Admin GraphQL API / 2026-07

CollectionSortOrder now has
"MOST_RELEVANT(relevance order) added

The GraphQL Admin API enum that specifies the product sort order within a collection gained one new value. Available in API version 2026-07 and later.

On this page
  1. What actually changed (in 30 seconds)
  2. CollectionSortOrder What it is / where it fits
  3. MOST_RELEVANT among the sort order options
  4. Requirements (API version)
  5. Usage example (GraphQL)
  6. 5 key points for developers
  7. 3 practical use cases
  8. A one-line summary for proposals

1What actually changed

The GraphQL Admin API's CollectionSortOrder(an enum representing the product sort order within a collection) gained a single new value:MOST_RELEVANT (relevance order).
This applies to API version 2026-07 and later. This is the only point stated in the article.

Previously

collection sort order was chosen from values such as best-selling, price, name, or manual (there was no relevance-order option).

Going forward (2026-07+)

sortOrder: MOST_RELEVANT can now be specified, so "relevance order" can be handled as a setting value via the API.

This is the addition of a new enum value, and it does not change the behavior of existing sort orders. Details on each sort order option are provided in the Shopify Help Center (see the source at the end of this article).

2CollectionSortOrder What it is / where it fits

A collection (a group of products) has a sortOrder field that represents how the products inside are arranged, and its type is the CollectionSortOrder enum. This time, a new value— MOST_RELEVANT —was added to the values you can choose from. That's where it fits.

Collection title / products ... sortOrder Type: CollectionSortOrder (enum) BEST_SELLING PRICE_ASC / PRICE_DESC ALPHA_ASC / CREATED ... MANUAL ★ MOST_RELEVANT ← added this time A sorted collection
In the diagram, values other than MOST_RELEVANT are just examples of common sort order options.This article does not explain what signals are used to compute "relevance," or how.. See the Help Center for details.

3MOST_RELEVANT among the sort order options

Sort order valueMeaning (typical sort order)How this article treats it
BEST_SELLINGBest-sellingExisting
PRICE_ASC / DESCPrice ascending / descendingExisting
ALPHA_ASC / DESCName A→Z / Z→AExisting
CREATED / DESCCreated date (oldest / newest)Existing
MANUALManual orderExisting
MOST_RELEVANTRelevance★ Newly added (2026-07+)

* Of the table above, the value this article explicitly states as newly added is MOST_RELEVANT only. The other values are representative examples for context.

4Requirements

2026-07

API version 2026-07 or later

On versions older than that, MOST_RELEVANT is not available. You need to raise the query/mutation endpoint version to 2026-07 or later.

Admin API

Applies to the Admin GraphQL API

The article's tags are "Admin GraphQL API" and "2026-07". How other APIs such as the Storefront API are handled isnot mentioned in this article.

Constraints such as supported plans, regions, and billing conditions arenot mentioned in this article. Before adopting it, switch the version in the actual admin / API and verify the behavior.

5Usage example (GraphQL)

Set the collection's sortOrder to MOST_RELEVANT . Check the actual field structure and required fields in the API version 2026-07 documentation.

# Targeting an endpoint on API version 2026-07 or later mutation UpdateCollectionSort { collectionUpdate(input: { id: "gid://shopify/Collection/123456789", sortOrder: MOST_RELEVANT # ← The value added this time }) { collection { id sortOrder } userErrors { field message } } }
The above is a conceptual sample to show where the value is specified.The specific mutation name and input schema are not described in this article, so when implementing, follow the 2026-07 reference.

6Five points engineers should keep in mind

2026-07

1. Version dependency

On endpoints below 2026-07, the value does not exist. Review the API version pinned on the client side before adopting it.

2. A backward-compatible addition

Existing enum values and behavior are unchanged—just one more option has been added. This is not a breaking change to existing implementations.

? algo

3. The relevance logic is undisclosed (in this article)

How "relevance" is calculated (which signals—sales, views, inventory, etc.) is not documented in this article. Measure the actual behavior in a sandbox.

Automatic Manual

4. How it differs from MANUAL

MANUAL(arranged by hand). In contrast, MOST_RELEVANT is automatic ordering. For collections where you want to preserve a manual arrangement, you need to decide against applying it.

5. Reflection in the storefront display needs verification

The Admin API sortOrder setting—how it carries over to the display order on a theme / headless front end is not stated in this article.Before adopting, set the target collection to 2026-07, then verify the ordering on the actual front end— adding this step first is the safe approach.

7Three use cases you can apply to your business

USE CASE 1

Switch large-catalog collections to "relevance order"

Challenge
In collections with many products, manual sorting or a simple creation-date order leads to poor browsability.
Solution
Set the target collection's sortOrder to MOST_RELEVANT , shifting it toward relevance-based ordering.
Impact
Frees you from manually maintaining which products appear at the top, letting you experiment with presenting them in relevance order.
Technical notes
Requires API version 2026-07 or later. Since the basis for relevance is undocumented, measure CVR and browsing after switching to decide whether to adopt it.
API
USE CASE 2

Standardize the sort order across many collections in bulk via the API

Challenge
With hundreds to thousands of collections, aligning the sort-order policy by hand in the admin is impractical.
Solution
Using Admin GraphQL (with bulk operations as needed), update the target collections' sortOrder in bulk to MOST_RELEVANT .
Impact
Apply sort-order guidelines across the board, reducing operational effort and inconsistency.
Technical notes
Pin the query/mutation version to 2026-07. Use an exclusion list to leave out collections that must keep their manual order.
USE CASE 3

Comparison testing of sort orders (conventional order vs. relevance order)

Challenge
Deciding "which sort order works best" without any supporting data.
Action
Switch only some collections MOST_RELEVANT over, then compare their metrics against the existing-sort-order collections over a set period.
Impact
You can confirm how well relevance-based sorting works with real data, giving you a basis for deciding on a full rollout and evidence for your proposals.
Technical notes
Measure pre-checkout collection browsing and CVR with an analytics tool. Allow a period long enough to absorb seasonal factors. Verify in advance whether the change is reflected on the storefront.

8One-line summary you can use in proposals

"For a collection's product sort order,'relevance order (MOST_RELEVANT)' can now be specified via the API.
The existing sort orders stay as they are—this is a backward-compatible addition that simply adds one more option.
To use it, Admin GraphQL API version 2026-07 or lateris required."