# Category Page Product Ranking > Order category products so the first items help shoppers understand and shop the category. Balance relevance, availability and useful variety, then review the effect on product discovery. - Type: Merchant guide - Level: Intermediate - Reading time: About 4 minutes - Audience: Written for store owners, builders, and designers refining high-performance ecommerce stores. - Last updated: 2026-11-04 - Canonical page: https://academy.getzenbasket.com/merchant-questions/category-page-product-ranking/ - Part of: [Merchant Questions](https://academy.getzenbasket.com/merchant-questions/) on ZenBasket Academy --- ## What you need to know ### Should best sellers always lead? Not necessarily. Your top-selling product may sell often, but putting it first in every category can hide gifts or new products. In a specialized category, lead with products that actually fit that category’s need. ### Can margin or newness matter? Merchants may promote a profitable or new product, but a boost should not bury the items customers came to find. Check whether shoppers can still find a specific product quickly after moving the display order. ### Manual or automatic ordering? Manual ordering is manageable for a small, stable category. Rules can help when stock and catalog change often. Combine them carefully: set a sensible base order, allow targeted overrides and review stale promotions and sold-out items. ### A simple check to try Open a category as a new visitor and list its first products. Confirm that each placement follows the documented rule and current stock. --- ## Frequently asked questions ### How can I prevent the same first row forever? Review category entry pages regularly, rotate truly relevant seasonal products and compare clicks across positions. Keep the category promise intact. ### Where do I set category product order? Use the verified merchandising guide, then compare the live order with stock and the rule you intended to apply. ## Related articles - **Sorting Ecommerce Products** - **Ecommerce Product Recommendations** - [ZenBasket Build Guide](https://help.getzenbasket.com/zenbasket-builder/)