If you're setting up an online store, you might want to add different variations to some of your products. Perhaps you're selling clothing that comes in different styles and sizes or hand-crafted furniture which comes in different materials.
In the same breath, perhaps you need to delete a variant because you no longer stock a particular size or color.
This is where you're going to need a custom product variant and to know how to add and delete product variants on Shopify.
Alongside adding product details, product variations offer a great deal of value and are synonymous with originality in the eyes of the customer.
If you offer different variations of the same product your competitor might be selling, customers will be more likely to choose your store for your unique value-add.
Adding variants is a big part of your product management and will enable more product selections for your customers and more sales for your online store.
We're going to walk you through how to add and delete product variants on Shopify.
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What Is The Difference Between Product Options And Variants On Shopify? 🤷♀️
Shopify has two sections to complete when it comes to product variations: product options and product variants.
A product option is the different options that a customer can choose for any particular product. Shopify has four options: color, size, material, and style.
A variant is the 'subcategory' of the options and each combination of option values can be a variant of that product. For example, a dress that comes with different size and color options might have variants such as size small and charcoal and white color.
Product options and variant sections are linked, so you'll have to choose the options you want first and then you will be able to add and edit variants.
How To Add Product Variants On Shopify 🎨
Shopify has made it easier to add variants by offering the option to add, edit, and delete directly on the product page. You can clearly identify variants and edit them without endless navigation between pages.
You can add the variants to an existing product or when you add a product to Shopify.
There is only a minor difference in the process:
If you are adding variants to a new product, you will click on the "add product" button and follow the full process of adding a product to Shopify.
If you're adding variants to an existing product, you will go to your product's home page and click on the product you want to edit.
Your next steps are the same for both.
Scroll down until you reach the options field and tick the box that says, "this product has options, like size or color." This will allow you to access the options for products.
Once this box is ticked, you'll be able to choose the options from a drop-down menu. Your choices are size, color, material, and style.
Choose your first option and then fill that option's values into each custom field below. These option values are your product option variants. For this tutorial, we only chose the color option.
Once you've entered all the information needed, click done. You will now see your option and its values listed, and the variants field below.
You can create up to 100 variants for both physical and digital or downloadable products.
If you're adding a new product, your list will look like this. Click on save and the variants list will show up with the option to add images.
If you're editing an existing product you won't need to press save as you'll immediately be shown the list with the option to upload images.
Once you are able to view the above field, go ahead and click on the image button for the first variant. Add your product images and then tick the image you want to display for the first variant.
Click on the second variant and tick the image you want to display. Repeat this process until all your variants have corresponding images.
Once your images are uploaded you can click on the edit drop-down menu should you want to further edit each variant. You can edit the variants' SKUs, prices, quantities, etc.
Note that you can only edit quantities from this menu if you are adding a new product. For existing products, click on Inventory on the left-hand navigation bar.
Once you're done editing, save the new or updated product and your variants will be added. You can edit these at any time through the product home page.
Once saved, the item will show up in your store with the variants included. If the images are uploaded, your customers will see the corresponding image when they click on each option available.
As mentioned above, don't forget to update your product inventory as the variants will automatically be set to "0 in stock". You can do this by clicking on Inventory in the left-hand navigation table.
How To Delete Product Variants On Shopify 💣
Sometimes you may find yourself needing to delete variants, if a product is out of stock, or perhaps you are no longer stocking a particular variation.
Removing a variant is quick and easy!
From your product home page, click on the product which you want to edit and scroll down to the Options section.
On the right-hand side will be a row of trash can icons. Click the icon next to the option name to delete all option values or click the icon next to a specific value to delete only the chosen variants.
Once you've deleted a single variant, it will show up as deleted in the variants field.
You can undo this if you deleted a variant by mistake, or you can click Save on the top right of the screen to permanently delete.
Once deleted only the product variants which were not deleted will show up on your online store.
If you delete all variants, then the original product will be the only option that your customers can purchase.
How Many Variants Can A Product Have On Shopify? 🌈
For small eCommerce owners, the good news is that Shopify allows 3 options and 100 variants per product. This limit may seem large but to scaling manufacturers or stores which sell large varieties of the same product, this limit can quickly be reached. This lack of unlimited product options is perhaps something to keep in mind when you plan your online store trajectory.
If 100 variants are more than enough for your products, then you're all set to go. If you need to add more than 100, Shopify offers apps that can be added to increase or remove this variant limit
Can You Bulk Edit Variants In Shopify? 📝
If you need to add the same variant across multiple products - for example, you start selling all t-shirts on your store in x-small and x-large in addition to your usual small, medium, and large - then adding variants to multiple products simultaneously would save you a lot of time. This type of bulk action is not a feature Shopify currently offers, however, you can add a bulk editing app to work around it.
Conclusion 🙌
Adding options and variants, alongside a strong product description and title, will entice customers and lead to an increase in conversions.
It's a great way to provide a unique or more personalized item for your shoppers, allowing them to feel that the product is tailored more to their specific needs or wants.
Being able to delete variants is also extremely useful. You may want to add or delete variants on Shopify if you decide to stop stocking a specific size, color, material, or style, either permanently or seasonally.
You can also easily add the variants back in should you decide to restock the particular item.
You are now one step closer to running the online store of your dreams! Feel free to read through our other tutorials and informative posts on how to build a successful store on Shopify.