Understanding Assign Types

One of Optionify's most powerful features is the flexibility in how you assign options to products. Understanding the four assignment methods will help you organize and manage your product options efficiently.

The Four Assignment Methods

Optionify offers four ways to control where your custom options appear:

1. All Products - Global application
2. Tagged Products - Tag-based targeting
3. Collections - Collection-based assignment
4. Individual Products - Specific product selection

Each method has specific use cases, advantages, and best practices.

!Assignment methods overview diagram Choose the assignment method that best fits your product organization

1. All Products Assignment

What It Does

Applies the option to every single product in your store, automatically including any new products you add in the future.

When to Use

• Store-wide policies: Delivery instructions, gift messages
• Universal requirements: Terms acceptance, special requests
• Global preferences: Newsletter signup at checkout

Example Use Cases

"Special Delivery Instructions"
→ Applied to ALL products
→ Customers can add delivery notes on any purchase

"Add Gift Receipt?"
→ Applied to ALL products
→ Appears on every product page

!All Products assignment example An option assigned to all products appears on every product page

Configuration Steps

1. Create your option
2. In Assignment section, select All Products
3. Save and activate

Advantages

✅ Set it once, applies everywhere ✅ Automatically includes new products ✅ Easiest to maintain ✅ Consistent across entire store

Disadvantages

❌ Can't exclude specific products ❌ May not be relevant for all products ❌ Can create page clutter ❌ Less targeted approach

2. Tagged Products Assignment

What It Does

Applies options only to products with specific tags. This is the most flexible and commonly used method.

When to Use

• Product characteristics: "Customizable", "Engravable", "Gift-wrappable"
• Material types: "Leather goods", "Metal products"
• Size flexibility: "Custom-sized items"
• Personalization: "Personalizable"

Example Use Cases

Tag: "engravable"
Option: "Engraving Text (max 20 characters)"
→ Only shows on jewelry, watches, accessories tagged "engravable"

Tag: "custom-size"
Option: "Enter Your Measurements"
→ Only appears on clothing items tagged "custom-size"

!Tagged products assignment interface Add multiple tags to target specific product groups

Configuration Steps

1. Create your option
2. Select Tagged Products assignment
3. Enter one or more tags (comma-separated)
4. Save the option
5. Tag your products in Shopify admin

Tagging Products in Shopify

1. Go to Products in Shopify admin
2. Select a product
3. Scroll to Tags field
4. Add tags (e.g., engravable, gift-wrappable)
5. Click Save

!Adding tags to products in Shopify Add tags to products to activate assigned options

Multiple Tags

You can assign an option to products with ANY of multiple tags:

Tags: "leather, fabric, canvas"
→ Option appears if product has leather OR fabric OR canvas tag

Advantages

✅ Highly flexible ✅ Easy to add/remove products ✅ Can target multiple product types ✅ Great for product characteristics ✅ Scalable as store grows

Disadvantages

❌ Requires manual tagging ❌ Need to remember tag names ❌ Tags must be consistent ❌ Can create tag clutter

Best Practices for Tags

Use descriptive, consistent names:

• ✅ gift-wrappable, personalizable, custom-size
• ❌ g, option1, special

Create a tagging system:

• Document your tags
• Use prefixes: opt-gift, opt-custom, opt-size
• Keep tags lowercase
• Use hyphens instead of spaces

Common tag examples:

• engravable - For engraving options
• gift-wrap - For gift wrapping
• custom-text - For text personalization
• uploadable - For image uploads
• dated - For delivery date selection

3. Collections Assignment

What It Does

Applies options to all products within specific Shopify collections.

When to Use

• Product categories: All jewelry, all apparel, all home decor
• Seasonal items: Holiday collection, summer collection
• Special campaigns: Valentine's Day, Mother's Day
• Product lines: Premium line, budget line

Example Use Cases

Collection: "Jewelry"
Option: "Ring Size Selector"
→ Appears on all products in Jewelry collection

Collection: "Wedding Collection"
Option: "Preferred Delivery Date for Wedding"
→ Only shows on wedding-related products

!Collections assignment selection Select one or more collections to target specific product groups

Configuration Steps

1. Create your option
2. Select Collections assignment
3. Choose collection(s) from dropdown
4. Save and activate

Multiple Collections

Assign to multiple collections:

Collections: "Men's Apparel", "Women's Apparel", "Kids' Apparel"
Option: "Add Monogram"
→ Appears on products in ANY of these collections

Advantages

✅ Follows your existing organization ✅ Automatically includes new collection products ✅ Easy to manage in Shopify admin ✅ Natural grouping by product type ✅ No manual tagging needed

Disadvantages

❌ Less granular than tags ❌ Product must be IN the collection ❌ Can't target characteristics across collections ❌ Limited by collection structure

Collections vs Tags

Use Collections when:

• Options align with product categories
• You already organize by collections
• You want automatic inclusion of new products
• The grouping is product-type based

Use Tags when:

• Options target product characteristics
• You need cross-category targeting
• You want fine-grained control
• The grouping is attribute-based

4. Individual Products Assignment

What It Does

Assigns options to specific products you manually select.

When to Use

• Limited editions: Specific one-off products
• High-value items: Custom luxury goods
• Test options: Before broader rollout
• Unique products: Items with special requirements

Example Use Cases

Products: "Custom Wedding Album", "Bespoke Suit"
Option: "Custom Design Consultation"
→ Only these two products have this option

Product: "Limited Edition Sneakers"
Option: "Reserve Your Size"
→ Only this specific product

!Individual products selection interface Manually select specific products for precise targeting

Configuration Steps

1. Create your option
2. Select Individual Products assignment
3. Search and select specific products
4. Save and activate

Advantages

✅ Maximum precision ✅ Perfect for testing ✅ No tagging or collection needed ✅ Complete control

Disadvantages

❌ Must manually manage each product ❌ Doesn't scale well ❌ Time-consuming for many products ❌ Easy to forget to add new products

Comparison Table

Method	Best For	Scalability	Maintenance	Precision
All Products	Universal options	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐
Tagged Products	Characteristic-based	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐
Collections	Category-based	⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐
Individual Products	Specific items	⭐	⭐⭐	⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Real-World Examples

Example 1: Jewelry Store

Gift Message (All Products)

• Every product can include a gift message

Engraving (Tagged: engravable)

• Only rings, bracelets, watches with engraving capability

Ring Sizing (Collection: "Rings")

• All products in Rings collection

Custom Design (Individual: "Bespoke Engagement Ring")

• Only this one premium product

Example 2: Apparel Store

Delivery Instructions (All Products)

• Universal across all items

Monogramming (Tagged: monogrammable)

• Selected shirts, bags, robes

Size Guide (Collections: "Shirts", "Pants", "Jackets")

• Category-specific sizing

Prototype Feedback (Individual: "Beta Test T-Shirt")

• Testing on one product only

Changing Assignment Methods

You can change an option's assignment method anytime:

1. Edit the option
2. Change Assignment type
3. Configure new settings
4. Save changes

Best Practices

Start Specific, Then Expand

Begin with individual products or tags to test:

1. Create option for 2-3 products
2. Test thoroughly
3. Expand to more products/collections
4. Monitor results

Document Your System

Keep a spreadsheet of:

• Tag names and purposes
• Which options use which assignments
• Product coverage

Audit Regularly

Every quarter:

• Review which products have which options
• Remove outdated tags
• Update collections
• Clean up assignments

Naming Conventions

Use consistent prefixes:

• opt- for option-related tags
• custom- for customizable items
• gift- for gift-related features

Troubleshooting

Option Doesn't Appear on Product

Check:

1. Option is activated
2. Product has correct tag/is in collection
3. Assignment type is correct
4. Clear cache

Too Many Options on Product

Solution:

• Review all assignments
• Be more specific with tags/collections
• Remove from "All Products" if possible

Option Appears on Wrong Products

Solution:

• Check tag spelling (case-sensitive)
• Verify collection membership
• Review assignment settings

Next Steps

Now that you understand assignment types:

• Create Your First Option - Put this into practice
• Text Options - Explore option types
• Conditional Logic - Advanced option behavior

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Questions? Visit our Troubleshooting Guide or explore more advanced features.