This is a complete guide for WooCommerce Variable Product. On completion, you must be able to define and properly configure a variable product. In addition, you will learn the best plugins for them and related question answers.

WooCommerce offers several product types including a variable product. In-depth knowledge about this product type will strengthen your store management skills.

We have covered the following topics on WooCommerce Variable Product

• Brief introduction of WooCommerce Variable Products
• Short and precise guide on how to add/create them
• Product representation ideas and associated plugins
• Some common confusion or Frequently Asked Questions on WooCommerce Variable Product
• Final words

Brief introduction of WooCommerce Variable Products

WooCommerce Variable Products are one of the leading product types of WooCommerce. When a product has multiple options (different colors, sizes, or other choices for the same product), you should consider creating a variable product for it.

WooCommerce Variable Product offers many benefits for store owners and managers. It also promotes a better shopping experience for customers.

If a product has several options (multiple colors and sizes) and each option is configured as a simple product, customers may not easily find them. On the contrary, a variable product combines all those product options. As a result, customers will never miss the available option.

By default, WooCommerce offers four main product types. Usually, products are considered physical. You can tweak the option to make them Virtual or Downloadable. Here is a list of available product types in WooCommerce.

• Simple product
• Grouped product
• External/Affiliate product
• Variable product

Variations (such as Color, Size, or Other Options) are quite common in products. As a result, variable products are one of WooCommerce’s dominant product types.

Most products, such as mobile phones or apparel, have different options(variations), such as model, RAM, color, and size.

At this point, can you define a WooCommerce Variable Product in simple terms? Let’s give it a try.

WooCommerce Variable Products allow you to offer multiple options as a single product. Thus, customers can select their desired variation and purchase it without wasting time searching. You don’t need to configure the available options as separate products.

Let’s consider a T-shirt with multiple colors and sizes. With a variable product, you can manage all those options as a single product, making product management and representation easier.

WooCommerce offers all the required controls and options for a variable product. You can individually control price (including sale price), stock, shipping, and image for all variations.

For better understanding, you can consider a variable product as several simple products linked together under a single entity. As a result, store owners and managers can easily manage a product with several options. Likewise, customers can easily find all variations in your store.

Hopefully, you have gained a sound grasp of WooCommerce variable products now. In the next section, let’s learn the configuration steps of a variable product.

Short and precise guide on how to add/create a variable product

Let’s get to know how you can quickly add and configure a variable product on your store.

For adding a new product hover over the Products menu and click on the submenu: Add new product. This is the same for adding any products to your store. Once you are in the product edit section, select Variable Product from the Product data option drop-down.

By default, WooCommerce sets a new product as a Simple Product. Please note that it is not always necessary to create a new product. Maybe you already have a T-shirt with two color options, which were added as two Simple Products. You can edit one of them to become a Variable Product and remove the other.

The point is, that it is not necessary to create a new product every time you need to create a variable product. You can edit an existing product and change it to a variable product too.

Setting Product Type

You may create a new product or edit an existing one but the important part is changing the product type to variable product from the Product Data dropdown.

Adding Product Attributes for the Product Variations

Attributes help present the available options of a variable product to your customers. To configure the product options, add attributes from the Attributes tab of the product edit section.

WooCommerce product attributes are divided into two categories: Global attributes and Custom attributes. Global attributes are added globally (from Products > Attributes) and they are available for all products in the store. On the contrary, custom attributes are specific to the products they have been added to.

Global attributes offer more control and flexibility as you can use them for all products. To reap the benefits of global attributes, you must add them first to your store. You must add global attributes from the Attributes submenu under the Product menu on your dashboard.

While adding global attributes, first of all, determine the required attributes then add the terms under those attributes. Global attributes will be available for you in the product edit section.

Using Global Attributes

You already know, that choosing the Global attribute has some benefits. The most important benefit is that once you have created a global attribute, you can use it for all products.

Follow the steps below to use the global attributes

• You need to create the global attributes first to make them available during product configuration.
• You can choose the desired global attribute from the dropdown included in the Add existing section of the Attribute tab
• Travers the available option from the drop-down and click on an attribute name to add it
• Once the attribute is added, you need to add the attribute terms (values) for the product
• You can be selective while choosing the values or click on the Select all option to add all attribute terms
• After adding the values, please make sure that you have checked the Used for variations option
• Finally, click on the Save Attributes button

Using Custom Attributes

Sometimes you may need to use a custom attribute. Custom attributes are product-specific so a custom attribute of a product does not impact another product.

• Steps to add custom attributes for your products
• First, click on the Add new button from the Attributes tab to add a custom product attribute
• You need to give the name of the attribute and add the attribute terms or values for the attribute
• To separate your custom attributes from one another use the pipe character (|) – (Like this: Red | Green)
• Please make sure that you have checked the Used for variations option
• Finally, you need to Save the attributes

Add Your Product Variations

We believe that you have successfully added the required product attributes and saved them. Let’s proceed to the next step to add the product variations. Jump over to the Variations tab in the Product data metabox to continue with the next steps.

WooCommerce offers two options to add product variations (Generate variations, Add manually). The Generate Variations option will automatically generate all variations for you. On the contrary, you will have to manually create the product variations with the Add manually option. Based on the product and its configuration details both options have their use cases.

Generate variations – Automatically create all possible variations

Under the Variations tab, click on the Generate Variations button. A confirmation window will appear to verify if you want to continue with the step. WooCommerce will display the following message:

Do you want to generate all variations? This will create a new variation for each possible combination of variation attributes (max 50 per run).

There are two options Cancel and Ok. You can either cancel or continue with the step and create all variations. If you select Ok, it will create a new variation for all the possible combinations. WooCommerce displays a confirmation after creating the variations.

Note: The Generate Variations option creates 50 variations per run. So, if the product has several attributes and there are more than 50 possible variations, you must repeat the process. Click on the Generate Variations button after each confirmation.

For example, if there is a possibility to create 300+ variations, you will have to follow the process 7 times.

Let’s work on an example with some of the most common attributes: color and size. If color has two attribute terms or values (Blue and Red) and Size has three (S, M, L). WooCommerce will create the following combinations for you

• Blue-S
• Blue-M
• Blue-L
• Red-S
• Red-M
• Red-L

That’s it, you have created all possible product variations from the product attributes.

Add manually – manually add the product variations

In case, you don’t want to automatically generate the product variations, you can select the second method and manually generate your desired variations.

• First, click on the Add Manually button to proceed with the next steps
• This will create a variation with the attribute options as any attribute
• Click on the newly created variation to expand it’s fields
• Populate the variation with the desired attribute terms and other fields
• You will find fields like the Variation Image, Price, SKU, Description, etc
• You must add the Regular price; it is the most important data for a variation
• Once you have added the necessary product details, click on Save changes
• Congratulations! You have successfully added a product variation

Note: You cannot leave the Regular price section empty. WooCommerce does not display a variation on the front end if the Regular price field is empty. The same rule applies to the automatically generated variations too.

Editing the Product Variations

By default, WooCommerce lists 15 variations on the Variations tab. If your WooCommerce Variable Products have more than 15 variations, you can navigate through the variations using the forward and backward buttons at the right corner. You can also jump to the end of the list from here.

You can also go to a specific page by selecting the page number from this drop-down:

Note that, once you move forward or backward of the list, WooCommerce saves the changes made on the previous variations. Thus, you don’t need to press the save button while navigating through the list.

Default Values for WooCommerce Variable Products

WooCommerce allows you to preselect a default value for a variable product. Thus, when customers land on the product page, they will have those values selected. Customers can instantly cart the selected variation. This option is helpful when you want to promote a variation or pre-select the best-selling variation for your customers.

If you don’t have any default values, your customers must select their desired variation from the drop-down menu before they can add them to their carts.

To set the defaults, populate the fields at Default Form Values with your desired attributes. Once you have added a variation for your variable product, you can set the default for the product.

Important Variation Data and How to Add Them

Each variation of your WooCommerce variable product has some properties. Let’s learn about those properties:

You have the following options under the General tab of your WooCommerce variable product.

• Variation Image: Add an image to represent the product variation.
• SKU: A unique identifier for a product.
• GTIN, UPC, EAN, or ISBN: These are other unique identifiers that can be helpful if you want to promote the product in a different channel or marketplace.

• Enabled: You can disable a variation from here. Variations are enabled by default.
• Downloadable: If the variation has a downloadable file, enable this option. It will allow you to add a file name and file URL.
• Virtual: This option identifies if the product is physical or virtual. For virtual products, options like Weight, Dimensions, and Shipping class are hidden from the option.
• Manage stock?: Enable this option if you want to manage stock at the product level.

• Regular price($): Add a regular price for your product variations.
• Sale price($): Add a sale price for the variation. The sale price will replace the regular price.
• Stock status: Set whether the variation is in stock, out of stock, or on backorder.
• Weight (kg): Set the total weight of the variation.
• Dimensions (LxWxH)(cm): Set the variation’s length, width, and height.
• Shipping class: You can set a custom shipping class or leave it the same as the parent product.
• Description: You can set an optional description for the variation. WooCommerce displays the description when the variation attributes are selected.

Some of those fields are not mandatory. Depending on your store’s products, some are more important than others. Hopefully, you will find configuring WooCommerce Variable Products easier from this point on.

Product representation ideas and associated plugins

WooCommerce offers a complete solution for configuring and selling variable products. Inspired by other eCommerce platforms and feature requests, WooCommerce extension developers have developed many extensions. Some extensions add new features to WooCommerce and some extend existing features for WooCommerce variable products.

You will be amazed that some of those extensions take product representation and user experience to a new height. We will briefly share some ideas (and plugin names) to boost your store performance.

Variation Swatches

By default, WooCommerce offers drop-down selections to choose between available options(variations). Using an attribute swatches plugin, you can display swatches replacing the default drop-downs. Swatches improve product appearance and boost user experience.

A variation swatches plugin allows you to create and manage different types of attribute swatches. You can create button, color, image, and radio type attribute swatches with this Variation Swatches for WooCommerce plugin.

Product Variation Table

You can also display a variable product in a tabular form. A Product Variation Table will show necessary product details, including the Add to Cart button for each variation. Available variation table plugins allow you to control which options you include in the table (for example, thumbnail, stock, price, etc).

Most importantly, a variation table instantly makes the available options visible to the shopper. It also makes purchasing product variations (even multiple variations together) effortless.

Here is one of the best WooCommerce Variation Table plugins for your store. Try the basic version for a better understanding of its features.

Variation Price Display

A variable product usually shows a price range from the lowest to the highest variation price (For example: $29.00 – $49.00). Wouldn’t it be great if you could remove the variation price range and display a single price!

You can customize the default WooCommerce variable product price representation. Trends show that store owners love to display a single price instead of a price range. Remove the default variable product price range and show the lowest price with this plugin (Variation Price Display Range for WooCommerce).

Feature-wise, it is the best available variation price management plugin. Learn more about displaying the minimum variation prices using the plugin from this blog.

Here is a quick highlight of the price display (customization) options:

• Show only the minimum variation price: $29.00
• Show From $29.00 by adding “From” before the lowest price
• Show only the maximum variation price: $49.00
• Show Upto $49.00 by adding “Upto” before the highest price
• List all variation prices replacing the default price range

You can get more details of its features from this product page.

Share Product Variations

Sharing your products on social media can promote higher exposure and better engagement. Consider adding a social sharing option so customers can share products on different social media platforms.

Social Share for WooCommerce is a lightweight plugin. It helps you add a social sharing option to your store. It is regularly updated with support for new platforms to help expand your horizon.

Most importantly, it allows the generation of shareable variation URLs. As a result, customers can share product links with selected attributes included in the URL. Here is an example URL for clarification: ().

Variation Gallery

Product galleries play an important role in representing products to customers. A variation gallery plugin empowers you to upload variation-specific images. As a result, you can display unique galleries for each of your variations. For example, only red-colored product images for the red variation.

You can reduce customer confusion by displaying the precise gallery images for the variation. You can try this Additional Variation Images Gallery for WooCommerce to enhance product representation on your store.

WooCommerce Single Variation

WooCommerce Single Variation is the concept of displaying each of your product variations as a single product on the shop/archive pages. To add this feature, you will need a WooCommerce Single Variation plugin.

Variations as single products on the shop/archive pages simplify the purchasing process. Your customers can add a product variation to their carts by clicking the Add to Cart button on the archive pages, which saves time and reduces customer confusion.

Product Variation Duplicator

While configuring variable products, repeated steps for each variation are painful. Let’s say you have a Blue color with 5 different sizes; they only differ in price. Usually, you need to insert all the details for each variation. With a duplicator plugin, you can create clone variations with all data. Finally, make changes only to the required field.

Variation Duplicator will enhance your product configuration speed by reducing repeated steps. Once you configure the Blue color variation with all the details, create clones for the sizes. Now, you need to set the right size and price for them.

Additionally, you can copy variation images from one variation to another. Visit the landing page of this Variation Duplicator for WooCommerce to learn how it can speed up your projects.

Display Secondary Images on Product Archives

By default, WooCommerce product archives can only display a single image. However, there are ways to display additional images on product archives. This is helpful for all product types. It is more appropriate for WooCommerce variable products, as they have multiple product options.

If your theme does not include this feature, you can try available plugins to add it to your store. There are both free and paid alternatives to Image Flipper for WooCommerce.

Congratulations, you have learned some of the most dominant product configuration, presentation, and plugin ideas for WooCommerce variable products.

Let’s learn about the common confusion or the Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) on WooCommerce Variable Products.

Some common confusion or Frequently Asked Questions on WooCommerce Variable Product

What is a variable product in WooCommerce?

A Variable Product in WooCommerce allows you to combine and represent multiple variations(different product choices) in a single product. Instead of creating several Simple Products for the options, you can manage everything with a single Variable Product.

Let’s assume you sell water bottles with different capacities (like 300ml & 600ml). You can create a WooCommerce variable product with two variations. The alternative solution would have two simple products.

WooCommerce offers adequate control options for a variable product. A highlight of those options is variation image, price, stock, and shipping costs.

How do I create a variable product?

Creating a variable product is easier than it may appear seeing all the steps involved. Here is a list of the steps needed to create a variable product in WooCommerce:

• First set the product type as a variable product
• Add attributes to use for the product variations
• Once added, check the Used for Variation option
• Add variations using the added attributes
• Set regular price for each product variation
• Finally, publish your variable product

If you are new to WooCommerce, we recommend following the detailed guide on creating a WooCommerce Variable Product at the top of this page. It will give you proper insights into every detail that you may need in the future.

What is the WooCommcere variable product attribute?

To set the product variations for a variable product, you must set the options using product attributes. For example, depending on your product type color can be an attribute. Size option can be another attribute.

The attributes depend on the products that you sell. If you are selling hard disks, capacity can be an attribute. Additionally, data transfer speed can be another attribute.

What are the different types of attributes?

When configuring a WooCommerce variable product, you need attributes to set your product variations. WooCommerce supports two types of product attributes (Global Attributes and Custom Attribute).

You need to create global attributes from (Products > Attributes) section of your dashboard. On the contrary, you can create custom attributes on the fly right in the product edit section.

What are the differences between global and custom attributes?

WooCommerce allows you to create global and custom(product-specific) attributes.

You can manage(create and modify) the Global Attributes from (Product > Attribute). Once you have the Global Attributes ready, you can use them for all products in your store.

On the contrary, Custom Attributes are product-specific. You create them on the fly while configuring a product. Most importantly, you cannot use custom attributes for another product.

• Please note the following points on the difference between Global and Custom attributes:
• You can reuse Global Attributes for any products in your store.
• Custom Attributes are helpful but they are product-specific.
• If you want global control and reusability, go for Global Attributes.

What is the difference between simple and variable products in WooCommerce?

A simple product has a single option while a variable product offers choices between different variations(options). Each variation of a variable product is called a variant.

Based on your products, the difference in options can be many things.

An example of a simple product is a Blue T-shirt. There are no options to choose an alternate color or a size. On the other hand, a variable product can also be a T-shirt that offers three colors (Red, Blue, Green) and three sizes (S, M, L).

How many product types are there in WooCommerce?

By default, WooCommerce offers four main product types. Here is a list of default WooCommerce product types:

• Simple Product
• Grouped Product
• External/Affiliate Product
• Variable Product

Store owners who are not selling physical products have additional options. They can offer either Downloadable or Virtual products for each of those types.

Moreover, with additional plugins, you can extend your product types. You can create and sell the following product types:

• Bundle Product
• Composite Product

How do I show variations on the WooCommerce shop page?

Showing product variation options on the shop/archive pages can improve sales. Some plugins allow you to display either swatches or the default WooCommerce drop-downs on the shop/archive pages. Your theme may also offer the option to display swatches on archive pages.

This allows your customers to gain a complete view of available product options. Moreover, they can also cart variable products from archive pages (by default, you can only cart a Simple Product from the archive pages).

You can try this plugin “Display product variations dropdown on shop page”{https://wordpress.org/plugins/display-product-variations-dropdown-on-shop-page/} to display the default WooCommerce variable product drop-downs on shop pages.

How do I add more than 50 variations in WooCommerce?

After adding the desired attributes to your product (internal link to this article), you would love to move to the next step and create all the variations. WooCommerce offers a quick way to generate all the variations. With several attributes, a product can have lots of product variations possible.

To create a large number of variations at the same time, it may consume huge server resources. To avoid this, WooCommerce generates them in a batch of 50 variations. You must keep clicking the Generate Variations button to create a new batch of 50 variations.

It does not create duplicates, so if you are unsure whether all the variations have been made, click on the Generate Variations tab again. It will do nothing if all possible variations have already been made.

How do I show more than 20 variations on the product edit page?

Under the Variations tab of the product edit page, you will find 20 variations. You can expand those variations, drag and drop them to re-arrange, and modify other necessary details from here.

It is possible to increase the number of variations displayed in this section. Unfortunately, there is no option available for this. You can use the following snippet to increase the count and show more than 20 variations on the admin side (product edit page).

add_filter('woocommerce_admin_meta_boxes_variations_per_page', function(){
return 30; //change with your desired number
},);

Change the number to get your desired result.