Collections: Add custom tag groups for filtering

Vintage themes

This article is for users of Vintage Venue, between versions 4.4.0 and 4.8.6. For Venue OS 2.0 users, find the new and improved filtering method here: Collections - Set up your collection sidebar filters  Unsure of what version you have? Check out Shopify's guide on finding your current theme version here.

Are custom tag groups the best filtering option?

In short no, not anymore.

Previous versions of Shopify's online store did not contain any built-in filtering capabilities. Creating a collection filter required the use of an app, these apps were often affecting website performance along with causing other issues for our customers.

To combat this, we used some clever code workarounds to create filtering functionality based on tags and this was built into our themes.

However, with the release of Online Store 2.0 came a filtering system that is fully integrated with the Shopify platform, making it far more powerful and scaleable.

While our custom tags workaround was a great solution at the time, we now recommend moving over to the new filtering system which we have fully incorporated into our themes.

Please find our article on this here: Collections - Set up your collection sidebar filters 

How to set up tag groups for filtering

Creating these tag groups in your product is almost identical to the way you add standard tags to product but you must use a particular format that utilizes underscores.

If for example, you had a smartphone cover business some of the tags you would use, in the correct format would be  Manufacturer_Samsung, Color_Black, and Material_Silicon. The left side of the underscore is the tag group name (and used as the heading above the tags), and the right side is the tag for the product. 

Spaces can be included on either side of the underscore. 

Please note that sometimes there can be a small delay in your newly created Tag Groups displaying in the sidebar/drawer filter on your site. This delay is caused by the Shopify platform updating and not the Venue theme.

Display the tag groups in your store

Typically you would display these groups in the filter sidebar or filter drawer on your collection pages.

1

Log in to your Shopify store admin

2

Click on Online Store then Themes in the side menu to get to the themes area of your admin.

3

Click the Customize button next to your active theme to go to the theme editor.

4

Once the editor is open navigate to any collection page. You can use the dropdown at the top of the screen as a shortcut. From here, choose Collections, Default collection followed by Collection page :

5

Once you are viewing a collection page click on the 'Collection page' section on the left of the editor.

6

Once this section is open look for the ''Filters' section and make sure the 'Enable filters' checkbox is checked and active.

7

You can then decide if to wish to display your filters as a sidebar or a slide out drawer on desktop. Mobile width always uses a drawer design.

8

Next you need to add some content (menus and tags) to your sidebar/drawer filter by clicking on the 'Add block' link in the dropdown just below Collection page:

9

If you are using these Tag Groups we'd recommend you don't use the 'All tags' option as the tags with underscores will look a little messy and confusing for the customer.

10

Select 'Tag groups' - this will add all of the tag groups you have set up to your filter.

11

Remember to save and then check your work on your live store.

Note: Groups are ordered alphabetically, and so are the tags listed inside the groups. A Shopify expert can help you customize the order