How to create an A-Z brands page in Shopify

TL;DR: Shopify does not ship a ready-made A-Z brands directory. You can approximate one with brand collections and a menu, build a custom page, or use Brand Page Pro A-Z Brands List to generate an alphabetical index from your product vendor data. An A-Z index helps shoppers browse brands; it does not automatically write unique SEO articles for every brand.

Figure (BRAND-001-A1): Shopify storefront A-Z brands directory showing letter index and brand names

Figure (BRAND-001-A2): Shopify Online Store navigation menu with a Brands link selected

Steps at a glance

1. Standardise the Vendor (or brand) value on every product.
2. Decide whether each brand needs its own collection for landing pages.
3. Choose a route: native menu, custom theme page, or Brand Page Pro.
4. Build or generate the A-Z brands index.
5. Link each brand to its collection URL where that matters for browsing.
6. Add a Brands item to Online Store navigation.
7. Check the page on mobile (letter jump, density, tap targets).
8. Hide internal suppliers or test vendors from the public list.
9. Spot-check that new products appear under the right letter after you add them.

Quick answer

If you only sell a handful of brands, a menu of collections is often enough. If you sell dozens or hundreds, maintaining a manual page becomes fragile. Brand Page Pro is built for that larger case: it generates an A-Z brands page from existing vendor data and is designed to be linked from your navigation without rewriting your theme from scratch. Confirm Free vs Pro layout limits on the Shopify App Store listing before you rely on a specific layout.

What an A-Z brands page is (and is not)

An A-Z brands page is a directory: letters, brand names, optional logos, and links into the catalogue. Shoppers use it to find “Nike” or “Aesop” the way they would use a department store directory.

It is not the same as:

• Automatically generating long-form SEO copy for every brand
• Replacing collection pages that hold products
• A search results page (though some brand apps add filter or search on the index)

Keep that distinction clear in your own merchandising plan. Brand discovery and brand SEO landing pages are related jobs; they are not identical.

What you need before starting

• Consistent Vendor values on products (same spelling and casing)
• A decision on brand collections: one collection per brand, or index-only
• Permission to edit Online Store > Navigation
• A staging theme or development store if you are testing apps on a live shop
• Clarity on brands that must stay hidden (warehouse codes, internal suppliers)

Option 1: Using Shopify’s native features

Menu of brand collections

1. Create a collection per brand (manual or automated by vendor).
2. Open Online Store > Navigation.
3. Add menu items that point to each brand collection.
4. Optionally nest brands under a parent Brands item.

Strengths: No app. Full control over which brands appear. Limits: No automatic A-Z letter index. Large menus are hard to maintain and awkward on mobile. Adding a brand means editing navigation again.

Manual page

You can create a page and paste brand links by hand. That works for a short list and fails when the catalogue grows.

Custom Liquid / theme work

A developer can render vendors from the storefront API or Liquid. That can look excellent and still becomes a maintenance project whenever Shopify or your theme changes. Budget for ongoing support.

Option 2: Generate an A-Z brands page with Brand Page Pro

Brand Page Pro A-Z Brands List is published by Aperitive. The App Store listing describes auto-generating a brands page from vendors, logo upload, multiple layouts, collection linking, and navigation-ready output. Free and Pro plan differences (including layout counts) should be re-checked on the listing on the day you publish this article.

High-level setup (confirm exact admin labels in a live install before publishing — confirm labels in your install):

1. Install Brand Page Pro A-Z Brands List from the Shopify App Store.
2. Open the app and generate or enable the brands page from your vendor data from your vendors list in the app.
3. Review which vendors appear; exclude internal or unwanted names using the app’s brand visibility controls.
4. Upload logos for featured brands if you use a logo layout via the brand logo upload in the app.
5. Map brands to collections where you want the index to deep-link into brand catalogues by linking each brand to its collection where the app supports it.
6. Choose a layout that matches your theme Basic includes 2 layouts; Pro adds 15+ layouts per the 3 Nov 2026 App Store snapshot.
7. Preview on desktop and mobile.
8. Copy the page URL and add it to your main menu (next section).

Image (required before publish): real screenshot of the generated A-Z index — shopify-brand-page-az-directory-desktop.webp. Do not use a fabricated UI mock as a product screenshot.

Worked example: 12-vendor catalogue

Assume a homewares store with these vendors and collection handles:

After standardising vendors, the public A-Z index should list Acme through Northlight under the correct letters and omit KEYWARE. If KEYWARE still appears, fix exclusion settings or rename the vendor so it is not customer-facing.

Add the brands page to navigation

1. In Shopify admin, go to Online Store > Navigation.
2. Open the menu customers use most (often the main menu).
3. Add a menu item labelled Brands (or Designers, Labels, etc.).
4. Point it at the brands page URL (app page or your custom page).
5. Save and check the storefront header on mobile and desktop.

Place Brands where shoppers already look for catalogue structure: beside Collections or Shop. Footer-only placement is fine as a secondary link, not as the only path.

Which method should you choose?

Common mistakes and troubleshooting

• Inconsistent vendor spelling (Nike, NIKE, nike) creates duplicate letters/entries. Clean data first.
• Internal suppliers on the public list. Exclude or rename them.
• Index without collections. Shoppers click a brand and land nowhere useful. Link to collections when products should be browsable by brand.
• Assuming the index writes SEO articles. It does not. Plan collection descriptions separately if brand SEO pages matter.
• Skipping mobile QA. Dense A-Z lists need clear letter navigation on small screens.

Frequently asked questions

Can I create a Shopify brands page without editing Liquid?

Yes. Native menus and collections need no Liquid. Brand Page Pro is also designed to avoid fragile custom templates for the core A-Z page. Advanced styling can still use CSS if you choose.

Does an A-Z index create unique SEO content for every brand?

No. Treat the index as a directory and hub. Unique brand copy belongs on brand collections or dedicated pages you maintain.

Where should the brands link sit in the menu?

Usually in the primary header near other browse paths. Test with real shoppers or session recordings if you have them; do not hide it only in the footer if brand browse is a core job.

Why are some vendors missing from my brands list?

Common causes: products draft/unpublished, empty vendor field, exclusion rules, or vendor values that differ by a character. Check product data before assuming an app bug.

Do I need one collection per brand?

Not always. An index can list names only. If the goal is “shop this brand,” collections (or another filtered landing) should exist and be linked.

Next steps

If Brand Page Pro fits your catalogue size, start from the product page: Brand Page Pro A-Z Brands List. For choosing among approaches, use the companion comparison when live: Best Shopify brand page apps: how to choose (BRAND-002). Install listing: apps.shopify.com/brand-page.

Shopify origin: https://www.aperitive.io/blogs/articles/how-to-create-an-a-z-brands-page-in-shopify