Products | Variants & Options

The Variants section in Orbit allows you to sell a single product in several different versions — such as sizes or colours — each with its own price, stock level, and other details. Options and variants keep related versions together under one product, so customers can choose what they want from a single product page.

From here you can turn on variants, add the options that make your product different, give each option its values, and then set pricing, SKUs, barcodes, and inventory for every combination — either in bulk or one variant at a time.

Understanding options and variants

It helps to know the difference between the two terms:

• Option — a way a product can vary, such as Size or Colour.

• Value — a choice within an option, such as Small, Medium, and Large, or Black and White.

• Variant — a single buyable combination of values, for example Size Small / Colour Black, each with its own price and stock.

When you combine your options and their values, Orbit creates a variant for every possible combination.

Turning on variants

Open the Variants section of your product and tick This product has variants. Use this when your product comes in multiple options, like different sizes or colours. Leave it unticked if you are selling a single version of the product.

Adding options and values

Once variants are turned on, you can add the options that describe how your product differs:

1. Enter an option name, such as Size or Colour.

2. Add the values for that option, for example Small, Medium, and Large.

3. Select Add another option to add a further option, such as Colour, and enter its values.

As you add options and values, Orbit builds the full list of variants for you. The header shows each option alongside the number of values it has, and you can reorder or remove options as your product changes.

The Variant Options table

Below your options, the Variant Options table lists every variant created from your options and values, with the total number of options shown at the top. The table has columns for Image, Variant, Price, Compare at, SKU, Barcode, and Inventory, so you can review and update each variant in one place.

Use the following controls to manage the table:

• Group by — group the rows by one of your options, for example by Size or by Colour, to make a large list easier to work through.

• Expand all and Collapse all — open or close every group at once so you can focus on the variants you are editing.

• Set all — apply a value, such as a price or compare-at price, across a group of variants in one step instead of editing each row.

• Add Variant — add a further variant manually if you need one that the option combinations do not already cover.

You can set the Price, Compare at, SKU, Barcode, and Inventory directly in the table for each variant, or use the bulk Set all controls to update several variants together. There is also a search so you can find a particular variant quickly.

Editing an individual variant

For finer control, you can open a single variant on its own page by choosing to edit it individually from its row in the table. The variant edit page shows the product name with the variant's values — for example Size S / Colour Black — and is split into the same sections you use elsewhere in Orbit:

• Image — add a dedicated image for this variant, so customers see the correct colour or style when they select it.

• Pricing — set the Price, Compare at price, and Cost per item for this variant.

• Inventory — set the SKU and Barcode, enter the Quantity in stock, and turn Track inventory on or off for this variant.

• Shipping — enter the Weight, used to calculate delivery options and charges at checkout.

Editing a variant individually is useful when one combination needs its own image, a different price, or its own stock and shipping details.

Why variants are important

Variants let you offer customers a choice while keeping everything organised under a single product. By setting accurate prices, SKUs, barcodes, and stock for each combination, you make your products easier to buy, easier to track, and clearer for customers browsing your store.

If you have any questions, please contact us at support@orbitcommerce.net