Product Variations

Product variations allow you to offer the same product in different configurations (size, color, material, etc.). Each variation can have its own price, SKU, stock level, and images.

Overview

The variation system consists of:

1. Attribute Sets - Groups of attributes (e.g., "Size", "Color")
2. Attributes - Individual values (e.g., "Small", "Red")
3. Variations - Specific combinations (e.g., "Red T-Shirt - Small")
4. Per-Variation Data - Each variation has unique pricing, inventory, and images

Creating Attribute Sets

Before adding variations, create reusable attribute sets.

Navigate to Ecommerce -> Attributes in the admin panel.

1. Click Create
2. Enter attribute set details:
   • Title - Name of the attribute (e.g., "Size", "Color")
   • Slug - Auto-generated URL-friendly identifier
   • Status - Published/Draft
   • Display Layout - How attributes display on product pages
   • Order - Display priority
3. Configure options:
   • Is searchable - Allow filtering by this attribute
   • Is comparable - Include in product comparison
   • Use in product listing - Show in category/search filters
   • Use image from variation - Display variation images for this attribute
4. Click Save

Adding Attribute Values

After creating an attribute set, add specific values:

1. Open the attribute set
2. Scroll to Attributes section
3. Click Add new attribute
4. Fill in details:
   • Title - Value name (e.g., "Small", "Red")
   • Slug - Auto-generated
   • Color - Color code for visual swatches (optional)
   • Image - Image for this attribute (optional)
   • Order - Display order
5. Repeat for all values
6. Click Save

TIP

For color attributes, use hex codes (e.g., #FF0000 for red) to display color swatches instead of text.

Assigning Attributes to Products

1. Navigate to Ecommerce -> Products
2. Open or create a product
3. Scroll to Attributes section
4. Select attribute sets you want to use (e.g., Size, Color)
5. Click Save

This product can now have variations based on these attributes.

Creating Product Variations

After assigning attribute sets:

1. Stay on the product edit page
2. Scroll to Variations section
3. Click Add new variation
4. Select attribute combination (e.g., Color: Red, Size: Small)
5. Configure variation-specific settings:

Variation Settings

Setting	Description
SKU	Unique identifier for this variation
Price	Base price (inherits from parent if empty)
Sale Price	Discounted price (optional)
Quantity	Stock level for this variation
With storehouse management	Enable/disable stock tracking
Stock Status	In stock / Out of stock
Image	Main image for this variation
Images Gallery	Additional images
Weight, Length, Width, Height	Shipping dimensions
Cost per item	Your cost (for profit tracking)
Barcode	Barcode/EAN for inventory
Is default	Set as the default selected variation

6. Click Save variation
7. Repeat for all combinations

TIP

Use the Generate all variations button to automatically create variations for all attribute combinations. You can then edit individual variations.

Auto-Generating SKUs

When creating variations, enable Auto-generate SKU to create SKUs automatically:

Format: {parent_sku}-{attribute1_slug}-{attribute2_slug}

Example: TSHIRT-RED-SMALL

Variation Images

Each variation can have its own images:

1. Individual variation images - Upload images per variation
2. Attribute-based images - Enable "Use image from variation" in attribute set settings, then the system displays the appropriate variation image when that attribute is selected

Managing Variation Inventory

Per-Variation Stock

Each variation tracks its own inventory:

• Enable storehouse management for the variation
• Set Quantity for each variation
• System automatically updates stock on orders
• Configure Allow checkout when out of stock per variation

Default Variation

Mark one variation as Default to:

• Display by default on product pages
• Use its price/image as the main product price/image
• Provide a starting point for customer selection

Bulk Operations

Export Variations

Navigate to Ecommerce -> Products -> Export:

1. Select export format (CSV/Excel)
2. Export includes both products and variations
3. Variations have import_type = variation

Import Variations

Navigate to Ecommerce -> Products -> Import:

1. Download the template
2. Fill in product rows (import_type = product)
3. Fill in variation rows (import_type = variation)
4. Variation rows must have:
   • name or slug matching parent product
   • product_attributes in format AttributeSet:Value (e.g., Size:Small,Color:Red)
   • sku and other variation-specific data
5. Upload and import

WARNING

Variations must reference an existing parent product. Import parent products first, then variations.

Attribute Set Categories

You can limit which attribute sets are available for specific product categories:

1. Navigate to Ecommerce -> Attributes
2. Open an attribute set
3. Scroll to Categories section
4. Select categories where this attribute applies
5. Click Save

When editing products in those categories, only relevant attribute sets appear.

Troubleshooting

Variations not displaying on frontend

1. Check attribute set status - Must be "Published"
2. Verify attributes assigned - Product must have attribute sets selected
3. Check variation status - Variations inherit parent product status
4. Clear cache - Run php artisan cache:clear

"Generate all variations" button not working

1. Verify attribute sets - Product must have at least one attribute set assigned
2. Check for existing variations - Button only generates missing combinations
3. Attribute values required - Attribute sets need at least one attribute value

Images not showing for variations

1. Upload variation images - Each variation needs its own images
2. Check "Use image from variation" - Enable in attribute set if using attribute-based images
3. Set default variation - Ensure one variation is marked as default

Best Practices

1. Plan attribute structure - Create all attribute sets before adding products
2. Use consistent naming - Keep attribute names uniform across products
3. Set default variations - Always mark one variation as default
4. Optimize images - Use appropriate image sizes for each variation
5. Auto-generate SKUs - Use consistent SKU patterns for easier inventory management
6. Test before bulk import - Import a few test variations before bulk operations
7. Monitor stock levels - Enable storehouse management for accurate inventory tracking