Rubik Combined Listings Swatch - Bulk Group Creation
Create multiple product groups at once using automatic detection. Instead of creating groups one by one, bulk group creation scans your products and suggests groups based on patterns.
Video tutorial
Watch a walkthrough of the bulk group creation feature:
Note: Products without a featured image are automatically excluded from detection.
How it works
- Choose a detection method — title patterns, product tags, or metafields
- Configure options — set separators, option names, metafield keys
- Review detected groups — select which groups to create, edit names and option values, remove products
- Create groups — groups are created in the background; you'll receive an email when the job is finished
Method 1: Title pattern matching
This method analyzes your product titles to find groups of related products. It works by splitting titles on a separator character, or by matching shared words when no separator is present. Detection is case-insensitive.
Separator examples
| Product title | Separator | Group name | Option value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Summer Shorts - Yellow | Dash (-) | Summer Shorts | Yellow |
| Summer Shorts - Blue | Dash (-) | Summer Shorts | Blue |
| Winter Coat | Red | Pipe (|) | Winter Coat | Red |
| Basic Tee / Small | Slash (/) | Basic Tee | Small |
Reverse detection
If the option value appears at the beginning of the title (before the separator), it will also be detected correctly.
| Product title | Group name | Option value |
|---|---|---|
| Red - Sport Leggings | Sport Leggings | Red |
| Green - Sport Leggings | Sport Leggings | Green |
Auto-detect
The default "Auto-detect" option tries all separator types and collects all groups found. Products matched by one separator are not re-processed by the next. After separators, it falls back to word-based matching for remaining products.
Word matching also works both ways:
- Shared prefix: "Summer Shorts Red" and "Summer Shorts Blue" → group "Summer Shorts"
- Shared suffix: "Red Sport Leggings" and "Green Sport Leggings" → group "Sport Leggings"
The algorithm always picks the longest possible match. For example, "New Balance 990v2 MiUSA Teddy Santis Red" will match with other "New Balance 990v2 MiUSA Teddy Santis" products rather than just "New Balance".
Method 2: Product tags
Add specially formatted tags to your products in Shopify admin. The app will detect these tags and create groups automatically.
Tag format
RUBIK::GroupName::OptionName::OptionValue::PrimaryColor::SecondaryColor| Part | Required | Description | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| RUBIK | Yes | Prefix (must be exactly "RUBIK") | RUBIK |
| GroupName | Yes | Name for the product group | Summer Shorts |
| OptionName | Yes | Name for the option (e.g., Color, Size) | Color |
| OptionValue | Yes | Value for this product's swatch | Yellow |
| PrimaryColor | No | Hex color for the swatch | #FFD700 |
| SecondaryColor | No | Secondary hex color (for split swatches) | #FF0000 |
Tag examples
RUBIK::Summer shorts::Color::Yellow::#FFD700
RUBIK::Summer shorts::Color::Blue::#0000FF
RUBIK::Winter Coat::Size::Small
RUBIK::Winter Coat::Size::LargeWhen colors are provided, they will be shown as color swatches in the review step so you can verify them before creating groups.
Method 3: Metafield-based
Group products by shared metafield values. This is useful if you already have product metadata set up in Shopify.
Required fields
- Group metafield key — Products with the same value for this metafield will be grouped together. Format:
namespace.key(e.g.,custom.color_group) - Option value metafield key — This metafield value becomes the option value for each product (e.g.,
custom.color_name)
Optional fields
- Primary color metafield key — Hex color value for the swatch (e.g.,
custom.swatch_color) - Secondary color metafield key — Secondary hex color for split swatches
When color metafield keys are provided, detected colors will be shown as swatches in the review step.
Reviewing detected groups
After analysis, you can review all detected groups before creating them:
- Select or deselect individual groups using the checkbox
- Edit group names and option names inline
- Click on the product count badge to expand and see all products in a group
- Click on product titles or thumbnails to open the product in Shopify admin
- Edit option values for individual products
- Remove products from a group (groups with fewer than 2 products are automatically deselected)
Manually adding products
Sometimes detection may miss a product or place it in the wrong group. You can manually adjust groups in the review step using the + button next to each group's product count.
Clicking the button opens a product picker where you can add or remove products. The picker shows the group's current products already selected.
- Add a product: Select new products in the picker. If the product title contains the group name, the option value is automatically filled in (e.g., adding "Summer Shorts - Red" to group "Summer Shorts" fills in "Red"). Otherwise, you can type the option value manually.
- Remove a product: Uncheck a product in the picker to remove it from the group.
- Move between groups: If you add a product that's already in another detected group, it will be automatically moved — removed from the old group and added to the new one. If the old group drops below 2 products, it is automatically deselected.
If a product you add already belongs to an existing saved group, a warning will appear below it with a link to that group so you can investigate before proceeding.
Plan limits
The number of groups you can create depends on your plan. The bulk group creation wizard shows your current usage and remaining capacity. If you need more groups, you can upgrade your plan from the "Manage plan" page in the app.
Background processing
Group creation runs in the background. You can leave the page at any time — you'll receive an email notification when the job completes.
A progress bar shows how many groups have been created. You can cancel a running job at any time. Groups already created before cancellation will be kept.
FAQ
Can I run multiple bulk group creation jobs at the same time?
No. Only one job can run per store at a time. Wait for the current job to finish, or cancel it first.
What happens if some groups fail to create?
The job continues with the remaining groups. Failed groups are listed in the results and the email notification. Successfully created groups are not affected.
Can I edit groups after bulk creation?
Yes. All groups created by bulk group creation are regular product groups. You can edit them individually from the "Product groups" page.
What about products already in a group?
By default, products already in a group are excluded from detection.
Why are some products missing from detection?
Products without a featured image are automatically excluded. Make sure your products have an image set in Shopify admin.
Two products have the same title — will they be grouped?
No. Products that would have the same option value within a group are skipped to avoid duplicate entries.
Related guides
- Overview: full feature list, swatch types, and pricing
- Getting started: install the app and create your first group
- FAQ: common questions and troubleshooting