Shopify’s native sort orders are all or nothing: either you sort the whole collection manually, or an automatic rule controls every position. To keep specific products fixed while the rest sort automatically, use a merchandising app with pinning. Pinned products hold their exact positions, and a sorting recipe arranges everything else around them.
When Does Fixing a Position Make Sense?
Pinning earns its keep when a position is a decision rather than a result:
- A hero product featured in your ads or homepage that must match the collection page.
- Launch placements during a product drop.
- Editorial picks or placements you have promised a brand partner.
- An entry-price product you want visible regardless of its metrics.
How Do Pins Work With a Sorting Recipe?
In Dynasort, a pin locks a product to an exact slot. The sorting recipe then scores every unpinned product and fills the remaining positions around your pins. You get a guaranteed first row where you need it and live, data-driven order everywhere else. When stock or sales shift, the recipe reshuffles the unpinned products on the next scheduled run while your fixed placements stay put.
What About Managed Collections?
Pins control order; managed collections go further and control membership too. With a managed collection, Dynasort decides which products belong in the collection as well as how they rank, which suits collections defined by performance rules rather than a fixed product list. For most stores, a sorted collection with a handful of pins is enough. One caution: every pin removes a slot the recipe could be using, so pin deliberately, not by default.
Dynasort handles pins and recipes together. Install it from the Shopify App Store or see how it works.