Product Variants

When to Use Variants

Use variants when a single product comes in multiple options that each need their own price and stock count: for example a T-shirt in sizes S/M/L, or a phone case in three colours.

Products without variants continue to work exactly as before. Variants are entirely opt-in.

Setting Up Variants (Admin Only)

Option A: Generate from an Attribute Matrix (Recommended)

1. Go to Products and click the Variants icon (layers icon) on the product row.
2. Click Generate from attributes in the bottom toolbar.
3. Enter a dimension name, e.g. Size, and options: S, M, L.
4. Click + Add dimension for another attribute, e.g. Color, options: Red, Blue.
5. Click Preview combinations: a grid shows all combinations with auto-generated SKUs.
6. Adjust per-variant prices or initial stock in the preview grid.
7. Click Add all N variants to save.

Example: Two attributes: Size (S, M, L) × Color (Red, Blue), generating 6 combinations. SKUs are auto-derived from the parent code, e.g. SHIRT-001-S-RED.

Option B: Add a Single Variant Manually

1. Click Add manually in the bottom toolbar.
2. Fill in Name, SKU (auto-generated but editable), Price override (or leave blank to inherit), Initial stock.
3. Click Add variant.

Editing and Managing Variants

• Edit: click the Pencil icon on a variant row. It expands to an inline edit form.
• Deactivate: toggle Active off to hide a variant from the POS without deleting it. Can be re-activated at any time.
• Delete: click the Trash icon. Blocked if the variant has been sold. Deactivate it instead.

Selling Variant Products at the POS

1. Tap the product tile, search and press Enter, or scan a barcode.
2. The Variant Picker dialog opens showing all active variants with prices and stock levels.
3. Greyed variants at the bottom are out of stock and cannot be selected.
4. Variants with stock ≤ 5 show an amber Low badge.
5. If only one in-stock variant exists, it is added automatically without opening the picker.

Multiple variants of the same product can be in the cart simultaneously as separate lines.

Scanning Variant Barcodes

Each variant has its own SKU field, which acts as its barcode.

Scanned Code	Result
Variant SKU	That variant added to cart immediately
Parent product code (when variants exist)	Picker opens
Product code with no variants	Product added directly (unchanged behaviour)

Stock Adjustments for Variant Products

1. Click the Adjust stock icon on the product row.
2. A Variant selector appears. Select the variant to adjust.
3. Complete the adjustment and save.

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FAQ

Q: Can I add variants to a product with existing sales history?

A: Yes. Past sales are unaffected and display as simple product lines.

Q: What happens to the parent product price/stock once variants are added?

A: They become informational only. The POS shows "from {lowest variant price}" on the product tile, and the stock column shows the combined active-variant total.

Q: Can a cashier sell an out-of-stock variant?

A: No. Out-of-stock variants are greyed and non-selectable in the Variant Picker.

Q: I cannot delete a variant. Why?

A: It appears on one or more completed sales. Historical data must be preserved. Deactivate the variant instead.

Q: Can I hold a cart with variants and resume it later?

A: Yes. Held sales preserve the variant ID and name for each item.

Q: Does the dashboard low-stock count include variant stock levels?

A: Yes. For variant products, each active variant with stock ≤ 5 is counted individually.

Q: Can I change the auto-generated SKU?

A: Yes. The SKU field is editable when creating or editing a variant. SKUs must be unique across the entire store.

Q: A product shows a Variants badge but the modal shows 0 active variants. What happened?

A: All variants were deactivated. Reactivate one or delete all (if none have sales) to return to simple mode.