Product variations

If your product has options, you can create variations for it. Variations are unique sets of options (such as size, color, material, etc.) that exist for this particular product.

For example, if a t-shirt comes in two sizes (small and medium) and two colors (yellow and gray), it has four variations: small yellow, small gray, medium yellow, and medium gray.

You can create variations for products that have two or more options with different values, as well as for products that have only one option with several values (e.g., sizes S, M, and L).

Product variations can help you:

• Assign different images for every set of options your product has

• Automatically adjust prices depending on the options your customer selects

• Track inventory with unique SKUs for each set of options to prevent overselling

• Specify the weight for each combination of options your product has to get more precise shipping rates at checkout

Adding variations

Each product can have an unlimited number of options. Based on these, you can create an unlimited number of variations for this particular product. The combinations of options, as well as the options themselves, can vary from product to product. For example, one product has different sizes and colors, while another has different styles and materials.

To create a product variation:

1. Create a new product or choose an existing product that comes with different options (such as colors, sizes, shapes, etc.) in Catalog > Products.

2. On the Options tab, use the dropdown menu or radio button input type for each option, so you can create further variations.

3. Click “Add New Selection” to add the values to each option.

   Note: If your product has only one option, but this option has more than one value (e.g., size S and size M), you can also create variations for it. This way, every option value will become a separate variation that can have its own image, weight, SKU, etc.

4. Switch to the Variations tab.

5. Click “+ New Variation.”

6. Select option values for this variation.

7. Set the SKU, Price, Weight, and a different image for the variation.

8. Click “Manage” to set the stock of the product variant. Set the number in stock and the quantity for the low stock notifications.

9. Repeat the steps for all necessary variations.

   Important: Set the stock of the base product to Unlimited.

10. Click Save.

Best practice: There may be cases when you do not have consistent options across variations. For example, you have gray T-shirts in sizes XS, S, M, and L, and yellow t-shirts only in size S and M. You need to make sure your customers do not order yellow T-shirts in XS or L sizes. For such situations, it is a best practice to create the variations for unavailable combinations of product options (for yellow T-shirts in XS and L) and mark them as "Out of Stock."

Editing product variations

You can always update variations for a product on the product editing page in Catalog > Products > Options > Variations. This way, you can update all the properties for a chosen variation.

Or, you can update product variations in bulk using the Bulk Product Editor tool. Choose the products you need to edit in Catalog > Products, enter the Bulk Product Editor by clicking Mass Update > Edit Selected, and scroll down to edit their variations.

Bulk Product Editor allows you to update SKU, price (including the “compare to” price), weight, quantity (including the quantity for the low stock notifications), image, and whether the variation requires shipping.