Can Webflow combine multiple CMS Collections into one using Finsweet's Attributes feature for sorting?
TL;DR
- Use Finsweet’s Attributes to visually filter and display multiple Webflow CMS Collections together by placing them in the same container and applying shared filtering classes.
- Sorting and pagination remain per-list only, meaning true merging or unified sorting requires a custom or external solution.
You cannot natively combine multiple CMS Collections into one in Webflow, but with Finsweet’s Attributes toolkit, you can visually merge and filter multiple Collection Lists on a single page to achieve a unified experience.
1. Understand Finsweet Attributes Limitations
- Finsweet Attributes works client-side and modifies what’s shown in the browser, not the CMS structure itself.
- It does not combine CMS Collections at the database level—each Collection still requires its own Collection List on the page.
2. How to Display and Sort Multiple CMS Collections
- You can place multiple Collection Lists on the page (e.g., Collection A and Collection B).
- Apply Finsweet’s Attributes
cmsandfiltercomponents to each Collection list. These let you filter and sort them using classes, data attributes, or URL parameters. - Assign the same wrapper class (e.g.,
.fs-cmscollection) to both Collection Lists so that filters/sorting affect them equally.
3. Setup Steps for Combining
- Add Finsweet’s Attributes script to your project as per their documentation.
- For each Collection List:
- Assign the attributes needed for filtering and sorting (
fs-cmsfilter-element, etc.). - Use
fs-cmsfilter-itemon the Collection Items. - Combine the Collection Lists in a single container to allow filtering/sorting across both.
- Sorting will apply visually, but items are not re-ordered across CMS lists—each list only sorts its own items.
4. Limitations You Should Know
- Sorting is list-specific. For example, Collection A’s items can be sorted internally, as can B’s, but they won't mix into a single sortable grid.
- You can’t unify pagination across collections.
- If you need true inter-list sorting or pagination, you’ll need a custom JavaScript solution or use external CMS aggregation (like from Airtable or Xano).
Summary
While Webflow doesn’t allow combining CMS Collections into one, Finsweet Attributes can visually unify and filter multiple Collection Lists on a page. You can filter across lists, but true merged sorting and pagination is not supported.