I think about it, but I still need to create a collection for each group of products
so it acutely means creating flow, and its a good idea to use the collection for this?
Topic summary
Goal: Group related products (e.g., different colors) without using variants, keeping each item as a standalone product while showing same-family alternatives on the product page.
Current approach and concerns:
- Link products via a shared metafield (e.g., products.custom.group). Metafield = custom data field; metaobject = structured content entry.
- API/webhook integration builds groups and references, but team prefers a Shopify-native method.
- Performance worries with 5k+ products when searching by metafield value.
Flow limitations and workarounds:
- Shopify Flow (automation) can’t create metaobject entries and times out on bulk uploads (~1 minute). Possible workaround: scheduled Flow runs gated by a flag metafield (is_update).
Suggestions:
- Use collections to group products and reference the collection on PDPs; implies creating one collection per group. Alternative idea: tags plus a metafield list managed by Flow.
- Another merchant (≈4,000 products) links via metafields and a product page section; seeks automation, possibly deriving groups from near-identical titles differing by color.
Latest update: OP shared an external guide on “color architecture” in Shopify. Screenshots included but not essential.
Status: No confirmed native, fully-automated solution; discussion remains open.