How to Set Default Sort Order & Manual Product Arrangement in Shopify Collections (Dawn Theme)

How to Control Shopify Collection Sorting and Manual Product Order (Dawn Theme)

In this tutorial, we’ll look at how to control which products appear first in your Shopify collections by changing your default sort order and manually arranging products. Whether you want your bestsellers at the top or a specific product to catch your customer’s eye, this guide shows you how — all using the built-in Shopify features.

When you first create a collection, Shopify automatically applies a default sorting option like “Price: Low to High.” This can be frustrating for store owners who want their top products or bundles to show first. Luckily, it’s easy to change.

Go to your Shopify admin and open Products → Collections. Select a collection, scroll down, and find the Default Product Sorting dropdown. This setting determines what customers see when they first load the collection page. You can change this to “Best Selling,” “Newest,” “Price (High to Low),” or even “Manual.”

Choosing “Manual” gives you total control — you can drag and drop products into any order directly within your collection list. This is especially useful if you’re promoting a seasonal product, high-margin item, or your flagship bundle. Once you save, your collection will display exactly how you arranged it.

To make your store more interactive, head into your Theme Editor (Online Store → Themes → Customize → Collection Page) and enable the checkboxes for Sorting and Filtering. These controls let your customers refine their shopping experience, helping them find what they’re looking for faster — and ultimately improving conversions.

If you’re new to Shopify and just setting up your first store, check out the 30-Day Beginner’s Shopify Program. It walks you through every part of store setup — from product listings and theme customization to shipping, payments, and essential marketing settings.

As your store grows, you’ll learn that product positioning matters just as much as design. Strategic arrangement helps you highlight your best products while improving overall customer experience. Small optimizations like this separate amateur setups from high-performing eCommerce stores.

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