Create product options and variants

Generate variants of a specific product in Webflow Ecommerce to automatically account for size or color options.

We’re transitioning to a new UI, and are in the process of updating our Webflow University content.

Options allow you to sell different variants of the same product, like clothes with different sizes and colors. Each unique combination of options results in a variant. Each variant is treated as a separate product and has its own product fields you can set.

Important:
Each product variant counts towards the item limit for your site plan. Understand item limits for your site plan.

In this lesson:

  1. Add and manage option sets
  2. Update variants
  3. Set the default product variant

Add and manage option sets

If you sell products that come with different options, such as different sizes and colors, you can add option sets for each option type. An individual version of the product that matches a combination of those options is a variant. For example, if you sell t-shirts in multiple sizes, colors and designs, you need to add three option sets: one for size, one for color, and one for design.

A chart displaying three columns for Product, Option set and Option. These three contain visuals for 1 product, t-shirt and color coordinated details for size, color and design.

To add an option set, open the detail view of a product that has options, scroll to the options section and + Add an option set.

The options section displays a plus icon to add an option set.
You can create option sets for individual product items in your Products Collection.
Must know
You're able to create up to 3 option sets per product.

Add options

Define the name of your option set (size, color...), and start adding your options. Type each option and press Enter to create the option. Options for size may be: S, M, L, XL. Options for color may be: Black, White, Blue and so on.

The Options section includes a new option set section that has text input field for name and options. There is a grayed out plus sign to add an option set. Also displayed is a delete icon, cancel and done buttons.
Must know
Each product item can have a total of 50 variants. This limits the number of options you can add. For example, if you have 5 options for option set 1, you won’t be able to add more than 10 options for option set 2. (5*10=50).

Edit options

If you’ve made a mistake and you need to rename an option or delete it, hover over the option name and click the arrow that appears on it. Choose to rename it or delete it.

The Blue option variant edit dropdown menu is highlighted on the options section. The two items in the dropdown menu are Rename option and Delete option.

You can also rename an option by double-clicking it. Another way to delete options in order from the last to the first is by pressing the backspace key when the cursor is in the options field.

Managing option sets

You can edit an option set after you’ve created it by either clicking the option set name or the settings icon that appears when you hover over it.

A size variant with two variants is highlighted in the Options section. The size variant contains an XL and L option.

Here, you can rename the option set, manage options, or delete the option set by clicking the trashcan icon.

The Options section includes a name text field called Size, two variants, XL and L as options. Also included are a delete icon, cancel and done buttons.

Deleting an option set will remove any variants associated with it in the variants inventory.

Update variants

As you add options, you’ll see that variants are created automatically for each combination of options from your option sets. So, the variants of a T-shirt with different sizes, colors and designs will include: s/black/plain, m/black/dotted, large/yellow/striped and so on.

A chart including three option set columns called Size, Color, Design and a column for variants.

But I don’t sell some of these variants?

Maybe you don’t have black striped shirts, or yellow shirts are only available in small sizes. How can you ensure that your shoppers do not order a variant that you don’t sell? For any unavailable variant, update the variant detail, enable inventory tracking and set the quantity to 0. This will make those options unselectable in the option list dropdown.

Update variant details

Each variant is a separate product and has its own product fields you can set. The main Image, more images, SKU, price, compare-at price, and measurement values set on the main product are inherited by all variants. The quantity, if set, is inherited by the first variant created.

You can manually update and replace any inherited values by clicking the variant or the setting icon that appears when you hover over it.

The Variants section includes three items at size S (small). The three options have different designs, Plain, dotted and striped.
Click a variant to edit its details.
Pro tip
Unless your product’s variants have the same (or almost the same) measurements, it might be best to clear the values for those fields for the main product before creating any option sets (and variants). This is helpful in case you have many variants. Since these values are inherited for all variants, it might happen that you forget to update the values for some of these inherited fields. On the other hand, it’s easier to spot empty fields and update them as needed.
The Variants section includes an image thumbnail, more images upload area, track inventory and include download switch buttons. Also included are input fields for quantity, SKU, price, compare-at-price, weight, width, height, length, file name and file URL.
For each variant, you can set values for the following fields: Variant image, price, compare-at price, width, height, length and weight. You can also enable inventory tracking to set a quantity

Set the default product variant

Once you add variants, the first variant created becomes the default variant. That’s indicated with a star ⭑ in the variants inventory list.

The default size small variant is highlighted in the Variants section. There is a star next to the product thumbnail.
In your design, elements connected to product fields, such as price and image, display the values for the default variant.

And as soon as you save the product, the next time you access the product details, the main fields for image, more images, quantity, SKU, price, compare-at price, and measurements (width, height, length, weight), won’t be available for the product anymore. The values for the default variant will become the default for this product. Meaning, in any product collection list or on the products page, any element connected to these fields will display the values from the default variant.

Need to know
Deleting all option sets (variants) will restore the default collection fields and their values for that product.

Change the default variant

To set a different variant as the default variant, click the name in the variants inventory list to access the details, then click the button called “Make default.” That's it!

A size small product is selected. The set as default button is highlighted in the Variants section.

Design with variants

When it comes to designing product Collection lists and the products page, the collection fields you can pull data from are the same for all products, whether they have variants or not. That’s because the default variant and the main product are one and the same. So for products with variants, these fields pull the details from the default variant.

On the left, a product image of blue pillow cases is connected to the "Main Image" field of the "products" collection in the middle. On the right, a product image of gray ribbed pillow cases is displaying the "variant image" of the default variant because this product has multiple variants.
This image element is connected to the "Main Image" field of the "products" collection. The image on the left is displaying the "main image" of the product, which does not have any variants. The image on the right is displaying the "variant image" of the default variant because this product has multiple variants.

Learn more: Designing Ecommerce collections

Options in the add to cart experience

For products with variants, the “add to cart” component will show an extra wrapper called option list. This lets users choose from the different options available for that product before adding the item to their cart.

The Navigator includes a wrapper called Option List. This wrapper is selected and highlighted.

As a shopper chooses between these options, any elements displaying data from the default variant will be updated to show the data of the selected option.

On the left, option 1 is a size small silver cushion product. On the right, option 2 is a size medium silver cushion product.

You, as the designer, can replace the default "select" text in the settings for the variant dropdown element.

On the left, a select field is selected. On the right, the settings panel of the select field is filled out with the word "Pick" replacing the previous default text "Select".

Options and variants in the checkout experience

The chosen options appear in an option list in the cart, the checkout page, and the checkout confirmation page.

On the left, the option list wrapper is selected in the Navigator. On the right, the option list wrapper is selected in the checkout section of the Striped Cushion option.

You can customize this option list similar to how you’d customize and design collection lists.

The customer cart includes three products with a quantity of 1 on each. The product name, price and size are also included. There is a remove button for each item. At the bottom is the subtotal of $59.97 USD and a continue to check out button.
This is how variants appear in the cart. Notice the image, price and option list showing the selected variant's details.

Learn more: Customizing the add to cart experience

Feature note
This is just our first release for variants. Learn about what additional features and improvements we’re considering. If you have additional enhancements you’d like to see for variants — or for ecommerce in general — go ahead and create an item in our wishlist. Thanks in advance!

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