Product Variations and Options

IndieMade products support two systems for offering choices to your customers: Variations and Options. They serve different purposes and can be used together on the same product.

Variations vs. Options at a Glance

Variations

Variations represent distinct versions of your product. When you add variations like Size (Small, Medium, Large) and Color (Red, Blue), IndieMade automatically generates every combination (Small/Red, Small/Blue, Medium/Red, etc.). Each combination can have its own price, SKU, and stock quantity.

Adding Variations to a Product

1. Edit the product and scroll to the Variations section.
2. Click Add Variation.
3. Enter the variation name (e.g., "Size").
4. Add each value (e.g., "Small", "Medium", "Large").
5. Repeat to add a second variation if needed (e.g., "Color" with "Red", "Blue").
6. Save the product. IndieMade automatically generates all the combinations.

Controlling Price, SKU, and Stock Per Variation

In the Pricing and Inventory section of the product form, you will see three toggle options:

• Prices vary - When enabled, each variation combination gets its own price field. When off, all variations use the product's default price, but individual variation values can still have price adjustments (e.g., Large adds +$5.00).
• SKUs vary - When enabled, each variation combination gets its own SKU field.
• Quantities vary - When enabled, stock is tracked separately for each variation combination. When off, all variations share one stock count.

Disabling Specific Combinations

If you don't sell every combination (for example, you don't make XL in Pink), you can disable individual combinations. Disabled combinations won't appear as choices for your customers at checkout.

Price Adjustments on Variation Values

Each variation value can have a price adjustment. For example, if your base price is $20.00 and the "Large" value has a +$5.00 adjustment, the Large variation will show as $25.00. This is useful when "Prices vary" is turned off and you want a simple markup for certain sizes or materials.

How Customers See Variations

Variations appear as dropdown selects on the product page. When a customer selects a combination, the price, stock availability, and SKU update automatically. If a combination is out of stock or disabled, it will not be available for selection.

Etsy Compatibility

Variations sync with Etsy Connect. When you push a product to Etsy, your variations are sent as Etsy listing inventory. When you pull from Etsy, the listing's variations are imported and mapped to IndieMade variations.

Variation Templates

If you sell many products with the same variations (e.g., all your shirts come in S/M/L/XL), you can save time with templates.

Creating a Template from Scratch

1. Go to Dashboard → Variations.
2. Click Add Variation.
3. Enter the variation name, an optional description, and all the values.
4. Save. This template is now available to assign to any product.

Saving an Existing Variation as a Template

1. Edit the product that has the variation you want to reuse.
2. Next to the variation name, click the operations icon and choose Save as Template.

Once saved, the template appears in Dashboard → Variations and can be added to other products.

Options

Options let customers customize a product with additional choices or text input. Unlike variations, options do not affect stock tracking or SKU - they are add-ons and customizations.

Enabling Options

Options are not enabled by default. To turn them on:

1. Go to Dashboard → Settings → Store Settings.
2. Find and enable Product Options.
3. Save.

Once enabled, you will see an Options menu on the Dashboard and an Options section on each product edit page below Variations.

Option Field Types

Options support several field types, giving you flexibility in how customers make their selections:

• Checkboxes - Customer can select one or more values. Good for add-ons like "Add gift wrapping" and "Include a card".
• Radio buttons - Customer selects exactly one value. Good for mutually exclusive choices like finish type.
• Select list (dropdown) - Customer picks one value from a dropdown. Good for long lists of choices.
• Text field - Customer types a single line of text. Good for monogram initials, short personalization.
• Text area - Customer types multiple lines of text. Good for custom messages, engraving text, or special instructions.

Adding an Option to a Product

1. Edit the product and scroll to the Options section (below Variations).
2. Click Add Option.
3. Enter the option name (e.g., "Gift Wrapping").
4. Choose the field type.
5. Set whether this option is required (customer must select/enter a value before adding to cart).
6. For checkbox, radio, and select types: add each value (e.g., "Standard wrap", "Premium wrap").
7. Optionally set a price adjustment on each value (e.g., Premium wrap +$3.00).
8. Save.

Option Images

Each option value can have an image associated with it. This is useful for showing customers what each choice looks like - for example, different fabric patterns or wrap styles. The images appear as clickable thumbnails that customers can tap to make their selection.

Price Adjustments on Options

Option values can add to (or subtract from) the product price. For example, if a product is $25.00 and the customer selects "Rush processing" with a +$10.00 adjustment, the cart will show $35.00. The adjustment is displayed next to the option value so customers know the cost before selecting.

Text Field Length

For text and text area options, the maximum number of characters a customer can enter is controlled in Store Settings. The default is 255 characters.

Option Templates

Like variations, options can be saved as templates for reuse across products.

Creating a Template from Scratch

1. Go to Dashboard → Options.
2. Click Add Option.
3. Enter the name, field type, required setting, and values with any price adjustments.
4. Save. This template is now available to assign to any product.

Saving an Existing Option as a Template

1. Edit the product with the option you want to reuse.
2. Next to the option name, click the operations icon and choose Save as Template.

Using Variations and Options Together

You can use both on the same product. A common example:

• Variations: Size (S, M, L, XL) and Color (Black, White, Navy) - these control stock and pricing per combination.
• Options: "Add monogram" (text field, +$8.00) and "Gift wrap" (checkbox, +$3.00) - these are add-on customizations.

At checkout, the customer first selects their variation (size and color), then fills in any options. The final price includes the variation price plus any option adjustments.

Tips

• If you only need simple choices that don't affect stock or SKU, use Options. They are more flexible with field types and simpler to manage.
• If you need to track inventory per combination (e.g., 5 Small/Red left, 3 Large/Blue left), use Variations with "Quantities vary" enabled.
• Variations generate all possible combinations automatically. Two variations with 5 values each creates 25 combinations. Keep your value lists reasonable.
• If you sell on Etsy, use Variations (not Options) for anything you want synced. Etsy does not see Options.
• Use templates to save time when many products share the same choices. Change the template and it updates everywhere.
• You can disable specific variation combinations you don't sell - customers will not see them.