Collection Subcategory Menu Setup Guide

Give each collection a useful next step. Shoppers browsing bedding may need duvet covers and pillowcases; bath shoppers may need towels and bath mats. Use manually configured KOBU groups to link to the destinations that fit each department.

Setup tutorial · KOBU · Updated 2026-10-02 · By Activory

View KOBU in the Shopify App Store or follow the collection targeting guide.

Choose a fixed group or collection targeting

Use a fixed group when every page using that placement should show the same links. The lighting illustration below uses Group 1 in the Kobu – Menu Highlight block. A fixed group does not choose a different menu for each collection. Its five highlights need Pro; Lite currently allows up to four.

Use collection targeting when Bedding and Bath need different destinations. In Settings → Group Settings, assign collections to the intended groups. Add Kobu – Smart Menu to the collection template and select Show by collection for Menu group. These are the documented controls; check their output in your actual theme.

Fictional collection	Assigned group	Example links
Bedding	Bedding	Duvet covers; Pillowcases
Bath	Bath	Towels; Bath mats
An unrelated collection	Neither of these groups	Check actual fallback; do not assume either group stays hidden

This two-group example has four links. Confirm how your actual configuration counts highlights. Create published destinations in Shopify and use their real URLs; this table is a plan, not a tested theme integration. The interactive lighting illustration below stays a fixed-group example and does not simulate contextual mapping.

Preview Bedding, Bath and an excluded collection directly. Check refresh, navigation, browser back, overlapping assignments, unassigned collections and paginated pages. Record the actual precedence and fallback. Test Smart Menu device settings at narrow/wide sizes; do not assume the separate Menu Highlight extensions have identical controls.

Try the storefront example

Select a menu item to inspect its destination. Use Phone width to check the labels and layout. The example paths represent collections or pages you will create in your store.

This example uses KOBU storefront code with sample data and the settings below. Your theme’s fonts and available width can change the result. Example links show their destination; purchase controls use a sample cart. Use the checks below to confirm the finished setup in your store.

Build it in KOBU

1. Create the destination collections or pages in Shopify. Use the labels and paths below as your example plan. Confirm that each destination is published.
2. In KOBU, add each menu item to Group 1. Enter its title and destination. Add an SVG icon or your own image. Publish the items.
3. Open the page template in the Shopify theme editor. Add Kobu - Menu Highlight. Choose menu group 1 and the Circle shape.
4. Set Menu mode to Rows & Columns. Use 80 px width, 80 px height, 16 px gap, and 14 px label text. Keep the title visible. Save the theme.

Example settings

• The example uses blue SVG icons on a pale background. Use the same icon style for each item, or replace all icons with consistently framed product images.

Sample data and content

Use these values for a test. Replace them with checked product data, published destinations, and offers that your store can supply.

How should a subcategory menu link back to its department?

Keep the current department understandable. Include an all-items destination if customers need a route back to the parent collection. Child collections should use one clear organizing rule, such as fixture type. Mixing fixture types, colours, and prices in one short menu can make choices overlap.

1. Build the parent and child collections in Shopify. Check their rules and confirm that each child has a distinct purpose.
2. Create the menu items in KOBU and set their real collection links. Use labels that match the destination headings.
3. For a fixed menu, add Menu Highlight and select Group 1 only in the intended template placement. For different menus by collection, assign collections in Settings → Group Settings and use Smart Menu → Show by collection.
4. Open the intended collections and an unrelated collection. Check the actual group or fallback, refresh and browser back; do not assume a fixed Group 1 block performs contextual targeting.

Read the KOBU setup guide for the full app controls and placement options.

Check the finished setup

• Open each child collection and confirm customers can still find the parent range.
• Check that the same item is not duplicated under two menu labels with identical destinations.
• For contextual placement, test two collections with different assigned groups and one excluded collection. Record unassigned and overlapping-group behavior rather than guessing it.
• Check mobile, desktop, keyboard focus, readable labels and every destination. Missing imagery must leave a useful label. Retest after a destination is renamed or removed.

Common mistakes

• Do not treat a visual menu as a replacement for configuring the actual collection rules.
• Do not show a department-specific menu across the entire store without checking its relevance.

Supported use

KOBU links shoppers to the destinations you configure. A menu label does not create a collection, apply a discount, reserve stock, or make a product suitable for a customer. Confirm each destination and its contents. Keep text labels visible so that images are not the only way to understand a link.

KOBU features, current app plans, and KOBU collection display rules explain the supported setup.

Setup questions

Will the menu change automatically on every collection page?

Use Smart Menu with Show by collection and assign collections to their intended groups. The fixed Group 1 illustration keeps using the selected group; it does not demonstrate dynamic collection targeting.

Does KOBU create Shopify subcollections?

This workflow links to existing destinations. You create and maintain the menu groups; it does not infer a product taxonomy.

Can I start on the free plan?

The current listing includes up to four highlights and menu groups on Lite. Pro lists US$4/month or US$40/year with unlimited highlights, checked 2 October 2026. The five-item lighting illustration needs Pro; the separate four-link group plan stays small. Confirm current terms and how your configuration counts highlights.

Will it work with my theme and language?

Follow the documented Shopify 2.0 placement and test your exact template, labels, destinations and device controls. Verify each locale before claiming multilingual output. No real-theme contextual proof was recorded for this illustration.

View KOBU in the Shopify App Store or set up collection-specific menus.

Related tutorials

• Collection Circle Menu Setup Guide
• Seasonal Collection Menu Setup Guide
• Mobile Navigation Menu Setup Guide

Browse all KOBU tutorials. Read how the examples are made or report a correction.