Learn how to use product options and matrix products to sell variations of the same item (different sizes, colors, materials, etc.) while maintaining accurate inventory tracking. This guide covers creating global product options, building matrix product groups, and choosing the right approach for your products.
What Are Product Options?
Product options allow you to sell a single product in multiple variations without creating separate product entries for each variant. For example, you can sell a shirt in Small, Medium, and Large sizes, or in Red, Blue, and Green colors, all from the same product page.
Example: A t-shirt product with:
- Size options: S, M, L, XL
- Color options: Red, Blue, Black
Simple Product Options vs Matrix Products
Understanding the difference helps you choose the right approach:
| Feature | Simple Product Options | Matrix Products |
| Inventory Tracking | Single inventory count for all options | Separate inventory for each combination (S-Red, M-Blue, etc.) |
| SKU Structure | Single SKU with option surcharges | Parent SKU + child SKUs for each combination |
| Pricing | Base price + optional surcharges per option | Individual pricing for each child SKU |
| Best For | Products where you don't need to track individual variant inventory | Products requiring precise inventory counts per size/color combination |
| Setup Complexity | Simpler - add options directly to product | More complex - create parent and child SKUs |
Understanding Option Classes and Option Values
Global Product Options consist of two levels:
Option Class: The category of variation (e.g., "Size", "Color", "Material")
Option Values: The specific choices within that class (e.g., for Size: "S", "M", "L", "XL")
Example organization:
-
Option Class: "Dress Size"
- Option Values: Small, Medium, Large
-
Option Class: "Dress Color"
- Option Values: Red, Black, Blue
Create a Global Product Option Class
1Navigate to Products → Global Product Options
2Enter an Option Class Name for internal reference (e.g., "Dress Size")
3Enter the Option Label that customers will see (e.g., "Size")
4(Optional) Add a URL (Pop-Up Help) to provide size charts or option explanations
5Select the Display Format:
- Dropdown: Drop-down menu (most common)
- Radio List: Radio buttons in a list
- Radio Button: Individual radio buttons
- Swatch Icon: Color swatches or image thumbnails
6Enter text for Dropdown Default (e.g., "Select Size")
7Choose whether to Display Label (Yes/No)
8Click Add New
Add Option Values to the Class
After creating the option class, add the specific values customers can choose:
1Click the Manage link next to your newly created option class
2Enter the Option Value (e.g., "Small")
3Assign a Sort Order (controls display order: 1, 2, 3, etc.)
4Enter an Abbreviation (used for generating child SKU names in matrix products, e.g., "S" for Small)
5(Optional) Browse to select an Image for swatch display
6Click Add New
7Repeat steps 2-6 for each option value (Medium, Large, etc.)
Before You Begin: Pre-Start Checklist
Matrix products require preparation before creation. Gather these materials:
- Product data: Parent SKU, child SKUs for each combination, product descriptions
- Images: Product images for each variation (organized by size, color, etc.)
- FTP access: To upload images to your image directory
- Option classes: Size, color, or other options created via Global Product Options
- Pricing: Prices for each child SKU variant (if different)
Step 1: Upload Images via FTP
Upload all product images to your server before creating the matrix product. Organize images by type (thumbnails, medium, large) in your products image directory. This allows you to verify image paths during product creation.
Step 2: Create the Matrix Parent Product
1Navigate to Products → Product Catalog Manager
2Click Add New Matrix Product Group
3Enter the required fields:
- Product Group SKU: Parent SKU identifier
- Product Group Name: Product name customers will see
- Category: Assign to one or more categories
4Configure Force Matrix Selection:
- Yes: Customers must select the first option (e.g., Size) before seeing availability for the second option (e.g., Color)
- No: All size/color combinations display simultaneously
5Add product descriptions, images, and default image set
6Click Add New to create the parent product
Step 3: Create Child SKUs on the Matrix Tab
After creating the parent, generate child SKUs for each size/color combination:
1In the Matrix Parent product editor, click the Matrix tab
2Configure Default Values to push to all child SKUs:
- Short description
- Default image set
- Category associations
- Visibility settings
- Weight
- Backorder options
3Select your Matrix Options in order of selection:
- First Matrix Option: Size (select which sizes: Small, Medium, Large)
- Second Matrix Option: Color (select which colors: Red, Black)
4Click Create New Matrix SKUs
The system generates child SKUs automatically:
- ParentSKU-S-R (Small Red)
- ParentSKU-S-BL (Small Black)
- ParentSKU-M-R (Medium Red)
- ParentSKU-M-BL (Medium Black)
- And so on...
5Click Edit Child SKUs to customize each variant's SKU name if needed
Step 4: Bulk Update Child SKU Details via Import/Export
Rather than editing each child SKU individually, use Import/Export to update pricing, inventory, images, and other details in bulk:
1Navigate to Import Export → Product Export
2Export products from the category containing your matrix product
3Open the CSV file and update:
- Child SKU names (replace auto-generated names with your actual SKUs)
- Pricing (set different prices for different sizes if needed)
- Image sets (assign red images to red variants, black images to black variants)
- Product name enhancer labels
- Inventory quantities
- Barcodes and UPC codes
4Set the Action column to "update" for all child SKUs
5Save the CSV and import it back via Product Import
Step 5: Review on Storefront
After all details are updated, preview the product on your storefront to verify:
- Option selections display correctly
- Images change when selecting different colors
- Pricing displays correctly for each variant
- Inventory availability is accurate
When to Use Simple Product Options
Use simple product options (not matrix products) when you don't need to track inventory for each size/color combination separately. The product has a single inventory count regardless of which option customers select.
Add Options to an Existing Product
1Navigate to Products → Product Catalog Manager
2Click Edit next to the product
3Click the Advanced tab
4In the Edit Product Options section, select an Option Class (e.g., Size)
5Enter a Description (e.g., "XL" or "Extra Large")
6(Optional) Enter a Surcharge amount if this option costs extra
7Select how to Apply Surcharge:
- Once per item
- Once per order
8Leave Visible checked so the option appears on the storefront
9Click Add New Option
10Repeat steps 4-9 for each option you want to add
How do I turn off product options for featured products on the home page?
If a product is flagged as Home-Page Featured and has product options configured, these options will display on the home page by default. To avoid showing options on the home page, don't use the built-in Home-Page Featured setting. Instead, add HTML with a link directly to the product details page in your Home Page editor. This way, options only appear on the product detail page, not the home page.
Can I use the same option class for different product types?
Yes, but use caution. While you can reuse an option class like "Size" across multiple products, this can cause confusion if you sell shoes, shirts, and dresses that all use different sizing systems. Consider creating specific option classes like "Shoe Size", "Dress Size", and "Shirt Size" with appropriate values for each. The customer only sees the option label (e.g., "Size"), not your internal class name.
What are custom product attributes and how are they different from options?
Custom product attributes are additional product specifications that don't affect pricing or inventory, such as "Year", "Material", "Brand", or "Country of Origin". Unlike product options (which customers select to purchase variants), attributes are informational fields displayed on the product page.
To assign custom attributes, go to Products → Product Catalog Manager → Product Editor → Advanced tab → Edit Custom Product Attribute section. First create the attribute under Products → Custom Product Attributes, then assign values to individual products.
Can I add more child SKUs to a matrix product later?
Yes! You don't need to create all child SKUs at once. Return to the Matrix tab of the parent product, select additional option values, and click Create New Matrix SKUs. For example, you could initially create Small and Medium sizes, then add Large and XL sizes when inventory arrives.
How do I change images based on color selection in matrix products?
Assign different image sets to each color variant. For example, create a "Red Image Set" with red product images and a "Black Image Set" with black product images. When updating child SKUs via Import/Export, assign the red image set to all red variants and the black image set to all black variants. When customers select a color option, the product images automatically switch to that color's image set.
What does "Force Matrix Selection" do?
When enabled, Force Matrix Selection requires customers to choose the first matrix option (typically Size) before the second option (Color) displays available choices. This helps prevent customers from selecting out-of-stock combinations. For example, if Large sizes are out of stock in Red, the customer selects "Large" first, then only sees available colors (Black, Blue) for that size.
When disabled, all size/color combinations display simultaneously, allowing customers to select any combination directly. Use this when all combinations are typically in stock.
Video Tutorial: Product Matrix SKU creation (3 Parts)
Video Tutorial: Global Product Options and Matrix Product Groups
Video Tutorial: Product Matrix Image swapping
Related Articles
- How to Import Products - Detailed guide for importing products
- Inventory Import: How to Adjust Inventory in Bulk - Fast guide for updating stock levels
- Category Import Guide - Creating category hierarchies
- Product Export Guide - Best practices for exporting product data
Need Help?
If you encounter issues not covered in this guide, our support team is here to help. Please include your import/export log when contacting support for faster resolution.