WooCommerce variable product (comprehensive guide)

The WooCommerce variable product comes with different variations such as colors or sizes. Today, you'll learn how to create variable products in WooCommerce in 3 ways: the built-in option, by adding product custom fields, and by importing products with a free plugin.

As you know, adding multiple products in WooCommerce may be time-consuming. Especially, when you sell similar products with a lot of attributes, features, and different options

Today, I will show you 3 ways of adding WooCommerce products with variations: a built-in and 2 free plugins! Let's begin!

Table of contents

• WooCommerce variable product
  • What is a WooCommerce variable product?
  • How to add variable products?
  • WooCommerce variable product configuration
  • Variable product attributes
  • Variable product prices
• Import simple and variable products into WooCommerce
• Add variations in WooCommerce with custom fields

WooCommerce variable product

You may choose from four WooCommerce product types:

Variable products allow building products with options.

What is a WooCommerce variable product?

It's a product with variations. These variations are built using product attributes, for example, different sizes, colors, add-ons, or support levels. Attributes are visible on the product page in the additional information section.

You may read more about product attributes below.

How to add variable products?

First, let's take a look at the default way of adding products with variations.

To create a WooCommerce variable product, simply go to Products → Add new. Adding and managing variable products is very similar to managing other WooCommerce products.

After you provide basic product information, go to Product data metabox. Now, you need to select a Variable product here from the select box.

WooCommerce variable product configuration

It's easy to add a WooCommerce variable product. Now it's time for configuration. I'll guide you through the process.

1. Variable product settings

   👉🏼 First, go to the Variations tab.

   But, you'll probably get a notice saying you have to configure attributes first:

   

2. Attributes for the product

   So, now go to the Attributes tab then. Choose either an existing or new attribute and click Add. As a result, you'll get these configuration options:

   

3. Attribute settings

   Next, set your attribute name and add variations (separate the values with the '|' character). For example, you can configure i.e. Color attribute with Green, Blue, and Red variations.

   Of course, you may add as many attributes to variations as you need, i.e. Color, Size, Type.

   Now, you need to mark the Used for variations checkbox. Otherwise, WooCommerce won't let you create variations from the existing attributes.

   So, click Save attributes and you're ready to go!

   💡 Remember that you can also add attributes globally in Products → Attributes and then assign them to multiple products.

4. WooCommerce variable products configuration

   Next, go back to the Variations tab.

   Now, you can automatically create variations from all the attributes you have configured. Select Create variations from all attributes and click Go.

   As a result, you will see all possible variations of the product attributes:

   

5. Variation settings

   👉🏼  With the Default Form Values option, you can set which variation a customer sees by default on the product page. This is optional but highly recommended.

   You can configure every variation the same way you configure the simple product. So, you can set an image, SKU, sizes, price, shipping class, and even a tax.

   💡 Remember to set the price of a variation. Otherwise, the variation will not show on the product page.

   

   💡One tip: you can choose if a variation is virtual or not. With this option, you can sell music albums as physical CDs or MP3 files to download.

   A customer will be able to choose one of these two options on one product page then!

6. WooCommerce variable products - the product page

   As you can see, we've just configured the WooCommerce variable product.

   So, let's see now what it looks like in the store:

   

Variable product attributes

Adding attributes is possible for all standard product types. You may use the global attributes

or attributes per specific product (these attributes will be available only for the product).

As you can see, each attribute has two settings:

• Visible on the product page - to show the attributes in the additional information section on the product page.
• Used for variations - if you want to build a product with variations. You may read above how to add a variable product.

Thus, a WooCommerce variable product uses attributes. You may generate all possible product variations (based on these attributes) or add them manually so you can choose the attributes for the specific variation.

OF course, the more attributes you add, the more variation combinations with variable product dropdowns.

If you use the Generate variations option, you may get large numbers of variations based on attributes.

Variable product prices

As you can see in the screenshot above, the new variation lacks the price. Variations without price will not be available on the product page. You may edit the variation attributes and price when editing the variable product.

You may also set a different shipping class and decide about inventory management per specific product variation.

Finally, you can drag and drop variations for custom ordering (admin variation order).

I hope the built-in option to add variable products in WooCommerce is clear to you now.

Import simple and variable products into WooCommerce

Of course, you can add variable products in WooCommerce much much faster with a free plugin. How?

1. First, download the free plugin

   Dropshipping Import Products for WooCommerce

   WooCommerce variable product plugin. You can also add 18 extra product fields, which will enrich your WooCommerce product page in a blink!

   Download for free or Go to WordPress.org

   WP Desk

   Plugins used by 251,507+ shops

   Works with WooCommerce 9.4 - 9.8

2. Next, create the import

   You will need the URL of an XML or CSV file to set the import.

   

3. Then, map the product fields

   Choose the data from the XML file you want to use for product fields.

   

   Of course, it's possible to choose the options to recognize and use XML fields for creating variable products.

   

4. Also, decide about the import options

   Choose the fields you want to update if you make the import again. There are several useful options here.

   

5. Finally, start the import

   The plugin will add or/ update the WooCommerce products now, including variable ones. As you can see, the plugin lets you add products much faster than with the built-in option.

Add variable products in WooCommerce with custom fields

WooCommerce variable products won't always fit your needs.

Remember that every variation is an individual product created in WooCommerce. So, it is attached to the main product.

That brings multiple database entries for every variation. For 50 variations you'll have 50 subproducts in the database. Also, it could make the database overloaded and slow down your site.

But, if you want some personalization features in your store then variations won't make it. They won't let you add an engraving text field or gift-wrapping checkbox.

WooCommerce variable products with a plugin

So, we created the Flexible Product Fields plugin to let you create add-ons on product pages.

Now, let's see the field types you can use instead of (or with) variable products:

• Text
• Textarea
• Number
• E-mail
• URL
• Checkbox
• Multi-checkbox
• Select
• Radio with images
• Multi-select
• Radio
• Time
• Color
• Heading
• Radio with colors
• Paragraph
• Image
• HTML
• Date (PRO)
• File Upload (PRO)

One more thing...

You can download Flexible Product Fields for free 🥳 

👉🏼 For now, let me show you an example of how this plugin works:

If you need more information about the plugin features check out the documentation.

Summary & more about custom fields

Today, you have learned how to add a WooCommerce variable product using the default product manager.

Also, I have shown you two alternatives to speed up adding and managing your WooCommerce products.

Dropshipping XML for WooCommerce FREE
 
Flexible Product Fields FREE
 

Let me know in the comments section below if the article helped you!