Shopify: Standard vs Custom Variants

• Shopify Variants Types
• Standard variants Set up
• Custom variants Setup

Shopify variations Types

Shopify has  a flexible product engine, which allows creating variations in 2 main ways. 

• Standard variations 
  • Use the built-in Shopify product structure, specifically meant to hold the variations information. 
  • Each variant is created inside the product, and can have its own SKU, image, inventory, and price. 
  • Do not require development/additional apps, to display them on the product page
  • Shopify Variants Limitations on the Basic Shopify subscription
    • Max 100 variations per listing
    • Up to 3 different variation options. For example: Size, Metal Color, Metal Purity 
      
  • The variant information is fully displayed in the order 
• Custom variations 
  • Are built using Shopify metafields and custom Page Templates
  • Overcome the standard variations limitation, and provides additional benefits, such as storing multiple variant images etc.
  • Require more advanced programming skills, and usage of non-standard Shopify plugins.
  • Because SKUs/IDs are not necessarily assigned to each variant, can result limited/no inventory control during the order processing. 

In some cases, Standard and Custom Variants are combined by Shopify developers, to enjoy the best of two worlds - the correct inventory control and unlimited variations. 

Using both of the types requires different setup in Valigara. 

Example

Standard variations

• Backend 
• Storefront

Custom Variations

• Backend 
• Storefront

Standard variants Setup

• Complete Shopify variations settings
• In the product
  • Shopify Site - Assign product to relevant 
  • Shopify Post type - Set to Variable
  • Variation group - Select relevant group
  • Make sure products contain variation values in source fields
• Run integration: 
  • All fields mode to publish new products
  • Selected fields: Variations - to update variations in existing products

Custom variants Setup

• Set up Shopify metafileds mappings
• In the product
  • Shopify Site - Assign product to relevant 
  • Shopify Post type - can be Single/Variable 
  • Variation group - Irrelenant
  • Make sure products contain variation values in source fields
• Run integration: 
  • All fields mode to publish new products
  • Selected fields: Metafields or/and Variations - to update variations in existing products

Use Valigara tools to complete the required product information: Copy Data, Procedures, Update products from data-sheets Order comments are fetched from Shopify, which allows seeing the Custom variants metafields values in Valigara