> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.dodopayments.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Product Collections
> Group related products together for unified checkout experiences, plan selection, and seamless upgrade/downgrade paths within the Customer Portal.
Product Collections let you group related products (e.g., Starter, Pro, Enterprise plans) under one umbrella. Display all options in a single checkout, define upgrade/downgrade paths, and give customers the flexibility to switch plans directly from the Customer Portal.
## Key Highlights
* **Collection-based structure**: Group related products (plans, tiers, pricing options) under a single collection for organized management.
* **One collection, many products**: Include multiple products like Starter, Pro, Lifetime, etc., each with its own pricing model.
* **Dynamic checkout experience**: Display all products from a collection in one checkout view, letting customers choose their preferred plan.
* **Merchant-level control**: Enable, disable, and reorder products within each collection. The first product is automatically pre-selected at checkout.
* **Lifecycle awareness**: Enable customers to upgrade or downgrade between products in the same collection via the Customer Portal.
## Creating a Product Collection
Product Collections are created and managed from the dashboard or via API. Each collection acts as a container for related products.
Define the collection with a name and optional description. Upload an image to visually represent the collection in checkout.
**Collection fields:**
* **Name** (required): Display name for the collection (e.g., "SaaS Plans", "License Tiers")
* **Description** (optional): Brief explanation shown in checkout
* **Image** (optional): Visual branding for the collection
Add existing products to your collection. Products can be organized into groups for better structure.
**Product organization:**
* **Groups**: Optionally organize products into named groups (e.g., "Monthly Plans", "Annual Plans")
* **Ungrouped products**: Products without a group appear at the collection level
* **Ordering**: Drag and drop to set the display order
Each product can only belong to one collection. If a product is already in another collection, you'll need to remove it first.
Control the display order and visibility of products within the collection.
**Configuration options:**
* **Product status**: Enable or disable individual products within the collection
* **Display order**: Drag and drop to set the sequence products appear in checkout
The first product in the collection is automatically pre-selected as the default at checkout. Reorder products to change which one is selected by default.
## Collection Checkout
Collections enable a unified checkout experience where customers can view and select from all available products in one place.
### Checkout Types
| Type | Description | Use Case |
| --------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------ | ------------------------------------------- |
| **Collection Checkout** | Displays all active products within a collection | Subscription plan selection, tiered pricing |
| **Single Product Checkout** | Displays only one specific product | Direct purchase, promotional links |
### Collection Checkout Experience
When using a collection checkout:
1. **All active products displayed**: Customers see every enabled product in the collection
2. **First product pre-selected**: The first product in the collection order is automatically selected
3. **Product details shown**: Each product displays its name, description, and pricing
4. **Single selection**: Customer selects one product to purchase
5. **Standard flow continues**: After selection, the checkout proceeds with the chosen product's pricing and billing settings
Collection checkout is ideal for subscription businesses where you want customers to compare plans side-by-side before purchasing.
### API Integration
Create a checkout session for a collection:
```typescript theme={null}
const session = await client.checkoutSessions.create({
product_collection_id: 'pdc_abc123',
product_cart: [], // Required: pass an empty array for collection checkout
return_url: 'https://yoursite.com/return'
});
// Redirect customer to the checkout
window.location.href = session.checkout_url;
```
When using `product_collection_id`, discount codes cannot be applied at session creation. Customers can still enter discount codes during checkout if enabled.
## Customer Portal Integration
Customers can upgrade or downgrade between products within the same collection directly from the Customer Portal.
**Already have subscription products?** Simply add them to a Product Collection to enable upgrade/downgrade flows in the Customer Portal. No need to recreate your products.
### Plan Management Actions
| Action | Description | Merchant Control |
| --------------------- | ----------------------------------------------------- | ------------------------------- |
| **View Current Plan** | Display current product name, price, and renewal date | Always available |
| **Upgrade Plan** | Move to a higher-tier product in the same collection | Configurable (default: allowed) |
| **Downgrade Plan** | Move to a lower-tier product in the same collection | Configurable (default: allowed) |
| **Cancel** | Cancel the subscription entirely | Always available |
### Upgrade/Downgrade Rules
* Upgrades and downgrades are only available between products **within the same collection**
* Proration is applied based on your subscription settings
* Email notifications are sent to the business on every upgrade, downgrade, or cancellation
Customers cannot change to products outside their current collection. Create separate collections for distinct product lines.
## Subscription Settings
Configure how subscriptions and plan changes work across your business from **Settings → Subscriptions** in your dashboard.
### Available Settings
| Setting | Description | Default |
| -------------------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | -------- |
| **Allow Multiple Subscriptions** | Customers can hold more than one active subscription at the same time | Enabled |
| **Allow Subscription Updates** | Customers can upgrade or downgrade their existing subscriptions anytime via Customer Portal | Disabled |
Plan changes via Customer Portal are disabled by default. Enable "Allow Subscription Updates" in **Settings → Subscriptions** to let customers upgrade or downgrade between products in the same collection.
Learn more about proration modes and plan change behavior.
## Managing Collections
Product Collections can be managed either through the Dodo Payments dashboard or programmatically via API. The API provides full control over collection creation, updates, image uploads, archiving, and managing nested groups and products.
### Dashboard Operations
* **Create**: Set up new collections with products and groups
* **Update**: Modify name, description, image, and product organization
* **Reorder**: Drag and drop to change product display order
* **Enable/Disable products**: Control which products appear in checkout
* **Archive**: Hide a collection without permanently deleting it (can be unarchived later)
### API Management
The following endpoints allow you to create, update, retrieve, archive, and organize product collections programmatically — including managing nested groups and the products within them.
Fetch all product collections associated with your account using a `GET` request to the `/product-collections` endpoint. Supports pagination, filtering by brand, and including archived collections.
View detailed request and response structure in the List Product Collections API documentation.
Create a new product collection by sending a `POST` request to the `/product-collections` endpoint with details such as name, description, and brand.
View detailed request and response structure in the Create Product Collection API documentation.
Get detailed information about a specific product collection — including its groups and product items — using a `GET` request to the `/product-collections/{id}` endpoint.
View detailed request and response structure in the Get Product Collection API documentation.
Modify a product collection's details (name, description, brand, etc.) by sending a `PATCH` request to the `/product-collections/{id}` endpoint.
View detailed request and response structure in the Update Product Collection API documentation.
Associate an image with a collection by uploading it via a pre-signed URL. Request an upload URL from the `/product-collections/{id}/images` endpoint, then `PUT` the image to the returned URL within 60 seconds.
The pre-signed URL expires in 60 seconds, so the image must be uploaded within that timeframe.
View detailed request and response structure in the Update Collection Images API documentation.
Archive a collection by sending a `DELETE` request to the `/product-collections/{id}` endpoint. This hides the collection from new use but does not permanently remove it.
View detailed request and response structure in the Archive Product Collection API documentation.
Restore an archived collection by sending a `POST` request to the `/product-collections/{id}/unarchive` endpoint.
View detailed request and response structure in the Unarchive Product Collection API documentation.
Groups let you organize products inside a collection (for example, "Monthly Plans" vs. "Annual Plans"). Use the groups endpoints to add, update, or remove groups within a collection.
* **Create a group**: `POST /product-collections/{id}/groups`
* **Update a group**: `PATCH /product-collections/{id}/groups/{group_id}`
* **Delete a group**: `DELETE /product-collections/{id}/groups/{group_id}`
Add a new group to a product collection.
Modify a group's name or attributes.
Remove a group from a collection.
Manage the individual product items inside a group — add new products, update existing items (such as display order), or remove them entirely.
* **Add products to a group**: `POST /product-collections/{id}/groups/{group_id}/items`
* **Update a group item**: `PATCH /product-collections/{id}/groups/{group_id}/items/{item_id}`
* **Delete a group item**: `DELETE /product-collections/{id}/groups/{group_id}/items/{item_id}`
Add one or more products to a group within a collection.
Update a product item within a group.
Remove a product item from a group.
## Best Practices
* **Group logically**: Organize products by billing interval (monthly/annual) or feature tier (starter/pro/enterprise)
* **Order strategically**: Place your most popular or recommended plan first, as it will be pre-selected at checkout
* **Use clear naming**: Product names should clearly communicate value differences
* **Enable both directions**: Allow both upgrades and downgrades to give customers flexibility
* **Consider proration**: Choose a proration mode that aligns with your business model
* **Test thoroughly**: Verify checkout and plan change flows in test mode before going live
You're ready to create product collections and offer customers a unified plan selection experience.
Create one-time, subscription, or usage-based products to add to collections.
Display collection products in a unified checkout experience.
Let customers upgrade or downgrade within the same collection.
Manage recurring plans with proration and plan changes.