This guide walks through installing Maestro Collections Scheduler and creating your first scheduled change, from picking a collection to reviewing what is scheduled to happen.
Key takeaways
- Install from the Shopify App Store. The Free plan is available immediately, no trial required.
- Pick the collection and the fields you want to change: title, description, media, visibility or sort order.
- Set the date and time the change should apply, and add an end schedule if the change should revert.
- Use batch scheduling if the same change applies to more than one collection.
- Upgrade to Advanced for bulk updates, the scheduling timeline and SEO scheduling.
Before you begin
- Know the date and time your change should start, in your store's time zone.
- Decide which collection fields need to change: title, description, media, sales channel visibility or sort order.
- Have any new collection copy or images ready before you schedule them.
Step 1: Install the app and choose a plan
Open the Maestro Collections Scheduler listing, click Install and approve the permissions. Start on the Free plan if you only need occasional scheduling and batch changes, or choose Advanced if you want unlimited scheduling, bulk updates, the scheduling timeline and SEO scheduling.
| If you want to | Choose |
|---|---|
| Try basic collection scheduling | Free, $0 |
| Schedule unlimited collections, bulk update or use the timeline | Advanced, $4.99/month |
| Schedule SEO fields alongside campaigns | Advanced, $4.99/month |
Step 2: Pick the collection and the change
- Choose a collectionOpen the collection you want to schedule a change for.
- Decide what changesTitle, description, media, sales channel visibility or sort order, or a combination.
- Prepare the contentWrite the new title or description and have any new media ready before you create the schedule.
Step 3: Create the schedule
In Maestro, create a schedule for the collection, choose the fields to update and set the date and time the change should apply. If the collection change is tied to a campaign with an end date, create a second schedule that reverts the collection when the campaign ends.
Schedule the start and the end of a campaign at the same time. That way a sale title, description or banner can never stay live by mistake.
Step 4: Use batch scheduling for multiple collections
If the same change needs to apply to several collections, for example excluding a group of collections from a sales channel until launch day, use batch scheduling to set it up once instead of repeating the process for each collection.
Step 5: Make a schedule recurring
If a change repeats, such as a weekly sort order update, set the schedule to recur instead of recreating it each time.
Step 6: Review what is scheduled
On the Advanced plan, use the scheduling timeline to see upcoming changes across your collections before they go live, so you can catch anything that needs adjusting ahead of time.
Common mistakes to avoid
Do
- Test with one collection and a small change first.
- Schedule the start and the end of a campaign together.
- Name collections clearly so scheduled changes are easy to track.
Avoid
- Forgetting to schedule an end date and leaving campaign content live.
- Setting times without checking your store's time zone.
- Scheduling many collections one at a time instead of using batch scheduling.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to set up my first schedule?
Most merchants can install Maestro and create a first collection schedule in a few minutes.
Do I need the Advanced plan to get started?
No. The Free plan includes automated collections changes and batch scheduling, so you can start scheduling right away and upgrade later if you need bulk updates, the scheduling timeline or SEO scheduling.
Can I schedule the end of a change as well as the start?
Yes. Create a second schedule for the date and time the collection should revert, such as switching the title, description or media back to normal.
What if I want to schedule the same change on several collections?
Use batch scheduling to apply one schedule across multiple collections instead of repeating the setup for each one.