Integration - Shopify - How to Create a Product with Variants (Full Procedure)
A guide on creating and uploading items with variants via the Shopify integration through the Premier EPOS Software.
Last updated
A guide on creating and uploading items with variants via the Shopify integration through the Premier EPOS Software.
Last updated
The Premier EPOS Software has the capability to upload products with variants directly to Shopify. In the Premier EPOS software, products with variants are referred to as Complex Products.
For the purpose of this guide we will be creating the Parent Product, along with the Variant Products. An example of a generic Parent Product would be, Winter Coat. And an example of a generic Variant Product would be, Winter Coat - Blue. The first step of this guide will be creating both the Parent Product and Variant Products.
This step will detail the creation of the Variant Products. If the Variant Products already exist in your database, you can skip to the next step, creating the Parent Product.
To create the Variant Products, you will first need to go to the Stock Manager. You can use the Stock Manager to create the products or search for them if they already exist. A more detailed guide to creating new items can be found here.
Once you have created all Variant Products, you should be able to search for them in the Stock Manager. For our example product, we have created Forza Slat Wall External Rigid, with several variants. Please see below screenshot.
This product has created the following variations:
Forza Slat Wall External Rigid Angle - Anthracite Grey
Forza Slat Wall External Rigid Angle - Blue Grey
Forza Slat Wall External Rigid Angle - Chocolate Brown
Forza Slat Wall External Rigid Angle - Natural
Forza Slat Wall External Rigid Angle - Teak
Forza Slat Wall External Rigid Angle - Charcoal
Now that the Variant Products have been created, you now create the Parent Product.
Further information from Shopify regarding Variant Products can be found, here.
This step will describe the purpose and process of creating the Parent Product, explaining the differences between it and regular or Variant Products.
The Parent Product is designed to act as a link to all the Variant Products that will be appearing on Shopify. The Parent Product will be created using the same process as a normal product. A more detailed guide to creating new items can be found here.
An example of a Parent Product for our previously mentioned Variant Products would be;
Forza Slat Wall External Rigid
This Parent Product has been created with a similar name, but lacks some descriptive details, such as the colour. The Parent Product should also include the Selling Price.
As the primary purpose of the Parent Product is linking to the Variant Products for Shopify, it is very unlikely you will be ordering this Parent Product from your suppliers. Due to this, the Parent Product can lack certain details required for ordering, such as a Supplier Code or stock quantity
Now both the Parent Product and Variant Product exist on your database, you can now add Custom Column information. This unique information is important to Shopify, and is required for linking products.
In the Premier EPOS software there is a Custom Columns system, designed for recording unique information that is NOT normally recorded in your database. For the purpose of Shopify Integration you must create a Custom Column that records the Variant Product details, such as Colour or Size.
For our example product we will be using the Custom Column, Colour.
If you have not already created the Custom Columns for your integration setup, a more detailed guide to creating Custom Columns can be found, here
A detailed guide to creating and adding Custom Columns can be here.
Once you have added the Custom Column, Colour, to your Stock Manager's layout, the next step is to search for the Parent Product you are going to upload to Shopify. Please see below screenshot.
We advise searching for the Parent Product at this point, as they will usually have a similar name to the Variant Product and can be found together in a single search. In the above screenshot, we have searched for our example product, Forza Slat Wall External Rigid, and this has produced both Parent Product and Variant Products in the results.
When uploading to Shopify, this Parent Product Custom Column is always set to 1. For the Parent Product, the Custom Column information is always the same. Please see below screenshot.
The Parent Product must have a 1, in the Custom Column in order to function.
Once the Parent Product's Custom Column has been set, next you will need to set the Custom Columns for each of the Variant Products. For our example product we have used Colour, so we will now set each item to have the Colour that matches the Colour in their name. Each new possible variation will need to be entered manually when first creating the variation, but once you have used it once, it will be available for other products. Please see below screenshot.
For an example of several Variant Product setup with colours, please see below screenshot.
After setting each Variant Product's Custom Column value, the next step is to attach images of the Variant Products to the Parent Product.
In order to have images appear on your Shopify Integration, each Variant Products' image must be attached to the respective Parent Product. For our example product, all images will be attached to the Forza Slat Wall External Rigid Parent Product, not the Variant Products with different colours.
Images can be set in the Stock Manager, under the Image tab. Please see below screenshot.
To set the image, you have to open the Stock Manager and search for the Parent Product. After locating and highlighting the Parent Product, go to the Image tab and attach all of the Variant Product images.
For a more detailed guide on Product Images and attaching them, please click here.
Once you have set your products Custom Columns, in both the Parent and Variant Products and attached the images to the Parent Product, the next step is to attach the Variant Products to the Parent Product in the Website Upload tab.
The Website Upload tab is located in the Stock Manager. Please see below screenshot.
Before opening the Website Upload tab, you must first search and highlight the Parent Product. For our example we are searching for our Parent Product, Forza Slat Wall External Rigid. Please see below screenshot.
Once on this screen, you need to use the Add Child button on the right hand side, to add the Variant Products. Please see below screenshot.
Clicking the Add Child button will open the Find Item menu. In the Find Item menu you will need to search for your Variant Products. If you are able to enter a search term that links all Variant Products, you will be able to select multiple lines and add them in a single search. You can also search for the Variant Products individually if needed. Please see below screenshot.
Once you have highlighted the required Variant Products, pressing the Accept button will add them to the Child Product section on the right hand side. Please see below screenshot.
Now that the Variant Products have been successfully added to the Parent Product, the next step is to set the Web Categories.
The next step before uploading your product to Shopify is too set the Web Category. The Set Product Category(s) button is also located in the Website Upload tab. You must have the Parent Product selected when setting the Web Category. Please see below screenshot.
Once you press the Set Product Category(s) button, a new menu will appear. Please see below screenshot.
This menu will allow you to set the category of the selected product, which will determine how it organized on your web integration. You can select multiple categories if required, but at least one category must be selected.
Once you have completed all previous steps, the product is now ready to be uploaded to your web integration.
On the the Website Upload tab you will find the Upload to Web & Save button. Please see below screenshot.
Once you press the Upload to Web & Save button, a pop-up box will appear and confirm you have uploaded the product. Please see below screenshot.
After you click OK, the confirmation box will disappear and you should now see an automatically generated ID in the Unique ID box. Once this ID is present in the Unique ID box, you have successfully uploaded the product to your integration.
If you have any additional questions about the above guide, please contact our Support Team on either 03303 800 142 or supportstaff@premierepos.co.uk.
