How to Add Product Variants in Shopify?

In e-commerce, offering your customers a wide range of products helps you stand out in the competition. This is especially important if you run a Shopify store in categories such as clothing, accessories, or electronics. Effectively managing different versions of your products is crucial. When customers can find exactly what they're looking for with the specific features they want, their decision-making process becomes quicker, and their shopping experience more enjoyable. By effectively managing product variants on your website, there are several ways to maximize your sales potential on Shopify.

What is the Difference Between a Variant and an Option in Shopify?

The terms "variant" and "option," which you will frequently encounter when organizing your products on the Shopify shopping platform, may seem similar at first glance, but they actually represent different functions. Understanding this distinction is necessary for structuring your products correctly on your Shopify website.

"Options" in Shopify define the different characteristics a product can have. For example, if you are selling a t-shirt, "Size" (Small, Medium, Large) and "Color" (Blue, Red, Green) could be the options for this t-shirt. Each option allows customers to select a specific attribute related to the product. Options are general categories that determine which features of the product can be customized.

On the other hand, "variants" in Shopify refer to specific combinations of these options. Continuing with the t-shirt example above, each specific combination like "Small, Blue" or "Medium, Red" is a variant. In other words, a variant is a unique and singular version of a product created by combining specific features such as a particular size and color. Each variant can have its own price, stock status, SKU (Stock Keeping Unit), and even an image. This way, while customers can choose exactly the combination they want, you can also track the inventory and sales performance of each variant separately in Shopify.

In short, while options define the general characteristics of a product, variants represent the materialized, purchasable versions of these characteristics. This distinction helps you manage your products more efficiently in your Shopify e-commerce store.

How to Define Variants Like Size and Color in Shopify?

Defining variants like size and color to diversify your products and offer more choices to your customers on your Shopify website is quite simple. Here's how to do it step by step:

1. Log in to your Shopify Admin Panel: First, go to your Shopify store's admin panel and log in to your account.

2. Go to the Products Tab: Click on the "Products" tab in the menu. This will list all your existing products.

3. Select the Product You Want to Add Variants to: Click on the product you want to add variants to to reach its product details page.

4. Find the Variants Section: Scroll down the product page to the "Variants" section. Here, you will see the "+ Add options like size or color" button. Click this button.

5. Determine the Option Name: In the opened field, enter the name of your variant in the "Option name" section. For example, "Size" or "Color." This is the name that will be shown to your customers on the product page.

6. Enter Option Values: In the "Option values" section, enter the different values for the relevant variant. After typing each value, press "Enter" or separate them with commas. For example, you can enter sizes like "Small," "Medium," "Large," or colors like "Blue," "Red," "Black."

7. Add Additional Options (Optional): If your product has more than one option (e.g., both size and color), you can click the "Add another option" button to open a new option field and repeat the same steps. Shopify allows you to add a maximum of three different options (e.g., Size, Color, Material) for each product by default.

8. Save Changes: After entering all variant options and values, click the "Save" button at the top right or bottom of the page to save your changes.

Once you complete these steps, the variants you've defined will appear on your product page for the Shopify shopping experience, and your customers will be able to choose the combination they desire. This is an important step that will increase your potential for selling on Shopify.

How to Add Different Prices to Product Variants?

Assigning different prices to product variants in your Shopify e-commerce store is a very useful feature for reflecting the value of certain combinations or offering special discounts. For example, you might want to sell a large-sized t-shirt at a higher price than a standard size. You can complete this process by following the steps below:

1. Log in to your Shopify Admin Panel: As always, start by logging in to your Shopify admin panel.

2. Go to the Products Tab: Select the "Products" tab from the menu.

3. Select the Product You Want to Add Prices to: Click on the product whose variants you want to price differently.

4. Access the Variants Section: On the product details page, scroll down to the "Variants" section. If you haven't defined the variants yet, you'll need to add options (e.g., Size, Color) and their values as explained in the previous section.

5. Edit Variant Prices: In the Variants section, you will see each variant combination you've created (e.g., "Small / Blue," "Medium / Red") listed. Next to each variant, there's a "Price" field. Click on this field and enter the new price for the respective variant.

   • Compare at Price (Optional): If you are offering a discount, you can enter the product's original price in the "Compare at price" field. This shows customers how much they are saving.

   • Cost per Item (Optional): In the "Cost per item" field, you can enter your cost for that variant. This information is not shown to customers but helps you calculate your profit margin.

6. Save Changes: After setting all variant prices, click the "Save" button at the top right or bottom of the page to confirm your changes.

Remember, Shopify by default allows you to create a maximum of 3 options (e.g., Size, Color, Material) and up to 100 variants derived from these options for a single product. If you need to create more than 100 variants, you may need to use a third-party app from the Shopify App Store. This provides flexibility in your strategies for selling on Shopify.

How to Track Stock Per Variant in Shopify?

Inventory management is critical for selling on Shopify. Especially for products with multiple variants, tracking the stock status of each variant separately prevents lost sales and increases customer satisfaction. Shopify offers you detailed control in this regard. Here's how to track stock per variant:

1. Log in to your Shopify Admin Panel: Log in to your admin panel.

2. Go to the Products Tab: Select the "Products" tab from the menu.

3. Select the Product You Want to Track Stock For: Click on the product whose inventory you want to manage. If your product has variants, you will be directed to the variant details page.

4. Access the Variants Section: On the product page, scroll down to the "Variants" section. Here, you will see each variant combination listed.

5. Enable Stock Tracking: Under each variant, there is an "Inventory" section. In this section, make sure the "Track quantity" option is checked. If this box is not checked, Shopify will not automatically track the stock status of that variant.

6. Enter Quantity: In the "Quantity" field, enter the number of available units you have for the respective variant. If you have multiple locations (e.g., different warehouses), you can enter quantities separately for each location.

7. Continue Selling When Out of Stock (Optional): If you want to allow customers to place orders even when a variant is out of stock (e.g., for pre-orders or restock situations), you can check the "Continue selling when out of stock" option on your Shopify website. This helps you avoid missing potential sales on Shopify, but it's important to inform customers that the product is out of stock and there might be a delay.

8. Add SKU and Barcode (Optional): Adding a unique SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) and barcode for each variant further simplifies your inventory management. This information can be entered into the relevant fields below the variant.

9. Save Changes: After making all stock settings, click the "Save" button at the top right or bottom of the page to save your changes.

By following these steps, you can manage the stock status of each product variant on your Shopify website separately and ensure a seamless Shopify shopping experience. This is a vital feature, especially for Shopify e-commerce businesses with large inventories.

What is the Maximum Number of Variants That Can Be Added in Shopify?

The Shopify e-commerce platform has certain limits regarding product variants. Knowing these limits will guide you when planning your product catalog and when seeking alternative solutions if necessary.

In Shopify, a maximum of 100 variants can be added to a product. This is the total number of all different option combinations a product can have. For example, if you have "Size" (S, M, L) and "Color" (Red, Blue, Black) options for a t-shirt, you would have 3×3=9 variants. If you also add a "Material" (Cotton, Polyester) option, the number of variants becomes 3×3×2=18. As long as these combinations do not exceed 100, you will not have any issues.

Each product in Shopify can include a maximum of three different options. This means you can define three different features for a product, such as "Size," "Color," and "Material." If you want to add a fourth feature, you cannot use Shopify's built-in variant system.

What should you do if the 100 variants or 3 options limit is exceeded?

If your products require many more variant combinations (e.g., more than 100 variants or more than 3 options), you will need to utilize third-party applications from the Shopify App Store. These applications offer advanced variant management solutions that allow you to exceed Shopify's basic variant limits. Such applications are typically designed specifically for more complex product structures and expand your product customization options.

Additionally, Shopify also has some daily limits for variant uploads. If you have 50,000 or more variants and are uploading them in bulk via an app or CSV file, you can add a maximum of 1,000 new variants per day. However, this daily limit does not apply to stores on the Shopify Plus plan, which provides a significant advantage for large-scale businesses.

These limits are important points to consider when managing your products on your Shopify website. With proper planning, you can achieve your goals for selling on Shopify and offer a wide range of products to your customers.

Master Variant Management with Shopify

Achieving success on the Shopify e-commerce platform also requires presenting your products to customers in the most appealing and functional way. Product variants are one of the most powerful tools to achieve this goal. By skillfully managing different options such as size, color, and material — and the variants they create — you can personalize the Shopify shopping experience, boost customer satisfaction, and significantly enhance your sales performance on Shopify. At Byte, we are ready to help your business increase its online success with our expertise in digital marketing. To optimize your e-commerce strategies and stand out in the digital world, you can learn more on our Shopify digital marketing services page.