How to Bundle Products in Shopify (Without an App)

Product bundling is a potent strategy for e-commerce success, and you're here because you want to master it on Shopify without adding another app to your store. While apps offer convenience, understanding the manual methods provides greater control, potentially saves costs, and deepens your understanding of Shopify's capabilities. This comprehensive guide will walk you through various app-free bundling techniques, from simple setups to more advanced configurations to sell and create bundles, ensuring you can implement effective product bundles that drive sales and delight your customers. Let's dive in.

Why Bundle Products in Shopify? Benefits You Can't Ignore

Product bundling isn't just a trend; it's a proven sales strategy. By grouping complementary items, you offer enhanced value, simplify the shopping experience, and boost your bottom line.

Boost Average Order Value (AOV)

When customers purchase a bundle, they often spend more than they would on individual items. This direct increase in AOV means more revenue per transaction, optimizing your marketing efforts. You're effectively upselling without the hard sell.

Increase Sales Volume

Bundles can entice customers who might otherwise buy nothing or just one item. The perceived value of a package deal encourages larger purchases, leading to a higher overall sales volume for multiple products. Think of it as a gentle nudge towards a bigger basket.

Enhance Customer Experience

Bundles simplify decision-making. Customers appreciate the convenience of buying related products together, knowing they're getting a curated solution. This thoughtful approach improves satisfaction and encourages repeat business. You're solving a problem for them.

Clear Out Inventory

Bundling is an excellent tactic for moving slow-selling stock. Pair less popular items with best-sellers in an attractive bundle, and watch them fly off the digital shelves. It’s a win-win: customers get a deal, and you reduce excess inventory. No more dusty virtual shelves!

The "No App" Challenge: Why It's Worth It (and What It Means)

Opting for an app-free bundling strategy in Shopify presents a unique set of challenges, but the rewards—control, cost savings, and a deeper understanding of your platform—make it entirely worthwhile.

Understanding Shopify's Core Limitations

Shopify, by default, isn't built for native bundling where multiple distinct SKUs are automatically grouped and sold as a single "bundle" SKU with synchronized inventory. Each product variant typically manages its own inventory. This means our app-free methods will often involve creative workarounds to simulate this functionality. You'll be using existing features in innovative ways.

The DIY Advantage

Choosing the DIY route means you have full control over your bundling logic, pricing, and presentation. You avoid monthly app subscription fees, potential conflicts with other apps, and reliance on third-party developers for updates. It's a hands-on approach that empowers you to tailor bundles precisely to your business needs. You become the master of your bundling destiny.

Method 1: The "Manual Variant" Bundle (Best for Simple Bundles)

This method is ideal for relatively simple bundles where the components are consistent and don't change frequently. It involves creating a new product that represents the bundle itself.

Step-by-Step Guide: Creating Your First Manual Bundle

1. Calculate Your Bundle Price: Determine the total price for your bundle. Decide if you'll offer a discount for purchasing the bundle compared to buying items individually.
2. Create a New Product for the Bundle:
   • Navigate to Shopify Admin > Products > Add product.
   • Give your bundle a clear, descriptive Title (e.g., "Coffee Lover's Starter Kit - French Press & Artisan Beans").
   • Write a compelling Description that highlights the value, benefits, and components of the bundle.
   • Upload an attractive Image that visually represents all items in the bundle.
3. Set the Price: Enter the calculated bundle Price.
4. Manage Inventory (The Critical Step!): This is where it gets manual.
5. Add Product Type, Vendor, Tags: Categorize your bundle appropriately for navigation and filtering.
6. Create Collections: Add your bundle product to relevant collections (e.g., "Bundles," "Gift Ideas").
7. Publish the Bundle: Once all details are set, make your bundle product active.

• Disable "Track quantity" for the bundle product itself.

• Instead, you will manually monitor the inventory of the *individual component products* that make up the bundle.
• When a bundle sells, you must manually adjust the stock of each individual item that was part of that bundle. For example, if your "Coffee Lover's Kit" contains 1 French Press and 1 bag of beans, and one kit sells, you manually reduce your French Press stock by 1 and your Artisan Beans stock by 1.
• Crucial: If any component of your bundle goes out of stock, you must manually unpublish or set the bundle product to 0 quantity to prevent overselling.

Pros and Cons of the Manual Variant Method

Pros:

• No App Required: Zero recurring costs.
• Full Control: You manage every aspect of the bundle's presentation.
• Simple Setup: Relatively straightforward for a small number of bundles.
• Native Shopify Features: Uses existing product and variant functionality.

Cons:

• Manual Inventory Management: This is the biggest drawback. Highly prone to errors if not meticulously tracked. 😬
• Scalability Issues: Becomes unwieldy with many bundles or high sales volume.
• No Automatic Component Linking: Shopify doesn't inherently know that the bundle product is made up of other products.
• Customer Support Challenges: If a customer wants to return only one item from a bundle, the process is manual and can be complex.

Method 2: The "Draft Order + Discount" Bundle (Best for Custom or Limited-Time Bundles)

This method is less about creating a static "bundle product" and more about generating a dynamic bundled offer. It's excellent for bespoke bundles, special promotions, or when you want to offer a discount on multiple items without creating a new product.

Step-by-Step Guide: Crafting Custom Bundles with Discounts

This method bypasses a single "bundle product" and instead focuses on offering a specific set of products at a discounted rate via a custom link or direct invoice.

1. Identify Your Bundle Components & Discount: Choose the specific products you want to bundle and decide on the discount amount (e.g., 10% off when buying A and B together).
2. Create a Unique Discount Code (Optional but Recommended):
   • Go to Shopify Admin > Discounts > Create discount.
   • Select "Amount off products" or "Buy X get Y" if applicable.
   • Configure the discount to apply only to the specific products in your bundle. For "Amount off products," you'll need to manually add each product. For "Buy X get Y," you can set specific product requirements.
   • Set Minimum purchase requirements (e.g., "Minimum quantity of items" or "Minimum purchase amount") to ensure the customer buys all bundle components.
   • Restrict to specific Customer segments or Usage limits if needed.
   • Give it a unique Discount code (e.g., BUNDLEDEAL2025).
   • Save discount.
3. Promote Your Bundle & Discount:
   • Option A: Direct Customer Communication (for custom bundles): If a customer requests a specific bundle, you can create a Draft Order directly in Shopify.
     • Go to Shopify Admin > Orders > Drafts > Create order.
     • Add the specific products to the draft order.
     • Apply the calculated discount manually or by adding your pre-created discount code.
     • Click "Email invoice" to send the customer a link to complete the purchase.
   • Option B: Landing Page with Discount Code (for wider promotions):
     • Create a dedicated landing page on your Shopify store (Pages > Add page) showcasing your bundle.
     • List the individual products included and clearly state the discount amount and the discount code to use at checkout.
     • Provide clear instructions: "Add [Product A] and [Product B] to your cart, then use code [BUNDLEDEAL2025] at checkout for your discount!"
4. Inventory Management: Inventory for this method is automatically tracked per individual product. When the customer completes the purchase (either via draft order or by applying the discount code at checkout), Shopify will deduct the stock of the individual items. This is a significant advantage over Method 1 for inventory.

Pros and Cons of the Draft Order + Discount Method

Pros:

• Automated Inventory: Inventory is automatically managed for individual components. 🙌
• Flexible Discounts: Easily apply specific discounts to multiple items.
• Ideal for Custom Orders: Perfect for creating unique bundles on demand.
• No App Required: Uses native Shopify discount and draft order features.
• Clear Component Tracking: Each item is a separate line item, simplifying returns (though a bundled discount might need adjustment).

Cons:

• Less "Bundled" Feel: Customers add individual items, then apply a discount, which isn't as seamless as a single "bundle product."
• Relies on Customer Action: For promotions, customers must remember to add all items and apply the discount code.
• No Single Bundle Product: Doesn't create a distinct product that visually represents the bundle on product pages or in search results directly.
• Manual Draft Order Creation: Can be time-consuming for many custom bundles.

Method 3: The "Theme Customization" Bundle (Advanced - Requires Code or Developer)

This method leverages Shopify's theme architecture to create a more integrated bundling experience. It's the closest you'll get to app-like functionality without an actual app, but it does require some coding knowledge or the assistance of a Shopify developer.

What This Method Entails

Theme customization involves modifying your Shopify theme's Liquid code, JavaScript, and CSS. The goal is to create a UI element on a product page that allows customers to "add to cart" a pre-defined set of products simultaneously, potentially with a combined discounted price. This could manifest as:

• A checkbox option on a product page to "Add the matching accessory for $X more."
• A section on a product page suggesting "Frequently bought together" items that, when selected, add all to the cart and apply a discount.
• A custom product template that presents a "bundle" view, where selecting the bundle adds multiple pre-configured items to the cart.

This method often involves:

• JavaScript: To dynamically add multiple products to the cart via Shopify's AJAX API.
• Liquid: To display the bundle options and retrieve product data.
• CSS: To style the bundle interface to match your brand.

When to Consider Theme Customization

• You want a seamless user experience: Customers add a bundle with a single click.
• You have consistent, high-value bundles: The investment in development pays off.
• You have some coding proficiency or a developer: This isn't for the faint of heart!
• You want to avoid ongoing app subscription fees for complex bundling logic.

Pros and Cons of Theme Customization

Pros:

• Seamless User Experience: Customers experience it like a true bundle product.
• Full Integration: Looks and feels like a native part of your store.
• Automated Cart Addition: Multiple items added with one click.
• No Recurring App Costs: A one-time development cost (or your own time).

Cons:

• Requires Technical Expertise: Not feasible without coding knowledge or a developer.
• Upfront Development Cost: Can be expensive if hiring a developer.
• Theme Updates: Custom code might break with major theme updates. Requires ongoing maintenance.
• Complex Inventory Management: Still needs careful logic to ensure all components are in stock before allowing a bundle purchase, or it might rely on the individual item inventory and just add multiple items to the cart, similar to Method 2. This part can get tricky without a dedicated app.
• No Single Bundle SKU: Typically, it still adds individual items to the cart, meaning you track individual item inventory, not a bundle-specific SKU.

Essential Tips for Successful Shopify Bundling (No App or Otherwise)

Regardless of the method you choose, a few universal principles will ensure your bundles are a smashing success.

Clear Communication is Key

Don't leave customers guessing! Clearly list every item included in the bundle, its original value, and the savings they're getting. Use bullet points and bold text for readability. Transparency builds trust.

Eye-Catching Imagery

A single, high-quality image of the entire bundle is crucial. Show all components together, beautifully arranged, so customers can instantly grasp the value. A picture is worth a thousand bundled products! 📸

Smart Pricing Strategies

Offer a genuine incentive. Bundles should present a clear saving compared to buying items individually. Experiment with different discount percentages (e.g., 10%, 15%, 20%) to find your sweet spot that encourages purchases while maintaining healthy margins.

Promote Your Bundles!

Don't hide your bundles!

• Homepage banners: Feature your best bundles prominently.
• Product pages: Suggest relevant bundles on individual product pages.
• Email marketing: Announce new bundles to your subscriber list.
• Social media: Showcase the lifestyle benefits of your bundles.
• Dedicated collection: Create a "Bundles" collection for easy browsing.

Monitor Your Inventory Diligently (Especially Without an App!)

This cannot be stressed enough, particularly for Method 1. Regularly check stock levels of all component products. If you oversell a bundle because one item ran out, you'll face unhappy customers and logistical headaches. Set up alerts if your inventory management system allows.

When to Consider a Shopify App for Bundling

While app-free bundling offers flexibility and cost savings, there comes a point where an app might be the more efficient and scalable solution for your business.

Scaling Your Business

If you're managing dozens or hundreds of bundles, or processing a high volume of bundle orders daily, manual inventory adjustments (Method 1) or individual draft orders (Method 2) become unsustainable. Apps automate these processes, freeing up your time.

Automated Inventory Sync

The primary limitation of app-free bundling is inventory. Apps are built to automatically track and synchronize the inventory of individual components within a bundle. This prevents overselling and reduces manual errors, a huge peace of mind.

Advanced Bundle Types

Do you need "build your own bundle" options, volume discounts within bundles, subscription box bundles, or gift-with-purchase logic? These complex functionalities are typically beyond the scope of app-free solutions and are where dedicated bundling apps shine. They offer sophisticated rules and dynamic pricing.

Summary

You now have a solid understanding of how to implement product bundles in Shopify without relying on external apps. Whether you choose the straightforward Manual Variant Method for simple packages, the flexible Draft Order + Discount Method for custom offers, or delve into Theme Customization for a deeply integrated experience, you're equipped with actionable strategies.

Remember, the key is to start simple, monitor your results, and scale up as your business grows. Each method has its trade-offs, primarily revolving around inventory management and the level of automation. By carefully considering your needs and resources, you can confidently create compelling product bundles that boost your sales and enhance your customers' shopping journey.

You now know how to set up Shopify bundles manually. Start small, test, and refine. But if you’re serious about scaling or want to boost sales with bundles like multi-packs, mix and match sets, and complementary products, a bundling app will save time and eliminate errors.

Simple Bundles is a Shopify app built specifically for this—designed to help merchants match bundles to their exact needs, manage inventory automatically, and grow their online store with smart bundling strategies.

If you’re looking for a bundle app, refer to The Best Shopify Bundling Apps to Increase AOV in 2025.