Sizes, colours and stock: organise your shop’s product variants

One product, several choices

Imagine a T-shirt in two colours and three sizes. That makes six combinations, but you do not need to describe the same model six times. Variants bring the choice together on one product page while keeping stock separate for each combination.

Five black T-shirts in size M should not look like five available units in every size. Before setting up the product, list the combinations you sell and their actual quantities.

Start with sizes and colours

In Products → Attributes, prepare the shared values for your shop. Use consistent names for sizes and colours so you do not maintain “Black” and “black colour” as separate values.

Separate purchase choices from descriptions. Size can generate variants, while fabric may simply describe the product. Do not turn every characteristic into another combination when there is no purchase choice to make.

Fill in stock for each combination

Open the product’s Variants section and select the values that apply. The matrix shows the combinations. Enter a quantity for each row; do not leave stock unlimited when you actually have a limited number of units.

Set a separate price only when it differs from the base price. A variant SKU helps distinguish combinations when processing orders. If weight or dimensions differ, enter those on the relevant row too.

For many rows, you can use Set for all and then adjust the exceptions. Check collapsed rows as well: the bulk change applies to them too. Save your changes.

Check the selection as a customer

Open View in shop and select several combinations. Compare the displayed price and availability with what you entered in the BackOffice. Check on a phone too, where customers need to find their size easily.

A variant with zero stock is sold out and cannot be ordered. A purchase reduces that variant’s stock. Checking individual combinations is more useful than checking the product name alone.

Keep stock accurate after setup

When new stock arrives, update the quantity of the exact variant. In Products → Stock, you can configure a low-stock threshold and a daily email. Choose a threshold that leaves you time to restock.

Do not remove all options just to hide a sold-out size. Removing variants deletes their stock and turns the product into a single item with untracked stock. Use a zero quantity for a sold-out combination.

Start with one product: organise its attributes, check every row and open its shop page. Once the choices and quantities match, apply the same approach to the rest of your catalogue.