When you create a storefront with Shopify, you can improve the user experience by adding product variants. Your customers have specific preferences when shopping, which is why it’s a good idea to provide them with an array of options. Product variants allow you to accommodate customer needs, which should increase your revenue and total sales.

If your product has multiple options, you can add variants to your Shopify storefront. While all products come with settings that make it possible to adjust shipping, pricing, and inventory options, variants have their own settings that you’ll need to alter before you publish them. The purpose of this article is to provide a clear process on how to publish the product variant in Shopify.

What Are Product Variants in Shopify?

If you have a Shopify website, you can add variants to your products. Variants are alternatives that you can offer for a specific product, such as sizes, styles, colors, and materials. For example, let’s say you run a store that offers clothing. Any color or size of a specific shirt will count as a product variant.

The color variants can include everything from white and brown to green lavender. Separate variants can also exist for fit, such as tall, regular, and petite. You can develop as many as 100 variants for a single product. Every product can have three variant categories, such as style, color, and size.

Variants provide potential and existing customers with a more personalized shopping experience. If a customer is interested in a product you offer but can’t find a style or size that suits them, they might shop elsewhere. By implementing variants on your storefront, you’ll benefit from more sales opportunities and enhanced customer satisfaction.

Methods to Add Product Variants on Shopify

There are a few options you can use to add variants to your website, which include manual addition, apps, and CSV export/import. Manual addition is best used when you’re offering simple product options, such as color or material. If you intend to offer fewer than 100 variants, add each variant manually.

It’s a good idea to use an app if you have three or more product options and over 100 different product variants. Product variant apps also allow you to add text fields for customer packaging or printing. The CSV export/import functionality can be used to add variants to many existing products.

How to Manually Add Product Variants on Shopify

If you wish to manually add product variants to your Shopify store, follow the steps below to get started.

Step 1: Create or Edit a Product

Enter the Shopify admin area of your website. From here, select the “Products” tab, which should be located along the left sidebar. Click “Add Product”.

Step 2: Go to the Variants Section

Click the “Add options like color or size” button, which is located on the product page. Navigate to the “Variants” section to find this button.

Step 3: Choose and Customize Option Names

When choosing names for your product options, you can select from a list or create custom ones. The “Option” field has default names like style, size, color, and material. If one of these names suits the product option, click on it. If you wish to create your own name, you can clear the field and type in anything you want.

Step 4: Insert Option Values for Variants

Once you choose the name of the option, you can add color, size, and other values for variants. After placing all variants under the option, click “Done”. The variants should now be available with your product.

Step 5: Edit Variant Details (Images, Prices, SKUs)

You can edit some of the variant details, such as prices, SKUs, and images. Select the image icon to let customers know what they’re getting when they choose a variant. The right side of the variant should show an “Edit” button that you can click to add any necessary information.

Step 6: Save and Publish

Review all your changes and edits before selecting “Save”. You might also want to preview the page to make sure that the variants look right.

How to Use Shopify Apps for Product Variants

If you’re adding more than three options or 100 variants, it’s recommended that you use a Shopify app. The Shopify admin page limits users to 100 variants and three options.

The first step in this process is to search for product variant apps. Explore the list of options to find an app that meets your needs and fits into your budget. While there are numerous variant apps with high ratings, consider the “Infinite Options” app. You can read reviews and look at the app’s features before installing it.

If you believe that this app is right for your website, click the “Install” button. After installing the app, you should be sent to the dashboard in your Shopify admin. The app developer will give you instructions on how to place the theme block in your theme’s product template.

Navigate to the Shopify theme editor. From here, you can reach the product page template by entering the “Home Page” dropdown menu and clicking the “Default product template” option. Once you reach the template, select “Product Information” and “Add Block”.

You can configure the Infinite Options app from here. The Infinite Options dashboard should allow you to build option sets by clicking the “Launch Getting Started Wizard” button. The developer of the app will have instructions on how to make product variants.

How to Add Product Variants Using CSV Import-Export

If you need to make bulk updates to your website, it’s important that you use the CSV import-export functionality. If your store contains hundreds of different products, inputting inaccurate data can cause significant issues. Before adding product variants, consider making a backup of the data on your store.

Step 1: Export Product Data

You can export product details by navigating to “Shopify admin” and “Products”. Click every product you’d like to add variants to. You can then select the “Export” button. While there are numerous export options, the most common is the “Selected 3 products” button. Make sure you export products with the CSV option.

Step 2: Add Variants in CSV File

Add the variants to your CSV file. Keep in mind that the variants for a specific product should all have the same “Handle”, which is displayed on the left side of the page. Copy and paste any cells that are the same for every variant, such as shipping and weight. After adding each variant, save the CSV file.

Step 3: Import the Updated CSV

You can import your updated CSV by selecting the “Import” button in the “Products” area of your Shopify admin. Make sure you click the box that mentions overwriting current products with the same handle. This option allows you to avoid making duplicate products.

You should be able to preview your changes after clicking the “Upload” button. Make sure the data has been updated. After reviewing the product, select the “Import product” button.

Why You Should Publish Product Variants

There are numerous reasons why you should publish product variants. For example, adding more options allows you to increase sales and conversion opportunities. Every customer has unique preferences that you can satisfy by offering variants.

You’ll also be able to improve searchability for your products. If a customer is searching for an “XL dress shirt”, the inclusion of a size variant on your store means that your product should be displayed in search results.

Providing customers with variants can help improve their satisfaction and retention. Customers are more satisfied when they can purchase products in their favorite color or the ideal size. Before creating variants, research your target audience to discover what they want.

Best Practices for Product Variants in Shopify

When creating and publishing variants in Shopify, avoid overwhelming customers with too many options. If a customer has access to more than a dozen color options when buying a sweater, they might get “choice paralysis” and navigate away from the page.

Analyze customer preferences to more effectively optimize variants. It’s also crucial that you maintain accurate product information with each variant, which includes any images you upload.

Troubleshooting Common Issues with Product Variants

There are several issues you might encounter when adding product variants to your Shopify store. For example, there are times when variants won’t display correctly. It’s also possible for import/export errors to occur. If your variants aren’t displaying properly, clear your browser’s cache. You should also check the settings of the theme to make sure the variants were set up correctly.

If you’re trying to handle inventory and stock for multiple variants, check to make sure that the variants are currently available on your website for sale. When a variant is out of stock, it won’t show up on your store. You can also contact Shopify support for assistance.

Import/export errors can occur because of the daily variant creation limit of 1,000. Keep in mind that this limit is only available for stores that have more than 50,000 variants. The variant limit resets every 24 hours.

Conclusion

Publishing variants on your Shopify store allows you to meet customer needs by providing them with a wider range of options. You can boost customer satisfaction by making sure that users always have access to the product variants they prefer. Implement the variant methods that were discussed in this guide for better store management. You can optimize the shopping experience for customers by identifying and resolving any issues with existing variants.