This guide shows you how to manage a product’s variants in Composerie. A variant is one specific version of a product, like a black mug or a large blue t-shirt. You work with all of them in a single table on the product page: the option axes, the cost and price of each variant, which ones are visible, and which print provider fulfils each one. It is written for merchants who already have a product with more than one variant.
Read the variants table
The Variants card lives on the product page. Open a product from your product list, then scroll down to the card titled “Variants”. For the wider context of that page, see the product page.
The header gives you a quick count of the product. It reads something like “12 SKUs, 2 providers, 2 options”. A SKU is the unique code for one variant. The provider count is how many print providers fulfil this product. The option count is how many option axes the product uses.
An option axis is one dimension of choice, such as Size or Color. A product can have up to three axes. The names come from your Shopify product. For products that pull from more than one print provider, the first axis is locked to Material, so you cannot rename it.
To make a long list readable, you can group and filter the table.
- Use the “Group by” control to group rows by any populated option axis (Material first, then any others) or by Provider. Each group header shows a provider chip, the group value, the variant count, and the price range.
- Use the “All”, “Active”, and “Hidden” tabs to filter by status. Active means the variant is visible to shoppers. Hidden means it is not.
- When the product has more than one provider, a “Provider” filter appears so you can show only the variants routed to one provider.
- Type in the “Search variants” box to match on SKU or option values.
Each row shows the variant’s option values, an inline Cost field, an inline Price field, and a read-only Margin. The margin is the gap between cost and price, shown as a percent and an amount. A row also has an optional thumbnail and a menu on the right.
Edit variant prices and routing
Most edits happen right inside the table. Routing decides which print provider makes each variant, so it is worth getting right. To understand routing across a whole catalog, read route orders across providers.
Edit a cost or price
Click a Cost or Price field on any row and type the new amount. The Margin updates as you type, so you can see the result before you save. To set one price across a whole group at once, open that group and click “Edit group prices” in its header.
Update many prices at once
Click the “Bulk prices” button in the card header. Paste a list of SKU and price pairs into the dialog, then apply it. Composerie matches each line to a variant by SKU and updates its price. This is the fast way to reprice a large catalog without clicking each field.
Hide or re-route a single variant
Click the menu (the three dots) on a variant row. From there you can hide a variant so shoppers no longer see it, or show it again. When the product has more than one provider, the menu also lists each provider under “Print routing” so you can move that one variant to a different provider. The provider it uses now is marked “current”.
Re-route variants in bulk with Manage routing
For larger routing changes, click “Manage routing” in the footer of the card. Use it to change which provider fulfils which variants. When you re-route, Composerie sends both the provider and that provider’s product id, so the routing stays consistent and orders reach the right provider.
Save your changes
Your edits stage as you work. Nothing is written until you save. When you have a pending change, the save bar appears at the bottom of the page. Click save there to commit every variant edit in one go.
Common questions
What is the difference between an option and a variant?
An option is a dimension of choice, like Size or Color. A variant is one combination of those options, like Large and Blue. Each variant has its own SKU, cost, and price.
Why is my first axis locked to Material?
When a product pulls from more than one print provider, the first axis is reserved for Material so Composerie can route each variant to the right provider.
What does the margin column mean?
Margin is the difference between the cost you pay the provider and the price the shopper pays, shown as a percent and an amount. It updates live as you change either field.
What happens when I hide a variant?
A hidden variant is no longer offered to shoppers, but it stays in your table. You can show it again from the same row menu at any time.
For pricing rules, compare-at prices, and stock settings, read pricing and inventory.
Next: pricing and inventory.