Shopify Sub-collections: How To Create & Show Them (2026 Guide)

Shopify sub collections let shoppers move from a broad group of products to a narrow one, and you can set them up without code in 2 parts: building the collections and showing them to shoppers. Many merchants nest a menu item, refresh their store, and see no change, because Shopify has no single “add sub collection” button. I’m Charlie Ngo, Marketing Manager at BOGOS, and I built this guide from the Shopify Help Center, Shopify’s developer docs, theme documentation, Baymard Institute research, and a review of the 7 top-ranking guides on this topic.

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TL;DR

• Shopify sub collections are smaller collections placed under a parent collection, such as “Serums” under “Skincare.”
• The term has 2 meanings: a browsing structure built with menus and page tiles, and Shopify’s native sub-collection feature, which fills one collection with the products of other collections.
• Shopify’s native feature only merges products onto the parent page, so shoppers see one product grid with no links to the sub-collections.
• You show sub collections to shoppers with a drop-down menu, collection list tiles, a theme subcollections block, or a filter on the parent page.
• Shopify menus allow 3 levels, and the native feature allows 1 level of nesting and up to 50 parent collections per store.
• Collection URLs stay flat, such as /collections/serums, so SEO depends on internal links, unique content, and enough products per page.
• Sub collections lift sales when you add a best sellers group, link related groups, and match an offer to each group.

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1. What are Shopify sub-collections?

Shopify sub-collections are smaller collections placed under a broader parent collection. For example, a skincare store can place “Cleansers,” “Toners,” “Serums,” and “Moisturizers” under one “Skincare” collection.

People also call them subcollections, sub-collections, or collections within collections.

The term now has 2 meanings, and both matter when you build your store:

• The browsing meaning: Menus and page tiles link a parent collection page to its child collection pages. Most guides and themes use the term this way.
• Shopify’s native meaning: Shopify’s developer documentation calls a collection that takes its products from other collections a “sub-collection source.” The Shopify Help Center calls the same feature “nested collections.”

Each sub-collection is still a normal collection with its own page, title, and URL. The basics of creating and organizing Shopify collections apply to every one of them.

Sub-collections vs nested collections vs tags vs filters

Sub-collections, nested collections, tags, and filters all help shoppers narrow down a large catalog, but each one changes something different.

Tool	What it changes	What shoppers see	How you build it	Best for
Sub-collections (browsing)	How shoppers move between pages	Links or tiles to smaller collection pages	Menus, collection list sections, theme blocks	Clear product groups that shoppers browse by
Nested collections (native)	Which products a parent page shows	One product grid with every product from the child collections, and no links to them	A Collection source in the collection editor	Parent pages that should show every child product
Tags	Which products join a smart collection	Nothing directly	Product tags plus a smart collection condition	Filling collections automatically
Filters	Which products show on one page	Options such as size, color, or price	The Search & Discovery app	Attributes such as size, color, or material

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2. Does Shopify support sub-collections natively?

Shopify supports sub-collections natively, but the feature only changes which products appear on the parent collection page. Shoppers see the sub-collections themselves only when you add a menu, tiles, a theme block, or a filter.

Here is what a shopper sees when a “Skincare” collection uses the native feature to connect Cleansers, Toners, Serums, and Moisturizers:

• The Skincare page shows one product grid with every product from all 4 sub-collections.
• The Skincare page shows no tiles, buttons, or menu links to Cleansers, Toners, Serums, or Moisturizers.
• Each sub-collection keeps its own page, such as /collections/serums, but shoppers reach it only through a link you add.
• Shopify’s standard filters cover availability, category, price, product type, tags, and vendor, so no “Serums” checkbox appears on its own.

In short, the native feature handles the products, and you handle the navigation. You show sub-collections to shoppers in 4 ways: a drop-down menu, collection list tiles, a theme subcollections block, or a filter on the parent page.

The native feature works only in Shopify’s new collections model. The legacy model is Shopify’s original system, where each collection is either manual or smart, and Shopify’s Collections page says the new model is replacing it. To check your store, start creating a collection: if Shopify asks you to choose manual or smart, your store is still on the legacy model.

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3. Why sub-collections matter for shoppers

Sub-collections help shoppers reach the right group of products in fewer clicks, and research shows many shoppers browse this way.

In a 2025 survey of 1,167 US online shoppers by Baymard Institute, 37% said they use a site’s navigation when browsing for products with specific features. Another 31% use navigation when browsing for products they choose by look.

Long, flat lists cause problems. Baymard’s 2026 navigation benchmark found most test participants felt overwhelmed when they saw more than about 10 subcategory options.

Most stores still have room to improve. The same benchmark rated navigation on 61% of desktop sites and 65% of mobile sites as mediocre or poor, across more than 180 leading US and European sites.

Large collections also lose their filters. Shopify’s Search & Discovery filters guide says collections with more than 5,000 products don’t display filters. Shopify suggests splitting a large “Women fashion” collection into smaller ones, such as Tops, Jeans, and Boots.

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4. How to plan your sub-collection structure

Plan your structure before you build anything, because moving collections later means changing menus, templates, and links. Use this checklist:

• Keep the main menu short. Shopify’s drop-down menu guide recommends 7 or fewer top-level menu items.
• Group products the way shoppers shop. A shopper looks for “Running shoes,” not the name of your supplier.
• Keep about 10 or fewer sub collections under each parent. Baymard advises splitting a group again once it reaches about 10 options.
• Keep at least 10 products in each lowest-level collection. Baymard gives this guideline in the same 2026 benchmark.
• Use filters for size, color, or material. Baymard found that 79% of sites create categories where filters would work better, which stops shoppers from comparing similar products in one list.
• Build sub collections as smart collections. Smart collections add new matching products on their own, so your sub collections stay full without manual updates.

These sample structures show what a clear plan looks like:

Store type	Parent collection	Sub collections
Fashion	Women	Dresses, Tops, Jeans, Shoes
Beauty	Skincare	Cleansers, Toners, Serums, Moisturizers
Home	Living room	Sofas, Coffee tables, Rugs, Lighting

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5. How to set up sub-collections in Shopify

Setting up sub collections in Shopify takes 2 jobs: creating the collections and showing them to shoppers. Shopify’s native feature covers only the first job, so every store needs at least one method for the second job.

#1 How to create sub-collections in Shopify

Creating sub collections takes 2 steps: create each sub collection as a normal collection, then connect them to the parent collection if you want the parent page to show every product.

Create your sub-collections

Each sub collection is a normal Shopify collection, so you create them the same way as any other collection:

• Step 1: From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Collections.
• Step 2: Click Add collection.
• Step 3: Add a title, such as “Serums,” and a short description.
• Step 4: Add products by hand or with a condition, such as “Product type is equal to Serum.”
• Step 5: Click Save, then repeat for each sub-collection and for the parent collection.

Connect sub-collections to the parent with Shopify’s native feature

Shopify’s native sub-collection feature makes a parent collection show every product from the collections you connect to it. For example, an “All skincare” collection can pull in Cleansers, Toners, Serums, and Moisturizers, and new products in those collections appear on the parent page too.

This step builds the parent page only. Shoppers see no links to the sub-collections until you add at least one of the methods in the next part.

This feature solves a common gap. Some guides tell merchants to leave the parent collection empty, but shoppers often want to see everything in a category before they narrow down.

Follow these steps:

• Step 1: From your Shopify admin, go to Products > Collections.
• Step 2: Click the parent collection.
• Step 3: In the default source or a new source, change the source drop-down from Products to Collection.
• Step 4: Click Connect a collection and choose a sub-collection.
• Step 5: Repeat for each sub-collection, then click Save.

The feature has 4 limits:

• Your store can have up to 50 collections that contain another collection, according to the same Shopify guide.
• One source can include up to 10 collections, and one collection can have up to 10 sources, according to Shopify’s developer documentation.
• Nesting goes 1 level deep, so a collection you connect can’t pull products from other collections itself.
• A product that sits in 2 connected collections appears only once on the parent page.

Stores on the legacy model can get a similar result with a tag. Add one shared tag, such as “skincare,” to every product in the sub collections. Then make the parent a smart collection with the condition “Product tag is equal to skincare.”

#2 How to show sub-collections to shoppers

You can show sub collections to shoppers in 4 no-code ways: a drop-down menu, collection list tiles, a theme subcollections block, or a filter on the parent page. A mega menu app or custom code covers needs beyond these 4.

Show sub-collections in a drop-down menu

A drop-down menu is the most common way to show sub-collections, and Shopify says every theme displays nested menu items as drop-downs from the main menu. Follow these steps:

• Step 1: From your Shopify admin, go to Content > Menus.
• Step 2: Click your main menu.
• Step 3: Add the parent collection as a menu item, or use an existing one.
• Step 4: Click Add menu item, enter a name, and link it to a sub-collection.
• Step 5: Drag the new item until it is indented under the parent item.
• Step 6: Repeat for each sub-collection, then click Save menu.

Shopify allows 2 levels of nested items under each top-level item, so a menu can have 3 levels in total, such as Women > Clothing > Dresses. Shopify notes that you may need to update your theme to show all 3 levels.

Add a “View all” link as the first item in each drop-down. Shopify explains that most themes turn a drop-down header into a button that opens the menu, not a link to the parent page. Baymard’s research found that a first-position “View all” item that names the category, such as “View all skincare,” works best for shoppers.

Stores created before 2018 might see the error “Menu cannot contain nested menus.” Shopify says these stores may need its support team to turn on nested navigation.

Show sub-collection tiles on the parent collection page

Collection list tiles show your sub-collections as clickable images at the top of the parent collection page. They help shoppers who land on the parent page from Google, an ad, or an email, because these shoppers see the options without opening the menu.

You add tiles with a custom collection template, so only the parent page shows them:

• Step 1: From your Shopify admin, go to Online Store > Themes, then click Edit Themes.
• Step 2: Use the page selector at the top to open Collections, then create a new template, such as “Skincare parent.”
• Step 3: Click Add section and choose Collection list.
• Step 4: Select your sub-collections in the section, then drag the section above the product grid.
• Step 5: Click Save.
• Step 6: Go to Products > Collections, open the parent collection, choose your new template in the Theme template menu, and click Save.

Put the tiles at the top and give each one a clear image. Baymard’s 2026 benchmark found 38% of sites don’t make subcategories the main content of these parent pages, and 39% have missing or hard-to-read subcategory thumbnails.

Show sub-collections with your theme’s sub-collections block

Some themes include a sub-collections block that builds tiles from your menu automatically. You set up the drop-down menu once, and the theme shows each parent’s sub-collections on that parent’s page.

Archetype Themes adds a Sub-collections block inside the Product grid section of its collection template. RoarTheme’s Be Yours theme uses a Sub-collections section where you choose which menu it reads.

These blocks have strict rules. Archetype lists 3 of them:

• The theme must read Shopify’s default main menu, whose handle is “main-menu.”
• Each collection link should appear only once in the menu.
• Menu links that include filters or tags can stop the tiles from showing.

Be Yours adds that every menu item used for tiles must link to a collection, not a page or a product. Check your own theme’s documentation for its version of this feature.

Let shoppers narrow the parent page with a filter

A filter on the parent page lets shoppers narrow the merged product grid to one sub-collection’s products without leaving the page. This works only when your sub collections are built from an attribute that Shopify can filter, such as product type, product category, vendor, or tag.

For example, if Serums is a smart collection with the condition “Product type is equal to Serum,” a Product type filter on the Skincare page shows a “Serum” option with the same products.

Follow these steps:

• Step 1: From your Shopify admin, go to Apps > Search & Discovery.
• Step 2: Click Filters, then click Add filter.
• Step 3: Click the Source field and choose the attribute your sub-collections use, such as Product type.
• Step 4: Optional: rename the filter label, such as “Shop by type.”
• Step 5: Click Save.

Filters have 4 limits. Your theme must support filters; collections with more than 5,000 products don’t display filters, and a store can have up to 25 filters. The tag filter also shows only to shoppers browsing in your store’s default language.

Use a filter together with a menu or tiles. Shoppers can then open a sub collection’s own page or narrow the parent page, whichever suits them.

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6. A complete sub-collection setup, step by step

A complete setup combines 3 layers: smart sub-collections, a parent page that shows every product, and menus plus tiles that help shoppers narrow down. Here is how a sample skincare store with 140 products would build it:

1. Create 4 smart collections with product type conditions: Cleansers (32 products), Toners (18), Serums (46), and Moisturizers (44).
2. Create a “Skincare” parent collection and connect all 4 sub-collections with a Collection source. The parent page now shows all 140 products.
3. In the main menu, add “Skincare” with 5 items under it: “View all skincare,” Cleansers, Toners, Serums, and Moisturizers.
4. Build a “Skincare parent” template with collection list tiles above the product grid, and assign it to the Skincare collection.
5. Add a Product type filter so shoppers can narrow the Skincare page to one group, and a “Skin type” filter instead of extra sub-collections such as “Serums for dry skin.”

With this setup, a shopper reaches any group in 2 clicks from the main menu. A shopper who lands on the Skincare page from Google sees the 4 tiles first, then every product below them.

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7. Shopify sub-collections and SEO

Shopify sub collections help SEO because each one is a separate page that can rank for a narrower search, such as “vitamin C serum.” Every Shopify collection URL uses /collections/ plus the collection’s handle, so a sub collection lives at /collections/serums, not /collections/skincare/serums. This flat structure is standard on every Shopify store, so your sub collection pages compete on the same terms as every other store’s pages.

These 4 steps help sub collection pages rank:

• Write a unique page title and meta description for each sub-collection. Shopify’s collection settings guide says titles over 70 characters and descriptions over 320 characters may get cut off in search results.
• Add a short, unique description to each page. Explain what the group contains and who it suits.
• Link each sub-collection from the menu and from tiles on the parent page. Internal links help search engines find and understand each page.
• Turn on breadcrumbs if your theme supports them. Google’s breadcrumb documentation says a breadcrumb trail shows a page’s position in the site hierarchy.

These 4 mistakes hurt sub collection pages:

• Thin sub collections: A page with only 2 or 3 products gives shoppers and search engines little reason to visit, so keep at least 10.
• Duplicate groups: Two collections for the same group, such as “Men’s shirts” and “Shirts for men,” split traffic between 2 pages.
• Tag-filter URLs used as sub-collections: Shopify’s URL redirect guide says you can’t create redirects for URLs such as /collections/skincare/serum.
• Frequent handle changes: Shopify warns that editing a collection’s handle too often can stop it from showing in search results, so create a redirect whenever you change one.

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8. How to use sub-collections to boost sales, AOV, and conversions

Sub-collections can raise sales in 5 ways: guiding undecided shoppers to best sellers, linking related groups, matching an offer to each group, building bundles from one group, and creating gift and seasonal groups. The first 2 mainly help shoppers find a product, which supports your Shopify conversion rate. The last 3 mainly encourage bigger carts.

#1 Add a best sellers sub-collection under each parent

A “Best sellers in skincare” sub-collection gives undecided shoppers a short list of proven choices. Place it right after “View all” in the menu, or as the first tile on the parent page.

The setup for a self-updating Shopify best sellers collection works the same way under each parent.

#2 Link related sub-collections to each other

Each sub-collection page can point shoppers to the group that pairs with it, such as Cleansers to Toners, or Tents to Sleeping bags. Add a collection list section near the bottom of the sub-collection’s template and choose the related groups.

These links give shoppers a reason to add a matching product, which is the core idea behind cross-selling on Shopify.

#3 Match an offer to each sub-collection

A separate offer for each sub-collection often fits better than one sitewide deal, because each product group has its own prices, margins, and buying habits.

Face The Future, a UK beauty retailer that uses BOGOS, set one offer per product line. One offer was “spend £25 on Percy & Reed, get a Percy & Reed hair primer worth £23.” According to the Face The Future case study, its AOV rose from £70 to £151 in under 30 days.

The gift in that offer matches the group the shopper already chose, which is a key rule of any free gift with purchase campaign.

Asking shoppers to spend a little more within one group is a direct way to grow your Shopify AOV.

#4 Use a sub-collection as the pool for a bundle or quantity offer

A sub-collection gives shoppers a clear set of products to choose from in a bundle or quantity offer. Examples include “pick any 3 serums for $60” or “buy 2 haircare products, get a hair mask.”

Face The Future used the second type for the FUL haircare brand: buy 2 or more FUL products and get a free hair mask worth £32. Repeat-purchase groups such as shampoo suit a buy X get Y offer, because shoppers already expect to buy more than one.

For a “pick any 3” offer, a mix and match bundle lets shoppers choose items from the whole sub collection.

#5 Create gift and seasonal sub-collections

Temporary sub collections such as “Gifts under $50” or “Mother’s Day picks” give campaign traffic one focused page to land on. Build them as smart collections with a price or tag condition, so new products join without extra work.

When the season ends, remove the collection from your menu but keep the collection itself. Its URL stays live for next year, and you avoid broken links.

Seasonal groups are a practical part of any plan to increase sales on Shopify around peak dates.

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9. Why your sub collections aren’t showing

Sub collections usually fail to show because nothing links to them, or because of a menu, theme, or template setting. Check these 10 causes in order:

1. You used only the native feature. Connecting sub-collections to a parent adds their products to the parent page but no links, so add a menu, tiles, a theme block, or a filter.
2. The menu item isn’t fully indented. Drag it until it sits under the parent item, then save the menu.
3. Your theme shows fewer levels. Shopify says most themes support 2 nested levels, so check your theme’s documentation or update the theme.
4. Your store was created before 2018. Contact Shopify Support if you see the “nested menus” error.
5. Your theme block reads the wrong menu. Archetype’s block needs the default main menu, and Be Yours needs the menu selected in its section settings.
6. A collection link appears twice in the menu. Keep one link per collection.
7. A menu link includes a tag or filter. Link to the plain collection URL instead.
8. The collection isn’t published to the Online Store. Check its sales channels, and note that Shopify doesn’t add a published collection to your menus on its own.
9. The custom template isn’t assigned. Open the parent collection and select the template in the Theme template menu.
10. Your store is on the legacy model. The Collection source appears only in the new collections model, so use the tag method instead.

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Conclusion

Shopify sub collections help shoppers move from a broad group to the exact products they want, and you can build them without code. Start with a short, clear plan that keeps about 10 or fewer groups under each parent.

Then combine the methods that fit your store. Use a drop-down menu in every store, add tiles to parent pages for shoppers who arrive from search or ads, and connect sub collections with Shopify’s native feature if you want the parent page to show every product. The native feature only fills the parent page with products, so always pair it with a menu, tiles, or a filter that shows shoppers the sub collections.

Once the structure is in place, use it to sell. Add a best sellers group, link related groups, and match an offer to each sub collection, so every group gives shoppers a reason to add one more item.

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