Collections Overview

Organizing products with collections in Tether

Collections Overview

Collections are the primary way to organize and group related SKUs in Tether. They provide shared configurations, dimensions, and settings that apply to all SKUs within the collection.

What is a Collection?

A collection is a logical grouping of related products. Think of it as a product line or category that shares common characteristics.

Examples:

• “T-Shirts” - all t-shirt variants
• “Electronics” - electronic products
• “Summer 2024” - seasonal product line
• “Accessories” - bags, hats, belts

Why Use Collections?

Collections provide several benefits:

Shared Dimensions

Define Size, Color, and other attributes once, use across all SKUs in the collection

Bulk Operations

Apply settings, pricing, or updates to all SKUs in a collection at once

SKU Generation

Automatically create SKU variants from dimension combinations

Organization

Keep your catalog organized and easy to navigate

The Collections Dashboard

Navigate to SKUs → Collections tab to access the collections dashboard.

Dashboard Features

Feature	Description
Collection List	All collections with key information
Search	Find collections by name
Status Filter	Show Active, Archived, or All
Create Button	Add new collections

Collection Information

Each collection shows:

• Name - Collection display name
• Description - Optional details
• SKU Count - Number of SKUs in the collection
• Status - Active or Archived
• Created Date - When the collection was created

Collection vs. Product Hierarchy

Collections and product hierarchies serve different purposes:

Feature	Collection	Product Hierarchy
Purpose	Group SKUs with shared attributes	Categorize for reporting
Dimensions	Yes, defines available attributes	No
SKU Generation	Yes	No
Nesting	Flat (one level)	Multi-level (up to 5)
SKU Membership	Each SKU in one collection	Can be in multiple hierarchy levels

Use collections for products that share dimensions. Use product hierarchy for reporting and categorization that spans collections.

Collection Structure

A collection contains several configuration areas:

SKUs Tab

All SKUs belonging to this collection. Add, remove, or generate SKUs here.

Dimensions Tab

Define product attributes like Size, Color, Material. Each dimension has values that SKUs can use.

Hierarchy Tab

Configure how this collection fits into your product hierarchy for reporting.

Inventory Tab

Aggregate view of inventory for all SKUs in the collection.

Suppliers Tab

Suppliers who provide products in this collection.

Pricing Tab

Collection-level pricing configuration and pricing matrix.

BOM Tab

Bill of materials for products that share components.

Settings Tab

Collection metadata and configuration options.

Creating Collections

1. Navigate to Collections

   Go to SKUs → Collections tab

2. Click Create Collection

   Click the Create Collection button

3. Enter Details

   • Name: Descriptive name for the collection
   • Description: Optional details
4. Save

   Click Save to create the collection

After creating, you’ll want to:

1. Set up dimensions (if products have variants)
2. Add or generate SKUs
3. Configure suppliers and pricing

Collection Status

Collections can be Active or Archived:

Status	Behavior
Active	Visible in default views, SKUs can be added
Archived	Hidden from default views, no new SKUs

Archiving a collection doesn’t affect its SKUs. They remain in the system but the collection is hidden from navigation.

Best Practices

Group by Shared Attributes

Put products together when they share the same dimensions. All t-shirts might share Size and Color, so they belong in one collection.

Keep Collections Focused

Don’t make collections too broad. “All Products” isn’t useful. “Summer T-Shirts” is more manageable.

Plan Dimensions First

Before creating SKUs, define your dimensions. It’s harder to add dimensions after SKUs exist.

Use Descriptive Names

Name collections clearly. Future team members should understand what’s in a collection from its name.

Common Workflows

Launching a New Product Line

1. Create a new collection
2. Define dimensions (Size, Color, etc.)
3. Use SKU Generator to create all variants
4. Configure suppliers and pricing
5. Enable on channels

Managing Seasonal Products

1. Create seasonal collections (“Spring 2024”)
2. Add new products to the seasonal collection
3. At end of season, archive the collection
4. Historical data is preserved

Reorganizing Products

1. Create new collections with better structure
2. Move SKUs to appropriate collections
3. Archive old collections
4. Update any integrations referencing old collections

Next Steps

Managing Collections

Learn to configure collection settings in detail

Dimensions

Set up product dimensions

Creating SKUs

Add products to your collections

Product Hierarchy

Configure product categorization