Learn how to create and manage product groups to display related products together on your storefront. Product groups organize products for better customer browsing experiences, themed collections, and quick multi-product ordering - all without bundling them for sale.
What Are Product Groups?
A Product Group is a storefront display feature that lets you organize and present related products together on a single page. Unlike bundles that package products for sale as one unit, product groups simply display products together while maintaining individual pricing and separate purchase options.
Common use cases:
- Displaying similar products in different colors (without using matrix products)
- Creating themed collections (e.g., "Summer Sale Items", "New Arrivals")
- Grouping complementary products from different categories
- Enabling quick multi-product ordering with the Multi-Buy button (Format 2)
- Showcasing products from a specific brand or collection
Product Groups vs Product Bundles
It's important to understand how product groups differ from product bundles:
| Feature | Product Groups | Product Bundles |
| Purpose | Display related products together for browsing (storefront only) | Sell multiple products as one package (all channels) |
| Customer Purchase | Customers select and purchase individual products | One click adds entire bundle to cart |
| Pricing | Individual product pricing maintained | Single package price |
| Inventory | Each product maintains its own inventory | No bundle inventory - deducts from component products |
| Sales Channels | Storefront display only | All channels (storefront, MOTO, marketplaces) |
When to Use Product Groups
Use product groups when you want to:
- Display product variations without creating matrix parent-child relationships
- Create seasonal or promotional product collections
- Group products from multiple categories in one display
- Offer quick ordering for frequently purchased items together
- Showcase complementary products that customers might buy together
Create a Product Group
1Navigate to Products → Product Catalog Manager
2Click Add New Product Group
3In the Product Group Editor, enter the basic information:
- Product Group SKU: Unique identifier for the group
- Product Group Name: Display name customers will see
- Category: Assign to one or more categories
4Select the Display Format that determines how products appear:
- Format 1: Columns of pictures with product names and descriptions
- Format 2: Text list format with optional Multi-Buy button
- Format 3: Multi-step logical checkout (requires add-on module)
- Format 5: Designed for matrix product groups only (not product groups)
5Add Product Descriptions and Images for the group
6Click Add New to create the product group
Add Products to the Product Group
Once the group is created, add individual products to it:
1In Product Catalog Manager, locate your product group
2Click Edit next to the product group name
3Scroll to the Grouped Products section at the bottom
4Click Add new products
5Select the checkbox next to each product you want to include in the group
6Click Select
7For each product, you can optionally enter a custom Label that will display on the storefront
8Click Update to save your changes
Display Format Options
Product groups support different display formats to match your storefront design and customer shopping experience:
Format 1 - Column Layout with Images:
- Products displayed in columns with product images
- Shows product names and descriptions
- Best for visual browsing and product discovery
Format 2 - Text List with Multi-Buy Option:
- Products displayed in a text-based list format
- Includes optional Multi-Buy button functionality (see below)
- Best for quick ordering scenarios and simple product lists
Format 3 - Multi-Step Logical Checkout:
- Advanced format requiring add-on module
- Provides multi-step selection process for complex product groups
Format 5 - Matrix Product Groups:
- Specifically designed for displaying matrix product variants
- Shows parent-child product relationships
Enable Multi-Buy Button (Format 2 Only)
When using Display Format 2, the Multi-Buy button allows customers to add multiple products to their cart with a single click - perfect for frequently purchased combinations.
The Multi-Buy button displays when:
- ALL products in the group have NO product options
- ALL products in the group have NO product personalization
If even one product has options or personalization, the Multi-Buy button won't appear, and customers must add products individually.
How customers use the Multi-Buy button:
1Customer enters desired quantities for each product in the group
2Products with blank quantity fields are skipped (not added to cart)
3Customer clicks the Multi-Buy button
4All products with entered quantities are added to cart at once
How Products Are Sorted in Groups
The order in which products appear within a product group follows your site's sorting settings and product configuration. Understanding this logic helps you control how products display to customers.
If products are assigned to a display category:
- Sort order: Display Category Sort Order → Product Sort Order → Product Name (alphabetically)
If products are NOT assigned to a display category:
- Sort order: Product Sort Order → Product Name (alphabetically)
The specific sort order behavior follows your Primary and Secondary Sort Key settings configured in Settings → General Settings.
Changing Product Display Order
To control which products appear first in your product group:
1Navigate to Products → Product Catalog Manager
2Click Edit next to the product you want to reorder
3Find the Product Sort Order field
4Enter a numeric value (lower numbers display first)
5Click Update
6Repeat for other products in the group
Edit an Existing Product Group
1Navigate to Products → Product Catalog Manager
2Locate the product group in the list
3Click Edit next to the group name
4Make your changes to:
- Group name or SKU
- Display format
- Category assignments
- Products included in the group
- Product descriptions and images
5Click Update to save your changes
Remove Products from a Group
1Edit the product group (see steps above)
2Scroll to the Grouped Products section
3Click the Delete button next to any product you want to remove
4Click Update to save
Delete a Product Group
1Navigate to Products → Product Catalog Manager
2Locate the product group
3Click Delete next to the group name
4Confirm the deletion
Can I add the same product to multiple product groups?
Yes! A product can be included in multiple product groups simultaneously. For example, a red t-shirt could appear in both a "T-Shirts" product group and a "Red Products" product group. This flexibility allows you to create multiple ways for customers to discover the same products.
Why can't I see the Multi-Buy button on my product group?
The Multi-Buy button only displays in Display Format 2, and only when ALL products in the group have no product options and no product personalization. If even one product has options (like size or color selections) or personalization fields, the Multi-Buy button won't appear. Check each product in your group to ensure none have options or personalization enabled.
Can I add products from different categories to the same group?
Yes! Product groups can include products from any category, regardless of the product group's own category assignment. This is one of the key benefits of product groups - you can create cross-category collections like "Gift Ideas Under $50" that pull products from clothing, accessories, and home goods.
What's the difference between product groups and matrix products?
Both can display related products, but they serve different purposes. Matrix products are for selling variants (sizes, colors) of the SAME product with parent-child SKU relationships and inventory tracking per variant. Product groups are for displaying DIFFERENT products together without creating parent-child relationships. Product groups are simpler to set up but offer less automated inventory management. See our Product Options and Matrix Products guide for more details on matrix products.
Do product groups work with MOTO (phone) orders or marketplace orders?
No. Product groups are a storefront display feature only. They organize how products appear on your webstore but don't create special product relationships in your backend system. If you need to sell multiple products together as one unit across all sales channels (including MOTO and marketplaces), use product bundles instead. See our How to Create Product Bundles guide.
How do I control the order products appear in the group?
Products in a group are sorted based on your site's Primary and Secondary Sort Key settings combined with each product's Sort Order value. To control the exact order, edit each product and assign a Sort Order number - lower numbers appear first. You can also use Display Category Sort Order if products are assigned to display categories.