ones based on your needs.
By using Shopify product types, you can:
- Organize your inventory: Group similar products together, making it easier to find and manage them.
- Create specific collections: Filter products based on type, allowing you to showcase related items to customers.
- Enhance search functionality: Help customers find what they’re looking for by providing more specific search options.
- Automate tasks: Use product types to trigger specific actions, like applying discounts or shipping rules.
What is Product Type in Shopify?
In Shopify, “Product Types” act as categories for your products. They group together items with similar features. For instance, you could have a “T-shirts” product type to hold all the different t-shirts you sell.
These types help you organize your inventory and create collections. Imagine grouping all the products within a specific type into a collection, like a “Summer T-shirt” collection. This makes it easier for customers to find what they’re looking for and for you to manage your store.
“Shopify Product Types” are like labels for your products, grouping similar items together. They’re useful for filtering, creating themed collections, and even setting automatic discounts. However, if not used carefully, they can confuse customers.
To avoid this, use clear and consistent product type names. This helps customers find what they need and easily compare similar items. You can add as many product types as you need, and even change their names or descriptions whenever you want.
Predefined Shopify product types are as follows:
- Physical products
- Digital products
- Gift cards
- Services
Creating Product Types
- Navigate to Products: From your Shopify admin, click on “Products” in the left sidebar.
- Create a New Product: Click on “Add product.”
- Define the Product Type: In the “Product type” field, enter the desired type. For example, “T-shirt,” “Coffee Mug,” or “Laptop.”
- Save the Product: Click on “Save” to create the product with the assigned type.
Managing Product Types
- View Existing Types: Go to “Products” > “All products.” In the “Product type” filter, you can see all the existing types.
- Edit or Delete Types: Click on the “Product type” filter to manage existing types. You can edit the name or delete types as needed.
Utilizing Product Types
- Create Collections: Use the “Product type” filter in the “Collections” section to group products based on their type.
- Apply Discounts: Use product types to apply discounts to specific categories of products.
- Customize Shipping Rules: Set different shipping rates based on product types.
- Use in Themes: Access product types in your theme code to display products in specific ways.
Example: A Clothing Store
Imagine you run a clothing store selling T-shirts, Sweatshirts, and Jeans. You can create these product types in Shopify and then:
- Create collections: “Men’s T-shirts,” “Women’s Sweatshirts,” “Kids’ Jeans.”
- Apply discounts: Offer a 10% discount on all “T-shirts” during a sale.
- Set shipping rules: Charge a flat rate for “T-shirts” and “Sweatshirts,” but offer free shipping on orders over $50 for “Jeans.”
Conclusion
By effectively utilizing product types, you can streamline your Shopify store’s organization, enhance customer experience, and optimize your business operations. Remember to regularly review and update your product types to ensure they accurately reflect your inventory and meet your evolving business needs.
How do I add Shopify product types and tags?
Shopify product type
Let’s dive into how you can add product types and tags in Shopify:
- Product Types:
- Definition: A product type represents the category or classification of a product. It helps organize similar products together.
- Adding Product Types:
- Go to your Shopify admin panel.
- Navigate to Products.
- Click on the specific product you want to edit or create a new one.
- In the Organization section, select or enter product types (separated by commas).
- Click Save.
- Tags:
- Definition: Tags are descriptive labels that you can assign to products. They provide additional context and allow for flexible categorization.
- Adding Tags:
- Similarly, go to your Shopify admin panel.
- Choose the category (e.g., Products).
- Select the specific product.
- Within the Tags section, input new tag names or select existing ones (separated by commas).
- Shopify automatically saves any new tags.
Use both strategically to enhance your store’s organization and customer experience!
Shopify Product Type vs Tags
Product types define the fundamental category of a product, while tags offer more granular details and flexibility. Use both strategically to enhance your Shopify store’s organization and customer experience. In Shopify, both product types and tags play essential roles in organizing your products, but they serve different purposes:
- Product Types:
- Definition: A product type refers to the category or classification of a product. It helps you group similar products.
- Uniqueness: Each product can have only one product type.
- Broadness: It’s recommended to keep product type definitions broad (e.g., “Apparel,” “Electronics”) to cover a wide range of products.
- Example: If you sell clothing, your product types might include “T-shirts,” “Jeans,” and “Dresses.”
- Use Case: Useful for organizing your inventory and creating collections based on product types.
- Tags:
- Definition: Tags are descriptive labels that you can assign to products. They provide additional context and allow for more flexible categorization.
- Multiplicity: A single product can have multiple tags.
- Specificity: Tags can be as broad or specific as needed (e.g., “Organic,” “Summer Collection,” “Sale”).
- Example: If you sell handmade jewelry, you might use tags like “Silver,” “Gemstone,” and “Gift Idea.”
- Use Case: Helpful for filtering products, improving search functionality, and creating custom collections.
Shopify Product Type vs Collection
Let’s explore the difference between Shopify product types and collections:
- Product Types:
- Definition: A product type represents the category or classification of a product. It helps organize similar products together.
- Usage: Product types are more useful for store owners than customers. They create an intuitive layout in the backend.
- Example: If you sell clothing, product types could be “T-shirts,” “Jeans,” and “Dresses.”
- Adding Product Types:
- Log in to your Shopify admin panel.
- Navigate to Products.
- Click Add a product, provide details, and set the product type.
- Save your changes.
- Collections:
- Definition: A collection groups products on a page or in a category for customer convenience.
- Purpose: Collections help customers find what they’re looking for quickly.
- Examples: Collections can be based on attributes like “color,” “size,” “seasons,” or “gender.”
- Creating Collections:
- In your Shopify store, go to Collections.
- Add a new collection, define its criteria (e.g., product type, vendor), and organize products.
- Customers can easily explore grouped items.
Remember, product types are backend labels, while collections enhance the customer experience. Use both wisely to organize your store effectively!
Where to Specify Shopify Product Type
Shopify product type
When you’re editing a product in Shopify, you’ll see a “Product Type” field on the right side of the page. You can start typing in this field to see existing product types you’ve already created. If it’s a new type, just type it in, and you’ll be creating a new category for your products.
Click Save, and your product will save the updated product type.
What is liquid in Shopify
Using Product Types in Shopify Liquid
You can access and use Shopify product templates to enhance your store’s functionality and presentation.
Here are some ways you can use product types in Liquid:
1. Displaying Products by Type:
You can use the product.type
variable to filter and display products based on their type. This allows you to create collections or sections that showcase specific product categories.
{% for product in collection.products %}
{% if product.type == 'T-shirt' %}
<div class="product">
<img src="{{ product.featured_image | img_url: '100x100' }}" alt="{{ product.title }}">
<h3>{{ product.title }}</h3>
<p>{{ product.price | money }}</p>
</div>
{% endif %}
{% endfor %}
This code snippet will display only products with the type “T-shirt” within a collection.
2. Creating Dynamic Content Based on Type:
You can use conditional statements to display different content based on the product type. This allows you to tailor your product pages or collections to specific categories.
{% if product.type == 'Coffee Mug' %}
<p>This mug is perfect for your morning coffee!</p>
{% elsif product.type == 'T-shirt' %}
<p>This T-shirt is made from 100% organic cotton.</p>
{% endif %}
This code snippet will display different descriptions based on the product type.
3. Using Product Types in Collections:
You can use product types to create collections that group products with similar characteristics. This allows you to showcase related products and make it easier for customers to find what they’re looking for.
{% assign tshirts = collection.products | where: 'type', 'T-shirt' %}
{% if tshirts.size > 0 %}
<h2>T-shirts</h2>
{% for product in tshirts %}
<div class="product">
<img src="{{ product.featured_image | img_url: '100x100' }}" alt="{{ product.title }}">
<h3>{{ product.title }}</h3>
<p>{{ product.price | money }}</p>
</div>
{% endfor %}
{% endif %}
This code snippet will create a section for T-shirts within a collection if there are any products with that type.
4. Accessing Product Type Information:
You can use the product.type
variable to access the product type directly and use it in your Liquid code. For example, you can use it to display the product type on the product page.
<p>Product Type: {{ product.type }}</p>
This code snippet will display the product type on the product page.
Remember:
- Always use proper Liquid syntax and ensure your code is well-formatted.
- Test your code thoroughly to ensure it functions as expected.
- Refer to the Shopify Liquid documentation for more information on Liquid syntax and variables.
By utilizing product types in your Liquid code, you can create a more organized and dynamic Shopify store that better meets the needs of your customers.
FAQs
What is a Shopify product object?
In Shopify product type, a “product object” represents a single item for sale. It holds information like name, price, description, images, variants (sizes/colors), and importantly, its “product type” which categorizes it for organization and filtering.
What do Shopify API products?
The Shopify API provides a robust set of tools to manage your products programmatically. By understanding the Shopify API and its capabilities, you can automate tasks, integrate with external services, and build custom applications to enhance your Shopify store’s functionality.
See More:
- Best Coffee Dropshipping Suppliers | Private Label Dropship Coffee
- How Old Do You have to be to Dropship?
- How long does it take to make money dropshipping?
- How Much Does It Cost to Start Dropshipping on Amazon?
- Dropshipping Startup Costs: Launching Your E-Commerce Business on a Shoestring
- How to start a dropshipping business with no money
- How to Build the Successful Dropshipping Stores?
- What is Reverse Dropshipping Website: 10 Effective Products
- Unlock Profits Through Flipping Shopify Stores for Success
- 5 Best One Product Shopify Store Designing Ideas
- Shopify Product Type vs Collection: Ultimate Guide