How to Filter Shopify Collections Using Tags (Step-By-Step Guide)

Did you know you can filter Shopify collections using product tags - without installing an app or writing complicated code?

If you’ve ever wanted to create a custom filtered view of a collection, like “blue dresses” or “vegan skincare,” Shopify tags make this possible.

In this post, I’ll walk you through how to do it step by step, including how to:

Create tag-filtered collection pages
Use tags in collection URLs
Improve user navigation
Combine tags with Shopify’s native filtering options

What Are Shopify Product Tags?

Tags are one of the simplest ways to label and organise products in Shopify. You can add tags like “vegan,” “cotton,” “gift idea,” or “blue” to help filter or group products together.

They don’t display publicly by default, but they’re searchable and can be used to create filtered collections or trigger automation workflows.

Why Filter Collections by Tag?

Using product tags to filter collections gives you a flexible way to organise and showcase your products without relying on third-party apps.

Whether you’re creating custom landing pages or dynamic filtered views, tags are a powerful tool. Here’s why:

Create internal links to filtered product views: Use tag-based URLs like /collections/mens/hats+new to quickly display a refined selection based on multiple criteria.
Build SEO-friendly landing pages: Set up smart collections and optimise title, meta description, and on-page content to rank for niche terms like “vegan body lotion” or “organic baby gifts”.
Highlight seasonal or trending combinations: Link to combinations like “pink + Valentines” or “blue + denim” directly from your homepage or blog posts.

How to Filter a Shopify Collection by Tag

The basic URL structure is:

/collections/collection-handle/tag-name

For example:

/collections/dresses/blue

You can also combine tags:

/collections/dresses/blue+cotton

This shows only products in the “dresses” collection that have both the “blue” and “cotton” tags.

Things to keep in mind:

Only products in that collection with those tags will appear.
Products must have all the tags listed in the URL - this is an AND filter, not OR.

3 Ways to Filter Shopify Collections Using Tags

There are three main ways to use tags to filter your products in Shopify:

1. Manually Filtered URLs

These are dynamic links you create manually by updating the URL structure, for example:

/collections/collection-handle/tag1+tag2

Shopify filtered urls using tags

You can also combine native Shopify filters (like size, colour) within tag-filtered URLs. For example, a tagged URL looks like this:

/collections/collection-handle/tag

And a filtered URL looks like this:

/collections/collection-handle?filter=value

In some themes, it may be possible to combine a tag URL with Shopify's filter query parameters, like:

/collections/collections/collection-handle/tag?filter.p.option.size=Medium

However, this isn’t officially supported and results can vary depending on your theme. Use with caution.

Pros:

Fast and easy - no need to set up a new collection
Lightweight - you’re not creating loads of collections to manage
Great for one-off campaigns, blogs, or quick landing pages
Ideal for internal linking and testing niche ideas

Cons:

Limited SEO control - you can’t edit the page title, meta description, or content
Feels more like a search results page rather than a fully custom landing page
Can’t add tailored banners or rich content to support the product selection

Best for: Quick wins, testing combinations, email/blog/homepage links

2. Smart (Automated) Collections Using Tags

This method uses Shopify’s built-in automation rules to pull products with specific tags into a dedicated collection. You can then fully customise the page.

Smart Shopify collections using tags

Pros:

Full SEO control - edit title, meta description, and on-page copy
Add custom banners, content blocks, and images to support merchandising
Build a strong internal linking structure for niche SEO terms
Makes seasonal or evergreen landing pages feel more intentional

Cons:

More time-consuming to set up
You’ll need to create and manage multiple collections
Can clutter your collections dashboard if overused

Best for: SEO-optimised landing pages, long-term campaigns, featured navigation pages

3. Use Shopify’s Built-In Filters via the Search & Discovery App

Shopify’s Search & Discovery app lets you enable customer-facing filters like Size, Colour, Material, Brand, and more, all without custom code or apps. These filters appear in the sidebar (or top) of your collection pages, giving customers a quick way to refine results on the spot.

How to set them up using tags:

Go to Shopify Admin > Search & Discovery
Click Filters > Add filter
Under More filters, select Standard: Tags as your source
Add a label (e.g. "Shop by Feature")
Choose how tags should behave (AND/OR logic)
Save and publish - your filter will appear on supported collection pages

Pros:

Seamless customer experience - filters show directly on collection pages
Fully integrated with Shopify’s design system
Works well for stores with large inventories or multiple variant options
No extra maintenance once set up

Cons:

Pulls through all your store product tags (you may only want to display a handful to the customer)
Limited control over layout or design of the filter sidebar

Best for: Enhancing navigation and helping customers self-filter in real-time while browsing collections.

Manual URL Tag Filtering vs Shopify’s Native Filters - What's the Difference?

Use Shopify’s native filters for customer-facing refinement: Let people sort or narrow results on the page
Use manual URL tags for linking and landing pages: Send people directly to a pre-filtered view

What about Metafields?

Smart collections can be built using either tags or metafields.

Tags are quick and ideal for simple filtered URLs, i.e:

/collections/dresses/blue+cotton

Metafields, on the other hand, offer more structure and flexibility - making them a better choice for detailed filtering within Shopify’s Search & Discovery app.

While you can’t use metafields directly in URLs, they give you greater control over how filters behave on collection pages. They're perfect for more advanced setups.

I'll dive deeper into metafields in a future post.

A Smart Workflow: Start Lean, Then Build

Here’s a simple approach that balances flexibility with efficiency:

Start with manually filtered URLs
Use these in email campaigns, homepage blocks, or blog posts.
Track performance
Monitor which combinations get clicks and conversions.
Upgrade top performers to smart collections
Turn your best-performing views into automated collections using tags (or metafields).
Optimise for SEO
Add unique titles, meta descriptions, on-page content, and visuals to help them rank and convert.
Promote strategically
Feature them in navigation menus, homepage sections, or internal links.

Or, if you don’t want to create extra collections or worry about SEO, use metafields with the Search & Discovery app to add filters to your existing collections. It’s a clean way to improve navigation without cluttering your admin.

This way, you can validate which filtered combinations are worth turning into dedicated landing pages, without managing dozens of unnecessary collections upfront.