Beginner
How to add products and variants on Shopify
Quick Answer
Adding products and variants on Shopify involves navigating to the Products section, creating a new product with basic information, then adding variants by enabling product options like size or color. You can set different prices, SKUs, and inventory levels for each variant.
Prerequisites
- Active Shopify store account
- Admin access to your Shopify dashboard
- Product information and images ready
- Understanding of your product options (size, color, etc.)
1
Access the Products section
Log into your Shopify admin dashboard and click on Products in the left sidebar. Then click the Add product button in the top right corner of the Products page.
Tip
You can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+K (or Cmd+K on Mac) to quickly search for 'Add product'.
2
Enter basic product information
Fill in the Title field with your product name. Add a detailed Description using the rich text editor. Upload product images by clicking Add media and selecting your files. The first image will be your main product image.
Tip
Use high-quality images (at least 2048x2048 pixels) for better display across all devices.
3
Set up product pricing and inventory
In the Pricing section, enter your Price and optionally a Compare at price for showing discounts. Check Track quantity if you want inventory management. Add a SKU (Stock Keeping Unit) for internal tracking.
4
Enable product variants
Scroll down to the Variants section and check This product has multiple options, like different sizes or colors. Click Add option and enter your first option name (e.g., 'Size', 'Color'). Add values for each option (e.g., 'Small', 'Medium', 'Large').
Tip
You can add up to 3 options per product, with up to 100 values per option.
5
Configure individual variants
After adding options, Shopify automatically generates variant combinations. For each variant, you can set individual Price, SKU, Barcode, and Quantity. You can also add variant-specific images by clicking the camera icon next to each variant.
Tip
Use bulk editing by selecting multiple variants and clicking 'Edit' to update prices or other fields simultaneously.
6
Set up SEO and organization
In the Search engine listing section, customize your Page title and Meta description. Under Organization, select a Product type, assign it to collections, and add Tags for better organization and filtering.
Tip
Use descriptive URLs and include relevant keywords in your SEO settings to improve search visibility.
7
Configure shipping and availability
In the Shipping section, check This is a physical product if applicable and enter the product weight. Under Product availability, choose your sales channels and set the product status to Active when ready to sell.
8
Save and review your product
Click Save to create your product. Review the product page by clicking View product to see how it appears to customers. You can always return to edit by clicking Edit on the product page or from the Products list.
Tip
Test the variant selection on your storefront to ensure all combinations work correctly before promoting the product.
Troubleshooting
Variants not generating after adding options
Make sure you've added at least one value for each option and clicked Save. If variants still don't appear, try refreshing the page or adding options one at a time.
Images not uploading properly
Check that your images are under 20MB and in supported formats (JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP). Clear your browser cache and try uploading again. For large files, compress them before uploading.
Inventory not tracking correctly for variants
Ensure Track quantity is enabled in the inventory section. Check that each variant has inventory tracking enabled individually. Go to Settings > Inventory to verify tracking is enabled store-wide.
Product not appearing on storefront
Verify the product status is set to Active and it's assigned to the correct sales channels. Check that the product is added to a collection that's visible on your storefront, and ensure your theme is configured to display products properly.
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