How to Show Different Size Charts for Different Products in Shopify (by Product, Collection, Tag or Vendor)

Short answer: In Shopify you can show different size charts per product in two ways: set a page or metafield on each product (free, manual), or use a size chart app that assigns charts by product, collection, tag or vendor. For more than a handful of charts, rules are faster and easier to keep correct.

First, decide how many charts you actually need

One chart per fit block, not per product

Think in fit blocks, not SKUs. Examples: “Men’s tees, regular fit”, “Women’s jeans, high rise”, “Kids 2-14”, “Sneakers, unisex”. One table can cover dozens of products that grade the same way.

Baymard (updated 25 Feb 2025) lists matching sizing and measurement information to the product type among its sizing best practices. Its earlier sizing study (Jul 2022) says to tailor guides to each product type, ideally by brand and product type, rather than one generic list reused across unrelated products. Matching the chart to what you sell matters more than having a unique page per variant.

Quick worksheet: list product types × brands × fits → count the charts

On paper, list each product type you sell, each brand or supplier (if sizes differ), and each fit (slim, regular, oversized). Each unique combination is usually one chart. We could not find a reliable industry average for how many charts a store needs. Your worksheet is the honest answer.

Method 1: Free, with metafields (one product at a time)

Shopify’s official approach uses a page reference metafield and a pop-up block. Full steps are in our how to add a size chart in Shopify guide and in Shopify’s pop-up tutorial.

Page reference metafield + pop-up block

Create a size chart page per table, attach it to products via a page reference metafield, and enable the pop-up in your Online Store 2.0 theme. To show the link only on some products, Shopify’s tutorial notes you may need a separate product template. Plan for that if you mix charted and non-charted products.

Reusable charts with a metaobject reference

For one chart reused on many products, a metaobject reference can point many products at the same chart record. You still maintain assignments in admin, but you are not duplicating page content.

Where this gets painful

Every new product needs the metafield set. It is easy to forget one SKU. Merchants regularly ask about different charts per product or collection in the Shopify Community. Once you have more than a handful of charts, collection, tag, and vendor rules in an app usually save time.

Method 2: Assign by collection

Best for: stores organised by product type

If your catalog is grouped into Tops, Jeans, Shoes, or similar, one chart per automated collection is a natural fit. When a new product matches the collection rules, it lands in that collection. Assign the chart once to the collection instead of editing each product.

Tip: automated collections and new products

Shopify automated collections add products when they meet conditions (for example product type “Jeans”). After you assign a chart to that collection in Honest Size Charts, open a new product in that collection on your storefront and confirm it shows the right chart. If something looks wrong, check the product is in the collection you expect in Shopify admin.

Method 3: Assign by product tag

Best for: fits that cut across collections

A tag works when the same fit appears in many collections. For example, everything tagged slim-fit shares one chart even if some items are shirts and some are chinos.

A simple naming scheme

Use a clear prefix so tags stay searchable, for example size-chart:mens-tee-regular. Avoid reusing tags for non-sizing purposes.

Method 4: Assign by vendor

Best for: multi-brand stores

When each vendor (brand) grades sizes differently, assign one chart per vendor (or per vendor + category if you split further). New products from that vendor pick up the chart when the vendor field matches.

Which chart wins?

In Honest Size Charts, assignment rules are product, collection, tag, and vendor. A product can match more than one rule at once (for example it is in “Women’s tops” and tagged slim-fit). The app picks the most specific match. Only published charts count. If no rule matches, no chart shows on that product.

When rules compete at the same level, tie-breaks work like this:

1. Product beats collection, tag, and vendor. If several charts target the same product, the most recently edited chart wins.
2. Collection: if the product is in several assigned collections, the chart on the collection that was created first in Shopify wins (lowest collection ID).
3. Tag: matching is case-insensitive. If several tags match, the tag rule added first wins.
4. Vendor: matching is case-insensitive and ignores extra spaces. If several vendor rules match, the vendor rule added first wins.

There is no separate “product type” rule; use collections or tags for that. For one-off exceptions (a single SKU that should not use the collection chart), assign a product-level rule; product always wins over broader rules.

Setting this up in Honest Size Charts & Guides

1. Build the chart in the grid editor or upload an image.
2. Assign by product, collection, tag, or vendor, then publish (Free: 3 published charts, no watermark; Pro: unlimited at $8.99/month or $89/year, flat fee).
3. Add the theme app block on your product template in the theme editor.
4. Test three products on mobile (wide tables are a common pain point); see our mobile size chart guide.

Need starting tables? Copy from the size chart templates hub. Not sure what “size chart” vs “size guide” means? Read size chart vs size guide.

Keep it tidy: a monthly 10-minute check

• New products without a chart link on the product page.
• Old charts still assigned to the right collections, tags, or vendors.
• CSV export from the app as a backup before you change grading.

Set up rules once and let new products pick up the right chart. Install on Shopify.

Next: How to add a size chart in Shopify · Templates · Pricing