How to Create Options and Variants for E-commerce Products

Table of Contents

  1. Introduction
  2. What are Options and Variants?
  3. Steps to Create Options
  4. Steps to Create Variants
  5. Additional Settings and Best Practices
  6. Conclusion
  7. FAQ

Introduction

E-commerce offers a plethora of opportunities to tailor products based on consumer preferences. Understanding how to efficiently create and manage product options and variants can drastically enhance the user experience and streamline product management. It's not necessary to create individual products for each variation; instead, leveraging options and variants can keep your inventory organized and user-friendly. In this post, we will explore how to create and manage product options and variants effectively.

What are Options and Variants?

Before diving into the creation process, it's vital to understand what options and variants entail. Options refer to selectable choices available for products, such as color, size, and material. Variants are the specific combinations of those option values, like a red, medium-sized shirt versus a blue, large-sized shirt.

By using options and variants, an e-commerce platform can offer a broad array of choices while keeping the product catalog well-organized and easy to navigate. Now, let's explore the step-by-step process of creating options and variants.

Steps to Create Options

Creating and Assigning Options

  1. Access the Options Tab: Begin by navigating to the Options tab in the Product Editor.

  2. Create a New Option:

    • Click the SELECT dropdown and choose CREATE NEW.
    • Enter a new Option title, such as "Color," in the text field that appears. This title will display on the product page.
    • Click the Create Option button to establish the new option.

  3. Enter Option Values:

    • Next, you'll see a Values table where you can input different values for the option, such as "Black," "Purple," and "Red."
    • To add more values, type or select them in the text field and click Create Value.
    • Once you've entered all values, click the close X icon to complete the process.

  4. Save the Product: Ensure you save the product by clicking the Save icon. Repeat the process if you need to add more options, such as "Size."

Configuring the Option Editor

  1. Display Settings:

    • In the Option Editor, decide how and where your options will be displayed on your site. You can include options in the Refine block on category pages, which helps customers filter products.
    • Choose how the option should display on the product page and whether a value should already be selected when a user visits the page.

  2. Field Type Configuration:

    • The Field Type dropdown offers four choices for displaying options: Select field, Radio buttons, Option icons with select field (V2 only), and Option icons only (V2 only).
    • Make sure to configure your choices based on your website’s theme and user experience preferences.

Steps to Create Variants

Understanding Variants

Variants are the permutations of option values you create. For instance, if the option "Color" has values like Red and Blue, and the option "Size" has Small, Medium, and Large, the resulting variants would combine these values (e.g., Red-Small, Red-Medium, Blue-Large).

Generating Variants

  1. Create Variants Automatically:

    • After setting up your options and values, a new Variants tab will appear.
    • The system will automatically generate all possible combinations of your option values.

  2. Customize Variant Data:

    • By default, variants will use the main product's data, but you can add unique data for each variant. This includes SKU, price, stock level, barcode, etc.
    • To add unique data, input a unique SKU for each variant. This makes other fields editable.

Assigning Variant Images

  1. Choose a Variant:

    • Go to the Images tab in the Product Editor. Here, you can assign specific images to each variant.
    • Select a variant from the dropdown and click the Assign Images button to upload images specific to that variant.

  2. Ensure Image Consistency:

    • Use the option "Apply to all Variants with" when the same image applies to multiple variants, such as all sizes of a Red Midi Dress.
    • It’s recommended to upload your primary product images to the Parent slot to streamline the process for the first variant.

Additional Settings and Best Practices

  1. In Sequence Setting:

    • For an optimized user experience, set the Option Selection to "In Sequence." This means customers must select each option in the order shown on the product page, which helps in maintaining clarity and accuracy regarding stock and availability.

  2. No Limitations on Options:

    • Note that there is no limit to the number of options added to a product. However, there is a 500-variant limit per product. Plan your combinations accordingly.

  3. Bulk Import/Export:

    • Use the product import feature for bulk updates. This allows for efficient addition and modification of options and variants using CSV files.

Conclusion

Creating options and variants for your e-commerce products can improve your website's functionality and user experience. By following the steps outlined, you can effectively manage complex product catalogs while offering customized choices to your customers. Keep in mind the importance of organized display settings and consistent image assignments to ensure a seamless shopping experience.

FAQ

What is the difference between options and variants?

Options are the selectable choices for products (e.g., color, size), while variants are the specific combinations of those options (e.g., red, small shirt).

How can I ensure that my options are displayed correctly?

Use the Option Editor to configure how and where your options appear on your website. You can choose to display them on the Product Page, in the Refine block, and more.

Can I add unique data to each variant?

Yes, you can add unique SKUs, pricing, barcodes, and other information to each variant by first generating a unique SKU.

How do I assign images to product variants?

Navigate to the Images tab in the Product Editor, select a variant, and then upload images specific to that variant. Ensure that the number of images for the parent and variants match to avoid conflicts.

Is there a limit to the number of options and variants I can create?

There is no limit to the number of options you can create; however, each product can have up to 500 variants.