How to Add Variants on Shopify: 2 Quickest & Latest Ways

Many Shopify store owners prefer to improve the look of their store by updating product variants. Furthermore, improving product management and customer experience also entails learning to add variants on Shopify.

Instead of listing each product variation one by one, it allows you to group various sizes with different colors and materials under a single product listing. In this step-by-step guide on how to add variants on Shopify, we will help customers easily choose the right options while better controlling their product catalog.

1. What are product variants on Shopify?

Let’s discover what product variants are on Shopify and their significance in online shopping store management and customer experience.

1.1. Definition of product variants

Product variants on Shopify are defined as the various types of the same product, which differ from each other based on some attribute such as size, color, or material. Store owners can enhance the shopping experience by grouping variations of a product on a single page, making it easier for customers to select.

1.2. Why are product variants important?

First, they ensure efficiency in managing inventory; each variant may have its own price, SKU, and stock level, which makes tracking and reordering much easier.

Second, they improve the overall customer experience because all options are in one place. Therefore, a consumer has what he or she wants without wandering about.

Finally, they increase the traffic to a store by making its products available to a greater pool of shoppers; variants such as color or size make it easier for a potential customer to find the right item.

1.3. Example of a product with variants

The image below illustrates how variants work in a Shopify store. This organic robe listing includes three types of product variants:

• Variant 1 (Color): The robes are available in multiple shades, such as white, glacier, twilight,… Customers can choose their preferred color directly from the product page.
• Variant 2 (Size): Two fit options allow buyers to select a style that suits their body type.
• Variant 3 (Monogram): Customers have the option of personalizing their attire, featuring in Serif or Script letterform, with an inscription of up to three block letters.

2. How to add variants on Shopify manually?

One product with various options makes it easier for customers to shop and for store owners to track inventory. So, how to add variants to Shopify? Adding variants to your products on Shopify can be done as follows:

2.1. Step 1: Go to Products in Shopify Admin

Login to your Shopify admin > Click “Products” on the left menu to go to the list of products.

2.2. Step 2: Select a product to edit or add a new product

Choose the product for which you want to add newly created variants > Enter available choices for Option values such as small, medium, and large for size or red, blue, and green for color.

2.3. Step 3: Go to the variants section > + Add options

Go to the Variants section > Click “+ Add options like size or color” to enable product variants.

2.4. Step 4: Name your option > Fill the option value

Enter the first variant type in the field Option name (like Size or Color).

Then, fill in the Option values filed with the choices offered, such as Small, Medium, Large for size or Red, Blue, Green for color.

2.5. Step 5: Click + Add another option

If you have more than one standard option type for your product, you can click Add another option to duplicate the same process.

‼️Noted: Shopify allows a limit of up to three options for each product; therefore, you can entirely define size, color, and material.

2.6. Step 6: Done > Save

Once you have entered all Shopify multiple variants details, click Save.

Shopify will automate the same combinatorial feature, depending on the options that you have added.You have now created product variants, and you must now optimize your Shopify store for high conversion. 

💡If you’re still exploring Shopify’s features, ensure you get the most out of your plan. Check out the Shopify 1 dollar 3 months guide for tips on building and refining your store.

3. Ways to add value to an existing Shopify option

You already know how to add variants on Shopify. Now, if you want to add to an existing option in Shopify, for example, adding size or color, you would not create a new product because this is a product option update. You can do it very easily using the following steps.

3.1. Step 1: Products > All products

Proceed to Shopify Admin > “Products” > “All Products” to view the complete listing of products in the store.

3.2. Step 2: Choose the product you want to edit

Scroll through your product listing, or utilize the search bar to find the item you want to edit > Click on the product name to open the settings.

3.3. Step 3: Click the option you want to add values to

In the product editing page, scroll down to the Variants section > Identify the existing option (e.g., Size or Color) that you want to modify > click on it.

3.4. Step 4: Type the new value in the ‘add another value’ box

Once inside the option settings, locate the field where existing values are listed. In the Add another value box, type the new value you want to include, such as XL for size or Yellow for color.

3.5. Step 5: Tick to complete

After adding the new value, ensure that it is selected and confirmed. Shopify will automatically update the product to reflect the newly added variant.

‼️Note:

• Shopify supports up to 100 variants/products.
• Each product can have a maximum of three options (e.g., Size, Color, Material).

Therefore, if you want to add more, you should consider alternative methods, such as using Shopify apps.

4. How to add variants using Shopify app

In case the built-in variant system of Shopify seems inadequate, then third-party applications can give you some additional freedom. Here are the top apps in Shopify when it comes to adding product variants and managing them:

4.1. Top Shopify apps for adding variants

If Shopify’s built-in variant system doesn’t meet your needs, product options third-party apps can help. These apps allow you to add more than three Shopify product options per product and expand beyond the 100-variant limit. Below is a comparison of three popular apps:

4.2. How to add variants using OPTIS

OPTIS is one of the most user-friendly apps for expanding Shopify variants. Follow these steps to add variants using this app:

4.2.1. Step 1: Shopify App Store > Install App

Visit the Shopify App Store > search for OPTIS > and then click Install.

4.2.2. Step 2: Select “Themes” > “Customize” > App Embeds

In your Shopify admin, go to the Themes page > click Customize > Go to App embeds > enable OPTIS > click Save.

4.2.3. Step 3: Click on the App > Create an Option Set

• Open the OPTIS app > click Create option set.
• Click the Add option and choose the type of variant you want to add (e.g., Size, Color, Material).
• Click Products & Customers to configure which products and customers should see this option.

4.2.4. Step 4: Preview and Save Settings

When everything is set up, preview the settings to check for proper changes in view. Click Save to apply the new variants to your store.

Using OPTIS makes it easy to customize the look of product pages, which is really helpful when you’re dealing with a huge inventory.

💡It is important to first settle the Shopify store setup properly before doing any sort of product variants on it. If you are at that phase where the store is not launched on Shopify, this guide helps you in how to launch a Shopify store.

5. Key considerations before adding variants on Shopify

While you might have to put up variants to your products, it is equally important to consider various things that enable your store to perform well and leave customers satisfied. These things include:

5.1. Shopify’s variant limitations

Shopify restricts a maximum of three options in one product and only up to 100 different variants for a product. If your store requires more flexibility, understanding the Shopify variant limit and how to add more than 100 variants on Shopify becomes important. These conditions can apply quickly if your business offers multiple feature variations, such as materials, sizes, and colors.

This restriction can be challenging for industries like fashion, furniture, or custom-made products where extensive customization is needed.

5.2. Inventory management

In inventory management, each variant is treated as a variant item, so stock levels have to be tracked for the different variations separately. You will have to update the stock for each of the combinations if a product exists with different sizes and colors.

Built-in tracking of inventory is available in Shopify. However, for better control, integrate with third-party apps that will help in automating stock updates for you and avert inventory mishaps.

5.3. User experience

Customers can sometimes get overwhelmed by adding too many variants that would confuse or crowd an area feature. Such a variety would lead to a product page with many options, and it would become difficult to navigate, which means a frustrating experience and potential drop-offs.

The best practice to improve usability is to have variant swatches instead of having drop-down property lists, good organization of options, and a mobile-optimized approach.

5.4. SEO optimization

Shopify collects all of its types under one URL for a product, meaning that each type is not indexed separately by search engines, which would limit visibility on search engines for products that have several color or style options available.

To make it optimal already for SEO, every variant must have different descriptions, as well as specific images and alt texts so that search engines can see the differences. In cases of highly customizable products, it is better to write different product listings for some main variants instead of depending only on the built-in functionalities of variants used in Shopify.

5.5 Performance and page speed impact

The more variants you add to a product, the more data Shopify has to load so that a customer can simply look at the product page. Too many variants on a product could mean poor page load time, in turn having a grim effect on user experience and conversion rates.

For optimum performance, compress images with lazy loading, where images ”appear” on the device only when visible to the user. Also, optimize your store’s code and reduce unnecessary scripts that slow down your page speed and could drive customers away with long loading times. The faster your store appears on the web, the better it ranks on Google.

6. Conclusion

Understanding how to add variants on Shopify is relevant for all merchants interested in providing their customers with a wide variety. However, by following the steps given in this guide, one can create such variants quite efficiently and manage them to enhance the shopping experience. Apart from restricting all you have in mind to Shopify’s features, it is important to check out third-party apps when such flexibility is needed. Managing inventory, SEO optimization, and delivering a seamless user experience are the central elements.

If you are on the lookout for top-notch solutions regarding setting up and scaling your Shopify store, then eComStart is the answer. Visit us for your eCommerce-tailored solutions!

7. FAQs