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If you sell products that come in multiple options—like different sizes, colors, flavors, or scents—variants help you organize them efficiently in your Product Catalog. Instead of managing dozens of individual SKUs, you can group them under a single parent product for easier navigation and management.

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What Are Variants?

Variants are physical products that differ by characteristics like color, size, flavor, or scent, but are otherwise the same item. They’re grouped together under a parent/primary product for organizational purposes. For example:
  • Parent Product: “Cat Mug” (organizational container, not physical)
  • Variants: Blue Cat Mug (SKU: CAT-BLUE), Green Cat Mug (SKU: CAT-GREEN), Orange Cat Mug (SKU: CAT-ORANGE)
Each variant is a real, physical product with its own SKU, dimensions, weight, and inventory levels. The parent product is just a container that keeps them organized in your catalog.
Use variants when products share the same core identity but differ in one or two attributes. Examples: t-shirts in different sizes, candles in different scents, or phone cases in different colors.
Parent product with multiple variants organized in Product Catalog

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Key Terminology

Before we dive into creating variants, let’s clarify some important terms:
A non-physical container used to group similar variant SKUs:
  • Has a Name and Category but no SKU or shipping details
  • Must have at least 2 variants (maximum 100)
  • Cannot be created retroactively from a base product
  • Used solely for organization—never stored or shipped
A physical product that differs by characteristics (color, size, etc.):
  • Nested under a parent/primary product in the catalog
  • Has its own SKU, dimensions, weight, and inventory
  • Each variant gets measured individually via Cubiscan during receiving
A standalone physical product with no variants:
  • Can be converted into a variant, but cannot become a parent/primary product
  • Useful for products sold in only one configuration
Variants and parent/primary products are not automatically classified as identical products. If your variants have the same dimensions and weight, you may want to configure them as identical products to lock in consistent measurements.

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Creating a New Parent Product with Variants

1

Navigate to Add Product

Click Products in the left-hand navigation.Products link in left navigation sidebarThen click the Add Product button in the top-right corner and select Add Product from the dropdown.Add Product dropdown button showing Add Product and Add Bundle options
2

Choose product type

In the pop-up window, choose Add products manually.Add Products dialog showing Import from Excel and Add products manually optionsThen select Product with Variants (this indicates the product will have 2+ variants).Add Products Manually dialog with Product with Variants option highlighted
3

Configure parent product

Enter a name for the parent product (e.g., “Cat Mug”).Product Name field in Product Overview sectionThen select the appropriate category using the dropdown next to Product and Packaging. Use the search bar or expand icon (>) to find subcategories. Categories affect packaging requirements.Product Category dropdown with Product and Packaging tabs and search bar
4

Add variants

For each variant:
  • Enter the Variant Name (e.g., “Blue Cat Mug”)
  • Enter its unique SKU (e.g., “CAT-BLUE”)
  • Click Add Variant to add another row
You must add at least 2 variants to save the parent product. You can add up to 100 variants per parent product.
5

Create product and variants

Click Add Product to create the parent product and all variants.Once created, you can view each variant’s details by clicking the Variants tab on the Product Details page.Product Details page showing Variants tab with list of variants

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Converting Existing Products to Variants

Already have base products that you want to organize under a parent product? You can convert them to variants without losing any data.
1

Select product to convert

Find the product you want to convert using the search bar or by scrolling, then click the three vertical dots under the Actions column and select Convert to variant(s) and move under a product from the dropdown.Product Catalog Actions menu showing Convert to a new product, Merge products/variants together, and Move to a different product options
2

Review and add products

A pop-up will display the selected product(s).Convert to Variant(s) and Move Under a Product dialog showing selected productOptionally, click + Add Product / Variant to add additional SKUs to convert at the same time.
3

Choose destination

Choose whether to add these variants to:
  • New Product - Enter a new parent product name and select a category
  • Existing Product - Select an existing parent product that already has variants
When adding to an existing product, the parent must already have variants. You cannot add variants to a base product—only to an existing parent/primary product.
Move 1 variant(s) to a New Product or Existing Product toggle buttons
4

Complete conversion

Click Convert to Variant(s) to complete the process. Your products will now appear as variants under the parent product you selected or created.

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Moving Variants to a Different Parent Product

Need to reorganize? You can move variants from one parent product to another.
1

Select variant to move

Click the three vertical dots next to the variant you want to move, then choose Move to a different product from the menu.Product Actions menu showing Move to a different product option
2

Review and add variants

A pop-up will appear showing the selected product(s).Move to a Different Product dialog showing selected variantOptionally, click + Add Product / Variant to add more SKUs to move together.
3

Select destination

Choose your destination:
  • New Product - Create a new parent product by entering a name and category
  • Existing Product - Type the parent product name (must already have variants) and select it
Move 1 variant(s) to a New Product or Existing Product toggle buttons
4

Complete the move

Click Move Variant(s) to complete the transfer. The variant will now appear under its new parent product, and the old parent will update its variant count accordingly.
If you’re reorganizing a large number of variants or need help structuring your Product Catalog, your Jetpack Care team can help via Slack or phone.

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Creating Parent Products and Variants in Bulk

If you have many variants to add, use our Excel template to bulk upload them all at once. To prepare for bulk upload:
  1. Click the Add Product button
  2. Select Add Product from the dropdown
  3. Choose Import from Excel in the pop-up window
Add Products dialog with Import from Excel option highlighted
  1. Click the import product template link to download the Excel file
Import Products dialog showing import product template link and file upload area
  1. Open the file and delete the sample data (but keep all column headers)
Excel product import template showing all column headers and sample data To format the Excel template: For the parent product (first row):
  • Enter the Product Name (e.g., “Cat Mug”)
  • Set Product Varies? to Yes
  • Leave other columns blank for now
For each variant (subsequent rows):
  • Enter the Variant Name (e.g., “Blue Cat Mug”)
  • Enter the unique SKU (e.g., “CAT-BLUE”)
  • Leave the Product Name and Product Varies columns blank
This creates one parent product (“Cat Mug”) with three variants.Excel template example showing Hat (base product) and Shirt (parent) with Small/Medium/Large variants
To upload your file:
  1. Save your changes
  2. Drag and drop the file into the upload area, or click the link to browse for it
  3. Click Import Products
Import Products dialog showing uploaded CSV file ready to import You’ll receive an email summary of your bulk upload, and the new products will appear under the Active tab after you refresh your Products page.
If any products fail to import, click Download import template (hyperlinked in the error message) to see why they failed. If issues persist, contact your Jetpack Care team via Slack or email.
Learn more about bulk updating product details.

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Managing Variants After Creation

Once you’ve created variants, you can manage them from the Product Details page:

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Viewing Variants

  • Navigate to the parent product
  • Click the Variants tab
  • See all variants grouped under that parent

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Editing Individual Variants

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Adding More Variants Later

  • Open the parent product’s Variants tab
  • Click Add Variant
  • Enter the new variant’s name and SKU

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Toggling Variant Status

  • Set variants to Active or Inactive
  • Only Active variants can be received via WROs
  • Inactive variants will cause orders to move to Exception status
Variants tab showing list of variants with their details and status

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Best Practices for Using Variants

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1. Plan Your Structure Before Creating

Decide on your parent product names and how you’ll organize variants (by color, size, etc.) before bulk uploading. This saves time reorganizing later.

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2. Use Consistent Naming Conventions

Keep variant names and SKUs consistent for easier management:
  • Good: Blue Cat Mug (CAT-BLUE), Green Cat Mug (CAT-GREEN)
  • Confusing: Cat Mug - Blue (BLUE-CAT), Mug Cat Green (CAT-G)

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3. Consider Identical Products Settings

If your variants have the same dimensions and weight, configure them as identical products to lock in measurements and ensure consistent pricing.

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4. Keep Variants Organized

Don’t create too many unrelated variants under one parent. If products differ significantly (e.g., mugs vs. plates), create separate parent products.

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5. Review After Bulk Uploads

Always check your Product Catalog after bulk uploads to ensure variants were created correctly and are under the right parent products.

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Let’s Dive Deeper

Product Catalog Page

Navigate and organize your full product catalog

Product Details Page

Configure detailed settings for each variant

Setting Product Preferences

Quick overview of product configuration options

About Barcodes

Add barcodes to variants for accurate picking

Move, Merge, Convert Products

Reorganize and consolidate your product catalog

Sending Inventory

Create WROs to send variants to fulfillment centers
Jetpack

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Questions? Contact Jetpack Care.

If you have any questions or run into issues, you can always contact Jetpack Care for help. Our team is always here to assist via Slack, phone, or email!