Automatically Update Products in E-commerce Stores, Emails, and Workflows

Charles Higgins

22 Jan 2026 — 8 min read

Keeping an online store organized takes time. We juggle product pages, seasonal promotions, inventory levels, and the emails and automations that rely on accurate product data. Collections—both manual and smart—let us group products in ways that reduce repetitive work and keep our storefront, emails, and workflows up to date without constant manual edits.

This guide explains how collections work, when to use manual versus smart collections, how to set them up, and practical ways to plug them into pages, emails, and automations so our store runs smoothly and reliably.

What are collections and why they matter

Collections are named groupings of products that we can display on storefront pages, include in marketing emails, and reference inside automated workflows. They help shoppers find what they want faster and let our team manage categories and promotions at scale.

Manual collections are handpicked lists where we select exactly which products belong.
Smart collections use rules—like price, product title, or stock level—to automatically include products that meet those conditions.

Both types reduce friction. Manual collections give us pixel-perfect control for curated displays. Smart collections let the catalog update itself as we change product details, freeing us from repetitive updates and reducing human error.

Manual collections: when to pick them and how to create one

Manual collections are ideal when we need precise control. Use them for curated seasonal lists, featured bundles, partner promotions, or handpicked assortments like top sellers or staff picks.

Example: we want a "Hoodies" collection for a limited seasonal display. A manual collection ensures only the exact hoodies we choose appear.

Step-by-step: creating a manual collection

Open the product management area of the platform and locate the Collections section.
Click to create a new collection and choose manual as the collection type.
Upload a cover image that represents the collection visually on the storefront.
Give the collection a clear title and an SEO title and description to improve search visibility.
Use the product search field to add the specific items you want. Add or remove items any time.
Save the collection and place it on your storefront or include it in emails and automations.

Manual collections are flexible. We can swap items in and out quickly. If we need a curated holiday gift list or a branded capsule collection, manual is the fastest route.

Smart collections: automate grouping with rules

Smart collections work by pulling products that match conditions we define. Instead of adding items one by one, we set rules and the collection fills itself as products meet those rules.

This is a game changer for stores that update inventory frequently or work with many SKUs. Common rules include product title, variant price, and inventory levels.

Step-by-step: creating a smart collection

Create a new collection and select smart as the collection type.
Upload a collection image and add an SEO title and description for search engines.
Choose conditions that determine which products are included. Typical conditions:
- Price equals or less than a set amount
- Title contains specific keywords like "hoodie" or "sweatshirt"
- Inventory is less than a threshold, for low-stock displays
Decide whether products must match all conditions or any condition.
Save the collection. Smart collections update automatically when product data changes.

Example rules:

Price equals 10 and Title contains hoodie — shows hoodies priced exactly at 10.
Inventory less than 2 — useful for low-stock lists or reorder alerts.
Any condition: Price equals 10 or Title contains hoodie — broader collection that captures more products.

Note that smart collections may include products you did not intend if conditions are too broad. For example, a digital product with a price of 10 might appear in a "10-dollar products" smart collection unless we refine the conditions by title or product type.

Where to use collections: pages, emails, and workflows

Collections are not just for storefront navigation. They connect directly to pages, email templates, and automation workflows so the same product grouping can be used consistently across customer touchpoints.

Adding collections to a storefront page

Open the site editor and choose the page where you want to display products.
Insert a collection component or block from the page builder.
Select which collection to display from the dropdown. Collections will render the matching products automatically.
Style the component to match your site and publish the change.

Smart collections update live. A new product that meets the rules will appear on the storefront without additional work. Manual collections need manual edits to add or remove items.

Using collections in email templates

Include a collection block in marketing emails to dynamically show a set of products that match the collection criteria. This is great for automated promotional campaigns, such as:

New arrivals fed from a "New" smart collection
Clearance items pulled from a smart collection by price or tag
Curated picks from manual collections for a segmented newsletter

Because smart collections change as product data changes, the same email template can be reused without manual updates to the product list inside the email.

Referencing collections inside workflows

Workflows can read collection membership and trigger actions based on product changes. Practical examples:

Create a low-stock workflow that monitors a smart collection where inventory is less than a threshold and notifies the operations team.
Trigger an upsell sequence when a purchased item is part of a "frequently bought together" manual collection.
Use collections to segment customers for targeted follow-up campaigns based on what they viewed or purchased.

Best practices and practical tips

Implement these rules to get the most out of collections and avoid common pitfalls.

Clear naming and SEO

Use descriptive collection names for both customers and internal teams. "Men's Lightweight Hoodies" is more useful than "Hoodies 1".
Fill out SEO title and description fields for each collection to improve search visibility. This helps customers find sections of your store via search engines.

Use images consistently

Upload a representative image for each collection. A clear hero image increases click-through rates from the storefront and makes emails feel polished.

Avoid accidental inclusions

Refine smart collection conditions to exclude unintended products. Use a title contains rule or a product type condition to stop unrelated digital products from appearing in physical product collections.

Understand collection rules behavior

Choosing all conditions means a product must meet every rule to be included.
Choosing any condition means a product meeting at least one rule will be included.
Once a collection is created as manual or smart, the type cannot be changed. Plan accordingly.

Empty smart collections are fine

A smart collection can exist even if no products currently match its rules. It remains ready and will populate automatically when a matching product is added or updated.

Multiple collection membership

A single product can belong to many collections. This is useful for cross-promotions and seasonal overlays. For example, one hoodie can be in "Hoodies", "Holiday Gifts", and "Under $50" simultaneously.

Use cases and automation examples

Below are practical scenarios we can implement quickly to save time and improve customer experience.

Seasonal promotion with minimal effort

Set up a smart collection for holiday items by using tags or title keywords. Use that collection in a promotional banner on the storefront and in the holiday email campaign. As we add holiday-tagged products, they automatically appear everywhere the collection is used.

Low-stock alert workflow

Create a smart collection with the condition Inventory less than 2.
Build a workflow that triggers when a product enters that collection.
Actions in the workflow:
- Send a notification to the operations channel or a team member
- Update a task in the team task list to reorder stock
- Tag the product for review or automatic temporary removal from paid promotion feeds

This automation prevents out-of-stock surprises and keeps marketing aligned with inventory.

Automating price-based campaigns

Create a smart collection where price equals a discount threshold. Use that collection to populate a "Sale" section on the storefront and an automated email sequence targeted at bargain shoppers. When we change a product price to the discounted amount it lands automatically in the sale collection and appears in all related channels.

Dynamic abandoned cart follow-up

When a product in a manual or smart collection is abandoned in cart, we can reference the collection to offer product-specific incentives or include alternative suggestions from the same collection. This increases the chance of recovering the sale while keeping the follow-up relevant.

Troubleshooting common issues

Here are quick fixes for the most common collection hiccups.

Collection shows unexpected products: Check whether the smart rules are too broad. Add a title contains rule or a product type rule to refine results.
Collection is empty: Confirm whether conditions are set to all instead of any. Also check that product titles, tags, and prices match the rule exactly.
Changes not showing immediately: Smart collections update automatically but may take a few minutes to sync across pages and emails.
Need to change type: If you must switch from manual to smart or vice versa, recreate the collection with the desired type and move items or rules accordingly.

Who benefits most from using collections

Collections are valuable for teams of all sizes. They help a small boutique maintain a clean storefront with minimal effort. They let busy marketing teams automate email content without constantly rebuilding campaigns. They give ops teams the visibility they need to act on inventory changes before customers run into problems.

One small apparel brand we worked with reduced the number of manual product updates by 50 percent after moving key categories to smart collections. Marketing time spent on email product updates dropped dramatically because the same dynamic collections populated multiple channels.

Implementation checklist

Create a naming convention for collections and stick to it.
Decide which categories should be manual vs smart based on frequency of change and need for curation.
Fill out SEO titles and descriptions for each collection.
Set up low-stock smart collections and build an alert workflow.
Add collection components to storefront pages and email templates once collections are configured.
Monitor collections for a few days to confirm they populate correctly and adjust rules if necessary.

FAQ

What is the main difference between a manual collection and a smart collection?

A manual collection is curated by hand: we pick each product that appears. A smart collection uses rules like price, title, or inventory to include products automatically as they meet the conditions.

Can a product belong to multiple collections?

Yes. A single product can be included in any number of collections at the same time, which helps with cross-promotions and organized navigation.

Can we change a collection from manual to smart or vice versa?

No. Once a collection type is chosen, it cannot be converted. If you need a different type, recreate the collection with the desired settings and migrate items or rules.

How often do smart collections update?

Smart collections update automatically and typically sync across pages and emails within a few minutes. Allow a short delay for changes to propagate through the system.

What if a smart collection shows products that do not belong?

Refine the conditions. Use more specific rules like Title contains, Product type, or tags. Decide whether products must meet all conditions or any condition to tighten results.

Can a smart collection be empty?

Yes. A smart collection can exist without current matches. It will populate automatically when products meeting the rules are added or updated.

How can collections help with email automation?

Collections let us insert dynamic product groups into emails. A smart collection ensures the email content updates as products meet the rules, allowing us to reuse templates without manual edits.

Final thoughts

Collections are a small but powerful tool that removes hundreds of repetitive tasks from our daily workflow. By choosing the right type for each use case—manual for curation and smart for automation—we keep storefronts accurate, emails consistent, and workflows responsive to real product changes.

Start by converting the top three categories that cause the most maintenance headaches into collections. Add SEO information and images so customers find and trust those sections. Build one low-stock workflow and one sale workflow to see immediate benefits. Over time, collections will reduce manual work and let the team focus on growth instead of updates.