A variant lets buyers choose a version of an item, such as a shirt size and color, from one product listing. This article explains how to turn on variants for an item, define the choices buyers see, generate variants, and set a variant’s own price, weight, image, or availability. Other item settings are covered separately.
Prerequisites
- You need access to Orders & Inventory’s merchandise setup to create or edit an item.
Where to Find It
Go to Orders & Inventory › Merchandise, then create an item or open one for editing. The Variant Options card and the variants matrix below it appear on the item form.
Turning On Variants
Switch Variant Options to Enabled when buyers need to choose a version of this item. When Variant Options is off, the item sells as one product with no choices, and the Variant Options card and matrix do not appear.
Warning
Turning variants off does not delete options or variants you have already set up. It only hides them from the store. If the item is tracked by SKU, it still needs its variants, so turning variants off does not remove that requirement.
Adding a Variant Option
A variant option is one choice buyers make, such as size or color, along with the values they can select. You can create an option for this item only, or reuse an option shared across your catalog.
- On the Variant Options card, select Add Variant Option for an option specific to this item, or Add Shared Variant Option to reuse one already set up under Setup › Merchandise › Shared Variant Options.
- For an option specific to this item, choose a Type: (Dropdown, Radio Buttons, Rectangle List, or Swatch), enter a Name:, and enter the values buyers can choose.
- Optionally set a Default Value: that is preselected for buyers.
- Select Save Option.
Result
The option appears in the Variant Options table, and the variants matrix below it rebuilds to include the new choice.
Warning
Rhythm creates Option ID: from Name:, and replaces anything typed there each time you change the name, for both new and existing options. If you rename an option later, its variants point to a new identifier, so the matrix rebuilds and can discard those variants’ SKUs, prices, weights, and images.
A shared option’s name, values, and type come from the shared record. If you edit that record, the change affects every item that uses it. If the shared record has been removed, the option shows as unresolved on this item, and the matrix ignores it.
Generating Variants
After an option has values, the matrix below the Variant Options card proposes one variant for each combination of values across all your options. Each proposed variant includes a SKU built from those values.
| Setting | Options | Default | Effect |
|---|---|---|---|
| SKU: | Text | Proposed from the option values | The variant’s stock-keeping code. You can edit it, but it must be unique within the item |
| Not available for purchase | On/off | Off | Keeps the variant on record and visible, but prevents buyers from purchasing it |
| Price: | A number | Empty (uses the item’s base price) | This variant’s own price, when it differs from the item’s price |
| Member Price: | A number | Empty (uses the item’s base member price) | This variant’s own member price, when it differs |
| Weight: | A number | Empty (uses the item’s base weight) | This variant’s own weight, when it differs |
| Variant image | An uploaded image | None | An image specific to this variant |
When a buyer selects a valid combination of options in the store, Rhythm uses that variant’s price or member price if you entered one.
Warning
If you remove an option value, or remove an entire option, Rhythm drops every existing variant built from it without asking. Those variants’ SKU edits, prices, weights, and images are dropped too. If you add the value back later, the matrix proposes a fresh variant without the details you had set up before.
Availability and Price Overrides
Tick Not available for purchase to keep a variant listed on the item but stop buyers from purchasing it. While a variant is marked this way, the price, member price, weight, and image fields are hidden, but their values are kept and not cleared.
Dependencies and Precedence
- No two variants on the same item can share a SKU, ignoring letter case. Two different items can use the same SKU because Rhythm checks uniqueness only within one item.
- Every variant must refer to an option the item actually has. This mainly matters for items maintained through the API because the Console’s matrix only builds variants from the options you have added.
- No two variant options on the same item can share an identifier, whether both are specific to this item, both are shared, or one is specific and one is shared.
- A SKU that already holds stock cannot be removed — including by editing its text, because that also makes the old SKU disappear. Mark the variant Not available for purchase instead of removing it.
Warning
If a variant option value includes parentheses, buyers can see a message that the combination is not available for purchase even though the variant is set up correctly. Avoid parentheses in variant option values, or rename the value without them, if you run into this.
Separately from the parentheses issue above, merchandise with variant options has also been observed to fail at the storefront or during order processing with the same unavailable-combination message, even though the configuration looked correct. This was escalated and reported fixed. If a combination you have confirmed is set up correctly still shows this message, contact Support.
Change Impact and How to Revert
You can reverse adding an option or value at any time. After you save, you cannot reverse removing an option or value from this form. The variants it built are discarded along with their SKU edits, prices, weights, and images, and the only way to avoid that change is to leave the form without saving.
Permissions
Creating and editing variant options and variants requires access to Orders & Inventory’s merchandise setup, which is the same access needed to create or edit an item. See Orders & Inventory Staff Access Policies.
Validation and Errors
| Message contains | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Duplicate variant option IDs detected | Two variant options on the item have the same identifier | Rename or remove one of the options |
| Duplicate SKUs detected; unable to save merchandise | Two variants on the item have the same SKU, ignoring case | Change one of the SKUs |
| Variant references missing variant option | A variant refers to an option identifier the item no longer has | Remove the stray variant, or add the option back |
| You cannot delete SKU '...' because it has inventories attached to it. Make it unpurchaseable instead | You removed or renamed a variant whose SKU holds stock | Restore the SKU, then tick Not available for purchase instead of removing it |
| You haven't entered a valid value for Sku | A variant’s SKU field is empty | Enter a SKU |