How to create a product variant correctly
When to use variants
A variant is one exact combination of a product's characteristics, such as Red, S or Blue, M. Variants let you set a separate price, discount, SKU, stock quantity, and photos for each combination without creating a separate product page.
Prepare attributes and options
- Open the product and go to Attributes and variants.
- Add reusable attributes such as Color and Size.
- For each attribute, select only the options available for this product.
- Save the bindings.
A variant can use only options already selected for the product. If an option is missing from the reusable attribute, create it first. If it exists in the attribute but is not selected for the product, add it to the product binding first.
Create the variant
Click Add variant and fill in the combination:
- Properties — select one appropriate option from each required attribute. The same complete combination cannot be created twice.
- SKU — must be unique. Enter it manually or generate it.
- Price — the regular price for this combination.
- Discount — enabled separately for the variant. The discount price is the customer's final price and must be lower than the regular price.
- Quantity — the current stock for this exact combination.
- Photos — a variant can have several images. Their order is preserved, and the first photo is the primary image for that variant.
Variant photos and option images
Variant photos belong only to the selected combination and are not copied to sibling variants automatically. You can intentionally reuse one photo in several variants. Order, replacement, and removal are configured separately for each combination.
An option image is a different setting. For a color attribute, the product can show the first photo of a matching variant or a separate image assigned to the option in the product.
Stock and backorders
When stock management is enabled and the product has variants, the product's total stock is recalculated as the sum of variant stocks. Changing one combination changes the total but must not change prices, SKUs, discounts, or photos of sibling variants. Backorders are configured for the product as a whole, not per variant.
Changing several variants
Before a bulk change, define the exact scope: every variant, several named combinations, or one variant. Specify only the fields that must change. For example, when restoring five stock quantities, prices, discounts, SKUs, and photos can remain unchanged.
Deleting a variant
Deleting one exact variant removes only that combination. The product and its other variants remain, and total stock is recalculated. Verify the option combination and SKU before deletion, especially when names are similar.
After saving, open the product and verify every combination, photo order, price, and stock quantity.