Shopify is a powerful e-commerce solution that helps businesses launch and manage online stores with ease. While Shopify offers a wide variety of features and options, product variations can often add complexity rather than opportunities for store owners. Managing variations such as size, color, or material in Shopify can be challenging. In this blog, we’ll highlight the Shopify product limitations and discuss how to overcome the limitations of variations in Shopify.
Understanding the Shopify Product Variant Limitations
1. Maximum of 3 Options Per Product:
Shopify allows only three options per product. This is manageable for products with fewer variations (e.g., size, color, and material). However, if your product requires more than three types of variations, you will encounter difficulties listing it.
2. 100 Variants Limit:
Each product in Shopify can have up to 100 variants. If your product can be configured in many different ways, you will soon hit this limit and need to find creative ways to structure your product listings to avoid running out of unique combinations.
3. Complexity in Managing Variants:
Dealing with multiple variants can quickly become cumbersome. You must update prices, inventory, and images for each variant individually, adding to the complexity of managing your store.
Overcoming the Limitations
1. Using Apps to Extend Functionality:
One of the easiest ways to overcome Shopify product limitations is by using third-party apps. Apps like Infinite Options or Bold Product Options allow you to have more than three options and exceed the 100-variant limit. These apps provide additional customization and flexibility, enabling you to create a wider and more user-friendly product listing.
2. Bundling Products:
If you have numerous product variations, consider bundling similar variations together. For example, instead of listing each color and size combination separately, bundle popular color-size combinations. This approach not only helps with the variant limit but also enhances the shopping experience by making it more user-friendly.
3. Custom Fields and Metafields:
Leverage Shopify’s custom fields and metafields to add more information about your product. Although they don’t directly add options or variants, they allow you to store and display additional product information, offering further detail within product descriptions and specifications.
4. Multiple Product Listings:
If you consistently face issues with the 100-variant limit, consider breaking your product into multiple listings. For example, if you sell T-shirts in various colors and sizes, create separate product listings for different color groups. This way, you can manage your inventory more effectively without hitting the variant ceiling.
5. Custom Development Solutions:
Sometimes, stores have unique needs. For such stores, custom Shopify development could be the best approach. If you hire a Shopify developer to create a custom solution for your business, it will help you overcome the limitations and ensure that the platform works exactly as you need. Custom scripts and apps can be built to manage complex product variations and streamline operations.
Trust the Shopify Experts
When it comes to navigating and overcoming the limitations of variations in Shopify, trusting a certified Shopify development agency and Shopify partner can make all the difference. Digilite is a certified Shopify developer and partner with over 15 years of experience in e-commerce and custom software development fields. With Digilite, you can be assured that all your Shopify needs will be taken care of professionally and efficiently, allowing you to focus on growing your business.
By addressing these Shopify product limitations, you can ensure your business runs smoothly and meets the unique needs of your customers.
