Shopify navigation: menus and collections shoppers follow

Key takeaways

In Shopify, menus are managed in the Navigation settings, usually a main menu and a footer menu, and point mainly to collections. Organise collections the way shoppers browse, by product type, need or occasion, keep top-level items few and use nested items for subcategories. Support the menu with filters and search, and check your theme's mobile menu.

• Menus live in the Shopify admin's Navigation settings.
• Collections act as categories; name them as shoppers search.
• Shopify supports nested menu items; keep depth shallow.
• Filters and search support the menu on larger stores.

How does Shopify navigation work?

Shopify stores menus in the admin under Online Store, Navigation, typically a main menu and a footer menu that the theme displays. Each menu item links to a collection, product, page, blog or URL, and items can be nested under a parent. How nested items appear, as dropdowns or mega menus, depends on the theme. Check current Shopify documentation for limits.

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How should collections be organised?

Collections are your categories. Organise them the way shoppers browse: by product type for most shops, by need or occasion for gift and lifestyle shops. Name them in shoppers' words. A product can sit in several collections, so shoppers who browse by type and by occasion can both find it.

• Top-level collections by product type or need.
• Subcategory collections nested under them.
• Occasion or gift collections as a separate branch.
• Names that match search terms.
• A clear 'All products' or 'Shop all' route.

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How deep should a Shopify menu go?

Two levels suit most small shops: a category and its subcategories. Deeper nesting may be supported but becomes hard to use, especially on phones. If you have many subcategories, a mega menu in the theme can show them in groups on desktop, with filters to narrow further.

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What supports the menu?

Filters on collection pages, such as size, colour and price, let shoppers narrow results without deeper menus. Shopify's Search and Discovery app can configure filters and search synonyms. Search should be visible in the header on any store with more than a few dozen products.

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What are the common Shopify navigation mistakes?

The common mistakes are menus organised by supplier or internal codes, collections with one or two products, mobile menus that hide subcategories behind unclear arrows, and themes or apps that slow the menu. Test on a phone, where most shoppers browse.

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What does this look like in practice?

A pattern we see: a gift shop's menu lists 14 collections at the top level, several holding only a few products. Grouping them into four product types and one 'Gifts by occasion' branch, with filters for price and recipient, makes the menu scannable on a phone.

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Shopify navigation checklist

• Main menu with a few top-level collections.
• Subcategories nested one level down.
• Collections named in shoppers' words.
• Filters on collection pages.
• Visible search on larger stores.
• Mobile menu tested on a phone.

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Next step

Open your store on a phone and try to reach a subcategory from the menu in three taps.