---
title: "How to Sort Products in a Category: Best Sellers, New Arrivals, Profit Margin and Stock Status, Out-of-Stock Products, Seasons and Campaigns, Relationship with Filters, Measurement, Sorting Impact Calculator and Layout Audit"
description: "How do you sort products in a category? Best seller, new, profit margin and stock-based ordering, sold-out products, seasons and measurement; an impact calculator and layout audit."
url: https://www.faprika.com/en/blog/how-to-sort-products-in-a-category
language: en
site: Faprika
---

# How to Sort Products in a Category: Best Sellers, New Arrivals, Profit Margin and Stock Status, Out-of-Stock Products, Seasons and Campaigns, Relationship with Filters, Measurement, Sorting Impact Calculator and Layout Audit

> How do you sort products in a category? Best seller, new, profit margin and stock-based ordering, sold-out products, seasons and measurement; an impact calculator and layout audit.

A visitor who lands on a category page doesn't look at all the products. Their eyes roam over the first rows, and they often settle for the few products they see on the first screen or leave the page. That is why even sales can change when the same products are arranged in a different order: a store that puts its best-selling product at the top and a store that leaves newly added products in random order get different results from the same traffic. The short answer to the question of **category product sorting** is this: showing the products in a category in the arrangement that creates the most value for the visitor and the business; in other words, arranging the showcase by a deliberate rule rather than by chance.

In this guide, we explain what product sorting is (known in e-commerce as product ordering or showcase arrangement), which criteria it can be based on, how to balance best sellers, new arrivals, profit margin and stock status, how to manage sold-out products, what to do in seasons and campaign periods and how to measure the result. Of the two tools in the post, one lets you calculate the extra orders and revenue impact of a sorting change, and the other lets you audit your current sorting setup.

Key Takeaway

“Good product sorting is built not on a single criterion but on a balance of several. A best seller builds trust, a new product keeps the page alive, profit margin protects the business and stock status prevents disappointment.”

## What Is Category Product Sorting?

Category product sorting is deciding in what order the products listed on a category page are displayed and turning that decision into a rule. Sorting isn't only the question of "what comes first"; it also covers which product stands out by which criterion, which is pulled back and when this arrangement will be renewed.

*Görsel: What is category product sorting: first rows on the category page, the sort selector, filters and moving sold-out products down (Anatomy of a category page: the sort selector, filters and first rows.)*

A category page has two separate sort orders, and the two are often confused. The first is the default order set by the store: the arrangement a visitor sees when they open the page without touching anything. The second is the order chosen by the visitor: a sort button for ascending price, newest or best seller. The real subject of this guide is the first, because most visitors never touch the sort selector.

### Are Sorting and Filtering the Same?

No. Sorting changes the order of products, while filtering narrows which products are shown. The two work together: the visitor first reduces the number of products with a filter, then the remaining products are arranged according to the sorting rule.

| Concept | What does it do? | Who defines it? |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Default sorting | Determines the arrangement of products when the page first opens | Store |
| Sort selector | Lets the visitor rearrange by a criterion such as price or novelty | Visitor |
| Filtering | Narrows the number of products by attributes such as size, color and price range | Visitor |
| Manual pinning | Places specific products in the desired order | Store |

Okumanızı öneririz

E-Ticarette

Ürün Filtreleme ve Arama Çubuğu Optimizasyonu

## Why Does Category Product Sorting Matter?

The category page is the gateway to the product page. If the visitor never goes to a product page, there is no add-to-cart or order either; so the first impression on the category page affects the entire sales funnel.

- **The first rows gather attention:** Visitors look at the products they see before scrolling down; the top-ranked products take a significant share of the clicks.
- **It steers sales velocity:** Sorting determines which product gets clicked and sold more; a product that sells also rises in the ranking, and the cycle feeds itself.
- **It affects profit:** The same number of orders produces different profit when spread across products with different margins.
- **It balances stock and operations:** Featuring overstocked products clears the remaining stock; pulling back sold-out products reduces disappointment.
- **It supports search engine and user signals:** A category page whose products get clicked and whose visitors stay on the page offers a healthier experience.

Tip

Don't set sorting once and forget it

Products, stock and demand change constantly. The order that was right last month may be wrong this month. Reviewing the sorting rule at regular intervals keeps the category page fresh.

## By Which Criteria Can Products Be Sorted?

There is no single right criterion; criteria are chosen according to the store's goal and used together. The five most common criteria are summarized in the image below and explained in detail under the following headings.

*Görsel: Category product sorting criteria: best seller, new arrivals, profit margin, stock status and manual pinning (Five sorting criteria and the strengths and weaknesses of each.)*

| Criterion | What is it for? | Point to watch |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Best seller | Highlights proven demand, builds trust | New products can stay invisible |
| New arrivals | Makes the page look current, gives new products a chance | There is no sales proof yet |
| Profit margin | Steers the same sales toward a more profitable product | Can drift away from customer needs |
| Stock status | Puts in-stock products first and sold-out ones down | A product with very low stock can run out quickly |
| Manual pinning | Puts a specific product in the desired order | Gets outdated over time, needs regular review |

### Sorting by Best Seller

Featuring the best-selling product is the most common approach, because a product that other visitors bought is also a trust signal for newcomers. The problem arises when you rely on this criterion alone: the top-ranked product is seen more, sold more and keeps staying at the top. A new and good product may never enter this cycle.

The way to balance this is to limit "best seller" to a specific period. A ranking based on the last week's or last month's sales doesn't feature a product that sold a lot years ago but has stalled today. The shorter the period, the more current the ranking; the longer it is, the more stable.

### Sorting by New Arrivals

Featuring new arrivals makes the page look alive, especially in fashion, accessories and seasonal products. If a regular visitor sees different products each time they come, they have a reason to return to the store.

The risk of sorting by novelty alone is that products with no sales proof sit at the very top. The solution is to give new products the right to stand out for a limited time (for example, the first weeks) and then evaluate them together with best-seller and other criteria.

### Sorting by Profit Margin

Promoting a high-margin product seems logical, but visitors make their decisions without knowing about margins. If a product with a high margin but low demand is placed at the top, clicks and sales drop; both the visitor and the business lose. Margin is meaningful not on its own, but when used together with demand indicators.

The practical approach is to separate two groups: products with proven demand and a good margin go to the top positions, and products with high demand but a low margin (traffic-driving products) are placed right behind them. This way the product that attracts visitors stays visible, and the profitable product gets noticed too.

### Sorting by Stock Status

Stock status is the most overlooked sorting criterion. An out-of-stock product sitting in the first position means disappointing the visitor at first glance. Promoting products with plenty of stock, on the other hand, is the most natural way to clear the stock you have left.

You can use the stock criterion in two ways: moving out-of-stock products to the end of the category page and making products with excess stock more visible for a while. In the second case, featuring a product on the page and discounting it are separate decisions; sorting alone may not clear the stock.

### Manual Pinning: Which Products Should Be Pinned?

Manual pinning means placing specific products in the order you want. It is useful for products that carry your brand story, campaign products and showcase products. However, every manual adjustment goes stale over time: the product you pinned sells out or its demand drops, while the order stays exactly as it was.

- **Pin sparingly:** Instead of defining the entire first row by hand, pin only a few products and leave the rest to the rule.
- **Keep a record of dates:** Note when and why each pin was made; clear out old pins regularly.
- **Watch the stock:** When the stock of a pinned product runs out, update the order right away.

Tip

Manual pinning should be the exception, not the rule

Managing the whole order by hand is not sustainable in a category with hundreds of products. Set up the rule with an automatic criterion and pin only showcase and campaign products by hand.

Recommended reading

How to Do Category Page SEO? 12 Steps to Rank Your

E-Commerce

Category Pages Higher

## Where Should Out-of-Stock Products Go on the Category Page?

An out-of-stock product is usually moved to the end of the category page, but it is not removed from the page entirely. That is because the product page's history, links and reviews are valuable; when stock is replenished, the product goes back on sale with this accumulated value.

- **Move it down, don't delete it:** An out-of-stock product drops to the bottom; when stock arrives, it returns to its former position.
- **Show clearly that it is out of stock:** Include an "out of stock" label on the product card so the visitor is not surprised after clicking.
- **Offer a notification option:** A "notify me when back in stock" option on the product page is a chance to win back a sale that would otherwise be lost.
- **Treat size and color stock-outs separately:** When some variants of a product run out, the product stays on sale; it is moved down only when all of them are gone.

We recommend reading

What to Do with an Out-of-Stock Product Page? A Practical Guide to SEO, Customer Experience and Redirects for Sold-Out Products in

E-Commerce

Recommended reading

What Is Back-in-Stock Notification? How to Set Up Stock Alerts for Sold-Out Products and Win Back Sales: Variant-Based Demand, Notification Channels and Threshold, Recovery Calculator and Setup Audit

## How Should Sorting Change During Seasons and Campaigns?

Seasons and campaigns are times when demand shifts, and sorting should follow that shift. It is natural to bring coats and boots categories forward as winter begins, gift products before a holiday, and discounted products during a sale period.

- **Prepare for the season in advance:** Move seasonal products to the top positions before demand starts, so the page is ready when demand arrives.
- **Make campaign products visible:** Highlight discounted products with both a badge and sorting; don't rely on just one of them.
- **Roll back when the campaign ends:** Leaving the products of an expired campaign in the top positions creates an outdated price expectation.
- **Clear end-of-season stock:** Feature out-of-season products, together with discounts, in an end-of-season arrangement; make room for new-season products.

We recommend reading

E-Commerce

Campaign Calendar: How to Build a Campaign Plan That Drives Sales All Year

## How Does Sorting Work Together with Filters and Search?

When a visitor applies a filter, the category page is redrawn and the remaining products are again arranged in some order. For this reason, the default sorting affects not only the first load but also the filtered results.

- **Order after filtering should be consistent:** Even when a visitor selects a color, best-selling and in-stock products should stay at the front.
- **Keep the sort selector simple:** Too many options increase the decision burden; the three or four most-used options are enough.
- **Treat search results separately:** The intent of a visitor coming from the search box is clear; it makes more sense to order results first by how closely they match the searched phrase, then by sales indicators.
- **Avoid empty results:** If combined filters reduce the products to zero, show the visitor alternatives.

## How to Set Up a Blended Sorting Rule?

Blended sorting is a rule that applies multiple criteria in sequence and with weights. The others balance out the weaknesses of a single criterion; most importantly, it ties sorting to a rule that everyone can understand.

*Görsel: How to sort products in a category: a mixed sorting rule made up of in-stock products, best sellers, new arrivals and manually pinned products (Blended sorting: stock first, then demand, then newness.)*

- **1. Define the goal:** Do you want to increase sales, profit or stock clearance? Write the goal in a single sentence.
- **2. Bring in-stock products forward first:** Out-of-stock products always go to the end; the remaining sorting is applied only among products that can be sold.
- **3. Make demand the main criterion:** Bring best-selling products forward using sales data from a short period.
- **4. Give new products time-limited space:** Reserve one or two of the top positions for newly arrived products during their first weeks.
- **5. Add margin as a balancing factor:** Between two products with similar demand, let the one with the higher margin come first.
- **6. Keep manual pinning as the exception:** Define showcase and campaign products by hand in small numbers.
- **7. Measure and update:** Track the result with click, add-to-cart and order indicators, and refresh the rule at regular intervals.

Tip

Change only one thing at a time

If price, images and campaigns change at the same time you change the sorting rule, you cannot tell which change produced the result. If possible, monitor a single change for a while, then move on to the next.

We recommend reading

How to Manage Product Reviews? A Guide to Collecting, Approving, Replying to Customer Reviews and Handling Negative Reviews in

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, with a Review Target Calculator and a Management Audit

## How to Calculate the Effect of a Sorting Change on Sales?

If an improvement in sorting raises the click rate on products on the category page, the result is additional orders. The tool below calculates additional orders and additional revenue from monthly category visitors, the current and target click rates, the add-to-cart rate, the cart-to-order rate and the average order value. The values are examples; enter your own indicators.

Sorting impact calculator

Monthly category page visitors

Current product click rate (%)

Target product click rate (%)

Add-to-cart rate (%)

Cart-to-order rate (%)

Average order value

Current monthly orders**432**

Target monthly orders**518**

Additional monthly orders**86**

Additional monthly revenue**77.760**

The target click rate is equal to or lower than the current rate, so no additional orders are shown. Assuming the sorting change will increase clicks, enter the target again.

The increase in click rate turns into additional orders together with the add-to-cart and order rates. This is an estimate; verify the real effect by monitoring the same indicators after you change the sorting.

Calculation: visitors × click rate × add-to-cart rate × cart-to-order rate = monthly orders; the difference between the target and the current figure gives the additional orders, and additional orders × average order value gives the additional revenue. The figures are examples; actual results vary by product, traffic source and period.

The lesson the tool shows is that a small increase in clicks compounds: every increase in click rate is multiplied by the add-to-cart and cart-to-order rates and carries through to the result. The reverse is also true; when sorting gets worse, the loss grows through the same chain. For this reason, rather than applying a major sorting change to all categories at once, it is wiser to test it first in a single category.

Okumanızı öneririz

Dönüşüm Oranı Optimizasyonu (CRO) Nedir?

## Which Sorting Suits Which Category Type?

Visitors in each category do not behave the same way, so adjusting by category type works better than applying a single sorting rule to the whole store. The table below is a general starting point; fine-tune it by testing with your own data.

| Category type | Suitable main criterion | Why? |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Fashion and accessories | Newest, then best-selling | Visitors look for novelty, and the collection changes often |
| Seasonal products | Seasonal products, then best-selling | Demand is concentrated in specific weeks |
| Technical and electronic products | Best-selling and reviews | Visitors look for trust and proof |
| Consumables | Best-selling and stock status | For repeat purchases, the familiar option is preferred |
| Discount and outlet categories | Excess stock and campaign | The goal is to clear stock and get quick sales |

### How to Sort When There Is No Sales Data?

A newly opened store or a new category has no best-seller data. In this case, bring in-stock products forward, place newly arrived products and the showcase products you select by hand at the top, and add the best-selling criterion to the rule as sales data accumulates. When data is scarce, sorting based on small differences can be misleading; in the short term, a randomly sold product may be promoted more than it deserves.

### Why Is the First Screen More Decisive on Mobile?

Very few products fit on a phone screen at once, and visitors often look at only the first two or three products. On desktop, four or five products are visible in the first row, while on mobile that number drops considerably. For this reason, choosing the first products matters even more on mobile: having the strongest in-stock products at the top directly affects how long visitors stay on the page.

- **Make the images of the first products clear:** A card that looks small on a phone stands out through image quality.
- **Make price and stock information readable on the card:** Visitors should be able to decide without opening the product.
- **Keep the number of products per page balanced:** Too few products means constant page switching, too many means slow loading.

## Common Mistakes in Category Product Sorting

- **Leaving an out-of-stock product in the first position:** The visitor sees a product that isn't available at first glance and leaves the page.
- **Relying only on best-sellers:** New and good products stay invisible, and the storefront freezes over time.
- **Looking only at profit margin:** A product with low demand rises to the top, and clicks and sales drop.
- **Forgetting manual sorting:** Outdated pins stay on top even after the season ends.
- **Not rolling back the order after a campaign ends:** Products from an expired campaign stay in the top positions.
- **Not measuring sorting:** Because the effect of a change on clicks and sales isn't monitored, neither improvement nor decline is noticed.
- **Promoting the same products in every category:** Visitors in different categories look at different products; a single sorting rule doesn't fit them all.
- **Not thinking about mobile:** Few products fit on the first phone screen, so the choice of the first two or three products matters even more.

## How to Audit Your Sorting Setup?

The tool below checks your current sorting setup with eight questions. Tick the items that apply to you; the tool tells you how deliberately you manage sorting.

Category product sorting audit

I have a default sorting rule for categories

Out-of-stock products are at the end of the category page

The best-seller sorting looks at a specific period

I give new products a time-limited right to be featured

I regularly review the products I pin manually

I update the sorting before seasons and campaigns

Sorting stays consistent when a filter is applied

I measure the effect of sorting changes on clicks and sales

Items that apply**2 / 8**

Your sorting setup doesn't seem to be in place yet. First move out-of-stock products to the end and tie the best-seller criterion to a specific period.

The basic setup is there, but gaps remain. Complete the missing items, such as the new product allowance, pin reviews and measurement.

Your sorting setup is solid. Now improve the rule by testing changes one by one and measuring their results.

*Görsel: Category product sorting checklist: sold-out products, best-seller period, new product privilege, pinning, season and measurement (An eight-item checklist for your sorting setup.)*

## How to Measure Category Product Sorting?

Whether sorting works is tracked with a few simple indicators. You need to follow all of them by category and by comparing before and after the change; the overall figure hides the problem category.

| Indicator | What does it tell you? |
| --- | --- |
| Category-to-product page transition rate | Whether sorting draws the visitor to the product |
| Click share of the first products | How much attention the first rows capture |
| Add-to-cart rate | Whether the clicked products really get interest |
| Category exit rate | Whether the page retains the visitor |
| Orders and revenue by category | The final commercial impact of sorting |
| Clicks on out-of-stock products | Whether out-of-stock products are still visible |

To keep the comparison fair, the same duration and similar traffic conditions are chosen. Comparing a campaign week with a normal week is misleading. If possible, leaving one category with the old sorting and running another with the new rule shows the difference clearly.

We recommend reading

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Metrics: 15 KPIs You Need to Track and Their Calculation Formulas

## How to Manage Category Product Sorting with Faprika?

In Faprika, you can manage product sorting on category listing pages both automatically and manually. Which plan includes the feature varies by plan; see the [plans](https://www.faprika.com/en/pricing) page for details.

- **Drag-and-drop sorting:** You can arrange the products in a category in the order you want by dragging and dropping them.
- **Automatic sorting:** You can have the product listing sorted automatically; automatic sorting methods based on best-selling and newly arrived products are available.
- **Managing products within a category from the panel:** From the category editing screen, you can view the products under a category, change their order, make them showcase products or edit them.
- **Category order:** You can also set the order of the category itself; a category entered with order 0 appears at the very top of the list.
- **Products per page:** You can set how many products are displayed on a page when a category is clicked from the category settings.

You can find the steps for setting up the category structure [E-Ticarette Ürün Kategori Yönetimi Nasıl Yapılır?](https://www.faprika.com/blog/e-ticarette-urun-kategori-yonetimi-nasil-yapilir) in our article, and the search engine compatibility of the category page [How to Do Category Page SEO? 12 Steps to Rank Your E-Commerce Category Pages Higher](https://www.faprika.com/en/blog/category-page-seo) in our article.

## Frequently Asked Questions

**What is category product sorting?**

It is deciding in what order the products on a category page are displayed and turning that into a rule. Criteria such as best seller, new, profit margin, stock status and manual pinning are used individually or together.

**In what order should products be shown on a category page?**

There is no single right order, but the general arrangement is this: in-stock products first, among them those with proven demand, then new products, and sold-out ones at the very end. The weights change according to the store's goal.

**Should a sold-out product be removed from the category page?**

Generally it is not removed but moved to the end. The product page's history is preserved, and when stock arrives the product goes back on sale. Visitors should be clearly shown that it is sold out and offered a notify-me-when-available option.

**Why aren't new products selling, and does sorting matter?**

A new product with no sales proof can stay in the lower rows under a best-seller rule and, because it isn't seen, can't get sales. Giving new products a timed privilege to stand out in their first weeks breaks this cycle.

**How is the impact of sorting measured?**

Click-through from the category page to the product page, the click share of the top-ranked products, add-to-cart, exit rate and category-level order indicators are compared before and after the change. The comparison should use the same period and similar traffic conditions.

**How is category product sorting done in Faprika?**

Category listing order can be managed manually by drag and drop or with automatic sorting methods such as best seller and new arrivals. On the category editing screen, the order of products can be changed and showcase products can be set. Which plan includes the feature varies by plan.

Sort Your Storefront by Sales

With Faprika, arrange the products on your category pages using drag-and-drop or automatic sorting methods; bring best-selling and new products forward. See which plan suits you.

Explore the Plans

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