The role of product options in variants

Product options are common variant axes in the catalog, such as Color and Size. Values are created under a product option, for example, Red, Blue, S, M, and L. The register defines common codes, translations, and orders; attaching options to products is done in the product's own editor.

Product options are different from product attributes and product-specific custom options. Use a product option when a product has selectable values related to variants.

Browse product options

Product options are opened at /products/options . The list shows ID , Code , English name , Finnish name , Inventory tracking , Values , Products , Order , and Actions .

Search for an option in the Search for product options field. The search is based on the code and language-specific names. The list uses ID-based pagination and shows the total quantity. Open the option by ID or with the Open function.

Values indicates the size of the option's value register. Products indicates the number of products in which the option is referenced. The numbers help to estimate the extent of the change, but the list does not show the names of the locations of use.

Create a product option

Select New Product Option . Enter a Code , Order , Inventory Tracking , and a name and maintenance description for each data language. The code can contain lowercase ASCII letters, numbers, a dash, and an underscore, and can be up to 32 characters long.

The code is checked to be unique among other product option codes. Design it to be stable, as products and integrations can reference the option ID and code. The order is an integer by which the option is arranged in the management and e-commerce lists.

Select Save product option . The creation page will only save with the button and will move to the option editing page after success. The product option values will be added under the newly created option.

Edit product option

Product options automatically save the code, order, Inventory Tracking switch, and translations on the edit page with a delay of approximately 500 milliseconds. Exiting the text field will immediately start the pending save.

Wait for the save to complete before leaving the page. If the code is incorrect or already in use, correct the field. Any other error will display a notification on the page; if an autosave error occurs, you can try again using the notification function.

Stock tracking stores the stock tracking setting at the option value level in the registry. However, do not conclude from the switch alone that the online store hides all out-of-stock values: the visible variants are formed from the product's actual option connections and available stock combinations, and there is no direct check for the switch in the current online store selector service.

Create and edit product option values

To create a product option value, open the product option and select New Value . Give the value a Code , an optional Hex color , Weight , Order , and a name and qualifier for each data language. Select Create Value to save the new value .

The value code must contain the same lowercase ASCII letters, numbers, dash, and underscore, and must be a maximum of 64 characters long. The value code is checked to be unique across the entire value register, not just within a single option. The hex color is stored as a six-character value; the user interface also accepts it with # prefix.

Weight accepts up to four decimal places, and Order is an integer. Weight is additional information for sorting, shipping, or integrations; it is not the price of the product. Edit an existing value using the Edit function in the table and select Save Value . Editing values does not use the autosave option settings.

Attach options to products

The product option register does not associate an axis or value with a product. Open the product and define the allowed product options and their values in the product's own Product Options tab. The inventory balances and product-specific prices of variant combinations belong to the product's inventory lines, not to this common register.

The same product option and value can be used for multiple products. Group values with the same meaning under one common option to keep the language names and order consistent. Do not create parallel Koko, Size, and koko axes without different business meaning.

When you change the common name, color, or order, the change will affect all products that use the registry row after the next cache refresh. Therefore, check usage before making a large-scale change and check a few representative product pages afterward.

Visibility in the online store

Product options are passed to the online store's product information with language-specific option and value names, option and value order, qualifier, color, and product-specific price difference. The online store's theme determines whether the values are presented as buttons, color swatches, a drop-down menu, or in some other way.

Available variant stocks may limit the option and value from the product information. This is based on the product's stock combinations. The effect of the Inventory Tracking switch in the register on hiding sold-out values has not been demonstrated in the current e-commerce service, so verify the behavior with an actual product.

Fill in the names for all the available store languages. A hex color can be passed to generate a color swatch, and a qualifier as additional information, but their visibility depends on the theme. Test the variant selection, availability, price, and shopping cart in the correct language before widespread deployment.

Delete a product option or value

Delete a product option using the Delete function on its edit page. The service prevents deletion if at least one product uses the option or there are still values under the option. Delete or move the values and remove the option from the products before a new attempt.

Delete the value using the delete function on its row. The deletion of the value is blocked if any product uses it. Blocking messages also show the number of values for referenced products and options, but not the list of usage locations.

Deletion is a permanent registry change. Do not remove a deprecated value until you have determined the needs of your products, order history, and integrations. Simply changing the name may be safer only if the meaning truly remains the same.

Good to know

Product options define a common variant vocabulary, not product variant lines. The code, order, and translations are common; product-specific option associations, inventory balances, and prices are maintained by product.

Creating a product option requires the Save product option function, but later editing of the option settings is saved automatically. Creating and editing a value are saved with their own buttons. Always ensure that the save is successful before proceeding to the next step.

An option or value that is in use cannot be deleted. Inventory tracking is a registry setting, but the availability that the customer sees must be verified with the actual variant product in the online store.