How To Add Variants: A Step-by-Step Guide

If you want your Shopify store to truly thrive, offering your customers choices isn’t optional. It’s essential. Whether it’s multiple sizes, colors, or styles, product variants let shoppers find exactly what they want. But managing variants on Shopify effectively can feel overwhelming, especially as your catalog grows.

This step-by-step guide will show you how to add variants in Shopify, use powerful variant metafields to provide detailed product info, and leverage tools like our Shopify app to create a seamless, personalized shopping experience that keeps customers coming back. 

How To Add Variants on Your Shopify Store

Whether you’re selling apparel, accessories, or even digital products, setting up variants allows your customers to choose their perfect version of a product. Follow these simple steps to add variants on Shopify with ease. 

Manually Add Variants to Your Product in Shopify

1. Go to Your Shopify Admin Panel

From your dashboard, click on Products.

2. Select or Add a Product

Find the product you want to add variants to, or create a new one.

3. Scroll Down to the Variants Section

This is where the magic happens. Click Add variant to start adding your options.

4. Set Variant Options

Shopify allows you to add up to three options (like size, color, or material) for each product. You can add up to 100 different values for each of those options (think Small, Medium, Large for size).

5. Fill in Variant Details

For each variant, you’ll input details like price, SKU, weight, and inventory levels. This is where you customize each variant, and Shopify will handle the inventory and pricing for you.

6. Save Your Product

Once everything is set up, hit Save. Now, your customers can choose from the variants when they shop!

How to Add Variants in Bulk on Shopify

If you have a large product catalog or multiple variants per product, adding them one by one can be time-consuming. Shopify makes it easier to manage large numbers of variants through bulk editing or CSV imports. Here’s how to streamline the process:

Option 1: Bulk Editor

1. Go to Your Products Page
   From your Shopify Admin, click Products and select the product you want to edit.
   
2. Open the Bulk Editor
   In the Variants section, click Edit variants. This opens a spreadsheet-style editor.
   
3. Edit Multiple Variants at Once
   You can adjust prices, SKUs, inventory, weights, and compare-at prices for multiple variants in one screen.
   • Tip: Use the Add Fields button to include columns like barcode, cost per item, or metafields.

4. Save Your Changes
   After editing, click Save to apply all changes at once—no need to update each variant individually.

Option 2: CSV Import

1. Export Your Product CSV
   Go to Products → All products → Export. Choose to export the current page, all products, or selected products.
   
2. Edit Variants in a Spreadsheet
   Open the CSV in Excel, Google Sheets, or another spreadsheet tool.
   • Add new rows for additional variants.
   • Make sure to include required fields: Handle, Option1 Name/Value, Option2 Name/Value, Price, SKU, Inventory, etc.
     
3. Import the Updated CSV
   Go back to Shopify Admin → Products → Import and upload your updated CSV.
   • Shopify will automatically create new variants or update existing ones based on the handle.
     
4. Check Your Product Page
   Confirm all variants display correctly and inventory levels are accurate.

Go Beyond the Basics By Adding Shopify Variant Metafields

Want to take it up a level? Shopify’s variant metafields are your secret weapon. Metafields let you store extra information for each variant—like specific size guides or material details—which can be displayed directly on the product page.

1. Navigate to Settings > Metafields

Under Settings, find Metafields and select Products to add extra information to your variants.

2. Create Custom Fields

Define the metafields you want: size chart, material composition, etc. These will be associated with the individual variants.

3. Assign Metafields to Products

Go back to your product page, and now you can assign those metafields to your variants. This makes it easy to show different size guides or detailed product descriptions based on what variant your customer selects.

Metafields go a long way to enhance your store experience, as you can display more detailed product information directly within your product grid. This provides a richer, more informative browsing experience for your customers without them having to click into each product page.

Make Adding Variants To Shopify More Effective With the Kiwi App

Adding variants to your Shopify store is just the first step. Providing a seamless shopping experience is the real goal. Shopify’s basic variant management system can only take you so far, but Kiwi Sizing can:

• Automate Size Chart Display: Automatically show the correct size chart based on the selected variant so customers never have to guess their size again.
• Reduce Returns: With accurate, personalized size guides, your customers are more likely to choose the right size, leading to fewer returns and happier customers. 
• Integrate Seamlessly: Kiwi Sizing integrates directly into your Shopify store, allowing you to manage everything in one place, like product variants, size charts, and customer preferences.

With accurate size charts dynamically adjusting to each variant, Kiwi Sizing helps you avoid size-related errors that often lead to returns and customer frustration, ensuring your customers can shop with confidence.

Start Adding Variants To Your Shopify Store

Now that you know how to add variants to your Shopify products, you’re one step closer to offering a smoother, more personalized shopping experience. And when you combine Shopify’s variant options with powerful tools like Kiwi Sizing, you’re setting your store up for long-term success.

Ready to give your Shopify store a major upgrade? Take advantage of Kiwi Sizing’s powerful features today and streamline your variant management with ease!