Manage product variants

You can use Optimizely Product Information Management (PIM) to create variants for products that vary by specific properties but are merchandised together on a single product page on your website. Variant products may differ in areas like color, size or dimension. Add or import each product into PIM and create a parent product for the color options.

When the PIM is integrated with Optimizely Customized Commerce, variants can only be created for products with the  Variation template class type for both the child and parent products. 

Storefront view

Variant products display to your customers as options to select on the product detail page. This image shows the size and color selectors on the right for choosing a variant option.

Manage variants

Use the Variant Types List page to manage all variants in one area. Go to Configure > Variant Types. You can search for a specific variant type, or create a new one.

Create variant types

You can create variant types that can be used by many products.

1. Click Create on the Variant Type List page.
2. Enter a Variant Type Name. This field has a limit of 100 characters.
3. Optionally, enter a Description. This field has a limit of 1000 characters.
4. Click Assign Properties.
5. Search or select the properties to assign to this variant. You can sort the table by Name, Display Name or Control Type to select the properties.
6. Click Assign after selecting the properties.
7. Click Save.

Configure variant display options

Use the Detail page to configure property level variant swatching and display options.

Assigned properties display as rows in the Variant Properties table in alphabetical order. Any new assigned properties display in the bottom of the list. Use the Drag/Drop icon or enter a number in the Order column to reorder rows.

Change the display style to Dropdown, Button, Swatch Grid, Swatch Dropdown, or Swatch List. The Status column updates accordingly. 

• Dropdown or Button – Status is Complete.
• Swatch Grid, Swatch Dropdown or Swatch List – If there are no values or the values assigned have no swatch defined, the status displays Setup required. If all values assigned have a swatch defined, the status shows Complete.

Configure property value swatch options

You can configure property value level display options for any property that uses a swatch display style. You can see what variant values products use and if swatches need to be configured on the Variant Swatch Setup screen.

1. Click Setup to open the Swatch Setup modal.
2. Adjust the number of swatches you want to display for this property on the product list page.
3. Select whether the swatch description should show on the product detail page.
4. Use the dropdown to Select Values to Configure. 

   Child product values are pre-selected and cannot be removed. The number of child products using the value displays in the Select Values dropdown.

5. Use the Drag/drop icon or enter a number in the Order column to reorder rows.

You can configure swatches that use images to represent specific variant property values.

1. Select Image in the Swatch dropdown to open the asset drawer.
2. Select an image to close the drawer.
3. Notice that the image thumbnail and asset name display beside the dropdown for the value.

You can configure swatches that use a color hexcode for specific variant property value.

1. Select Color in the Swatch dropdown.
2. Click the thumbnail or click the text box to open the color picker.
3. Select your color or enter a new hex value. If you enter an invalid hex value, the color reverts to the previous valid value.
4. When all swatches are setup click Cancel or Save.

Create a variant parent for child products

Use the product variant wizard to create a variant parent for a selection of existing products.

1. Select products that will be the children of a new parent product in the product list and click Create Parent.
2. Use the dropdown to select the variant type. If any child product is missing a variant property for the variant type you select, you will see a validation warning and may choose a different variant type.
3. Click Continue. If any of the child products are missing data for the variant properties, or have duplicate values for the variant properties, you are prompted to correct the data and click Continue.
4. Enter the information for the Product Title, Product Number and URL Segment of the new parent product. The URL Segment ignores spaces and converts certain special characters.
5. Select the Product Template.
6. Click Continue to create the parent product. If the button is not enabled, a field has an invalid value. 

Assign child products

You can assign child products to an existing parent product using the Child Products tab from the parent product's detail page.

1. Select the parent product from the product list.
2. Click on the Child Products tab
3. Click Assign.
4. Filter, search for or select the child products.
5. Click Assign or Cancel. Each child product must have data for variant properties and a unique combination of values for the assignment to complete.

View products with a specific variant type

Once variant types are in use by products, you can use the Variant Type Products tab to see which parent products use a specific variant type.

1. Select a variant type on the Variant Type List page.
2. Go to the Products tab. Any parent products using this variant type display in a table with columns for Image, Product #, Product Title, Status and Template Name. Click Product # to go to the Product Detail page. If no products use the variant type, the tab shows a message to assign variant types to products.

Delete variant types

You can delete variant types on the Variant Type List page.

1. Hover over a row and click the Delete icon, or select the variants and click Delete in the footer. A message displays warning that parent products using this type will be converted to regular products, and children will be unassigned.
2. Click Cancel or Delete.