How to create variable products on WooCommerce

intermediate 8 min read Updated 2026-03-18

Quick Answer

Variable products in WooCommerce allow you to sell items with multiple variations like size, color, or material under a single product listing. Create them by setting the product type to 'Variable product', adding attributes, and generating variations with individual pricing and inventory settings.

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Prerequisites

WordPress website with WooCommerce plugin installed
Administrator access to WordPress dashboard
Basic understanding of WooCommerce product management
Products attributes already created (optional but recommended)

Step-by-Step Instructions

Navigate to Products and Add New Product

Log into your WordPress dashboard and go to Products > Add New. Enter your product name in the title field and add a detailed product description. This description will apply to all variations of your product.

Use a descriptive product name that encompasses all variations, like 'Cotton T-Shirt' instead of 'Blue Cotton T-Shirt'

Set Product Type to Variable Product

In the Product Data meta box, click the dropdown menu that shows Simple product by default. Select Variable product from the list. This will reveal additional tabs specific to variable products including Attributes and Variations.

Configure Product Attributes

Click the Attributes tab in the Product Data section. Click Add to create a new attribute or select from existing global attributes. Enter the attribute name (e.g., 'Size', 'Color') and values separated by the pipe symbol | (e.g., 'Small | Medium | Large'). Check Used for variations and Visible on the product page boxes, then click Save attributes.

Create global attributes under Products > Attributes first for better organization and reusability across products

Generate Product Variations

Navigate to the Variations tab and select Create variations from all attributes from the dropdown menu, then click Go. WooCommerce will automatically generate all possible combinations of your attributes. Click OK when prompted to confirm the creation of variations.

You can also manually add individual variations by selecting 'Add variation' if you don't want all possible combinations

Configure Individual Variation Settings

Expand each variation by clicking the arrow next to it. For each variation, set the Regular price and Sale price (if applicable). Configure SKU, Manage stock settings, Weight, and Dimensions. Upload a variation-specific image by clicking Set variation image. Enable or disable each variation using the Enabled checkbox.

Use the 'Bulk actions' dropdown to quickly update prices or other settings across multiple variations

Set Default Variation Selection

In each variation, you can set default attribute selections by choosing values from the dropdown menus at the top of the Variations tab. This determines which variation appears selected by default when customers first view the product. Save all variation changes by clicking Save changes.

Set your most popular or bestselling variation as the default to improve conversion rates

Configure Additional Product Settings

Complete other product settings such as Product categories, Product tags, Product image (main gallery), and SEO settings. In the General tab, you can set a product-wide tax status and shipping class that will apply to all variations unless overridden.

The main product gallery images will show for all variations unless you upload variation-specific images

Publish and Test the Variable Product

Click Publish to make your variable product live. Visit the product page on your website to test the variation selection. Ensure that prices, stock status, and images update correctly when different variations are selected. Verify that the add to cart functionality works properly for each variation.

Test the product from a customer's perspective by trying to add different variations to cart and proceeding through checkout

Common Issues & Troubleshooting

Variations not showing on frontend

Ensure attributes are marked as Used for variations and at least one variation is Enabled with a price set. Clear any caching plugins and check your theme compatibility.

Out of stock message for available variations

Check that Stock quantity is set correctly for each variation and Manage stock is enabled. Verify that the main product isn't set to 'Out of stock' in the Inventory tab.

Variation images not displaying correctly

Ensure variation images are uploaded in the Variations tab, not just the main product gallery. Regenerate thumbnails using a plugin like Regenerate Thumbnails if images appear broken.

Bulk actions not working for variations

Select the variations you want to modify using the checkboxes, choose your bulk action from the dropdown, set the value, and click Go. Always click Save changes after bulk operations.

Prices mentioned in this guide are pulled from current plan data and may change. Always verify on the official WooCommerce website before purchasing.

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