Items and catalog
Item options and variants, such as color and size
Define option groups such as Color or Size with their values, attach them to an item as variants with their own prices, and track stock for each variant.
3 min readLast updated
In this article
Use options when one product comes in several versions that you price or count separately, such as a shirt in three colors. You define each option group once, then pick its values on every item that uses it.
Before you start
Decide which differences really need their own stock and price. If a difference is only descriptive, the item's Color field or its name is enough.
Create an option group and its values
Open Inventory › Item Options. The Item options list shows each option with its description and values.
Select Add option, enter the Name, for example Size, and a Description if you want one. Select Save.
Open the option's row menu and select Edit values.
Select Add value for each value, for example Small, Medium and Large, and select Save.
On the same Edit values panel you can rename a value or remove it. A removed value stays on the items that already use it, but it is no longer offered for new variants.
Attach variants to an item
Open the item form: a new item from the items list, or Edit on an existing item.
In Options, sub-items & commission, turn on Has options / variants.
Select Add variant for each version. Choose the Option, then its Value, and enter that variant's cost, retail and wholesale prices.
Select Save.
How variants behave
Each variant has its own prices, so a large size can sell for more than a small one.
Stock is kept for each variant in each warehouse, alongside the item's total.
On sales and purchase documents, users pick the option and value after the item.
To correct one variant's stock, use a quantity adjustment and choose the Option group and Option value. See Adjust an item's quantity.
Bulk quantity updates from Excel do not cover items with variants.
Deactivate an option group
Open the row menu and select Delete, then confirm Deactivate option. Items already using its values keep them, and past documents are unchanged. The group is no longer offered for new variants.
Common questions
How do I remove one variant from an item? Edit the item, delete that variant's row and save. Rows you remove from the form are removed from the item.
Should I use variants or separate items? Use variants when the versions share a name, a category and most details. Use separate items when they differ in units, tax or supplier.