How to Categorize Products for Shopify Stores

Understanding Shopify Product Taxonomy

Shopify's Standard Product Taxonomy is an open-source, standardized classification system designed to bring consistency to e-commerce product categorization. Released by Shopify to benefit the entire e-commerce ecosystem, this taxonomy provides a universal language for describing products that works across platforms, marketplaces, and sales channels.

Unlike custom product types that vary from store to store, the Shopify Product Taxonomy offers a standardized hierarchy with unique identifiers. This standardization enables powerful features: automatic mapping to Google Shopping categories, seamless integration with marketplaces like Amazon and Facebook Shops, improved search engine optimization, and better product recommendations through machine learning.

Our AI categorization tool maps your products to the official Shopify Product Taxonomy. Whether you're setting up a new store, migrating from another platform, or optimizing existing listings, accurate taxonomy assignment ensures your products are properly classified for discovery, compliance, and multi-channel selling.

Shopify Taxonomy Structure

The Shopify Product Taxonomy is organized hierarchically, starting with broad verticals and narrowing down to specific product types. Each category has a unique Global Trade Item Number (GTIN)-style identifier that ensures consistent classification across the e-commerce ecosystem.

For example, a men's running shoe would be classified as: Apparel & Accessories > Shoes > Athletic Shoes > Running Shoes > Men's Running Shoes. Each level adds specificity, and the leaf category (Men's Running Shoes) is what you'd assign to your product. This granularity ensures products are found by the right customers.

Top-Level Categories

API Integration Guide

Integrate Shopify taxonomy categorization into your store setup workflow. Our API returns category paths and IDs compatible with Shopify's product metafields and bulk import formats.

import requests

def categorize_for_shopify(product_description, api_key):
    base_url = "https://www.productcategorization.com/api/ecommerce/ecommerce_category6_get.php"
    params = {
        "query": product_description,
        "api_key": api_key,
        "data_type": "shopify"
    }
    response = requests.get(base_url, params=params)
    return response.json()

# Example usage
result = categorize_for_shopify(
    "Organic Cotton Women's V-Neck T-Shirt Navy Blue Size Medium",
    "your_api_key_here"
)
print(f"Shopify Category: {result['category']}")

async function categorizeForShopify(productDescription, apiKey) {
    const baseUrl = 'https://www.productcategorization.com/api/ecommerce/ecommerce_category6_get.php';
    const params = new URLSearchParams({
        query: productDescription,
        api_key: apiKey,
        data_type: 'shopify'
    });
    const response = await fetch(`${baseUrl}?${params}`);
    return response.json();
}

// Example: Categorize a handmade jewelry item
categorizeForShopify('Handmade Sterling Silver Moonstone Pendant Necklace', 'your_api_key')
    .then(result => console.log('Shopify Category:', result.category));

curl -X GET "https://www.productcategorization.com/api/ecommerce/ecommerce_category6_get.php" \
  -d "query=Wireless Bluetooth Noise Cancelling Over-Ear Headphones" \
  -d "api_key=your_api_key_here" \
  -d "data_type=shopify"