1.0 Overview

In online shopping, standing out means offering personalized experiences. Variants empower you to do just that. This guide is your roadmap to unlocking customization's power, and creating a unique shopping journey for your customers.

Modern shoppers want products that match their style. Customization isn't an extra—it's expected. When people can personalize a product, it boosts the chances of them buying it.

Our guide simplifies this. It shows how to add personal touches to your products on ONDC Buyer platforms using Variants. You'll learn to create unique customizations, offer options for customers to choose from, and make meaningful choices that matter to them.

1.1 What are Variants?

Variants are various choices within a product that let customers select specific features or styles they prefer. These options might cover sizes, colors, materials, or any customizable aspects of the product.

For example, for a laptop of the same configuration, there could be three variants based on their storage capacity.

Let’s say the laptop name is Vostro 3500 Business laptop. For the same product, the three variants would be:

1. Vostro 3500 Business Laptop 1TB HDD

2. Vostro 3500 Business laptop 512 GB HDD

3. Vostro 3500 Business laptop 256 GB HDD

2.0 Creating Variants

A variant of the product is essentially a different product by itself. So, to create Variants we need to create the items, categorise them and finally add them as variants. And this process is as follows.

Navigate to the Products Module and go to Item categories.

 Follow an Item category creation process of your choice and create a new category.

For this example, we are using Express create.

Tip: To know more about the Category creation, refer to our Catalog Set up Guide

After creating the category, ensure its status is active. This category is exclusive for this item and its variants.

Open the category information and navigate to the groups tab.

Create a Group in which the variants will be added later.

Tip: To know more about the Group creation, refer to our Catalog Set up Guide

Now go to the Products Module and select Items.

Create the Item with the creation process of your choice. 

Note: Make sure that you select the Category and group that you created exclusively for these variants.

For this example, we are using express create and the Item name is Vostro 3500 Business Laptop 1TB HDD.

Tip: To know more about the Item creation, refer to our Catalog Set up Guide

Create the remaining variants of the item in the same way.

For this example, they are Vostro 3500 Business Laptop 512 GB and Vostro 3500 Business Laptop 256 GB.

Now go to the flexfields page under the Products Module.

Click on Create New.

In the pop-up Enter the name for the flexfields, Select type as Multi-select.

Select the Data type as String.

In the options, enter the variant options directly separated by commas.

Enter the tooltip text.

Make sure that you enable the Use for Grouping flag.

Once you finish entering all these details, click on Create.

The flexfields will be created.

Now go to the flexfields group page under the Products Module.

Click on Create New button.

In the pop-up enter the name, and description and in the Flexfields name dropdown select the flexfields that you created before.

Click on create and the Flexfields group will be created.

Now go to the catalog flexfields group page under the Products Module.

Click on Create New.

Enter a name for the Variants

Select the Flexfields Group from the drop-down.

Select the Category that you created for the Variants.

Select the Group that you created for the Variants.

Select the Items that you created for the Variants.

Click on Create and the Catalog flexfield group will be created.

Now go back to the Items under the Product Module.

Under the Item information of the Variant item you created, go to flexfields tab.

Click on Edit Flex and from the drop-down menu select the Variant option that is associated with this variant.

Repeat this process again with the remaining items.

Now go to the Variant Groups Page under the Products Module.

Click on Create New.

Enter the Name.

Under the Items dropdown, select all the variants of the item that you created.

Under the default Items dropdown, select one of the variants as default.

Under the Grouping attribute, select the flexfields name you created for these variants.

Select a naming attribute.

Click on Create.

The variant group is finally created.

Now go to the Business Module and select outlets.

Click on the Outlet that you want to add these items for. 

Go to Items tab and click on Add Items.

Click on Add items again.

Select all the variants you created.

Click on Add Button.

The items will be added to the outlet.

For the end-customer in the buyer platform, the product will look like this.

3.0 FAQs

**1. What exactly are Variants in the context of online shopping?**

   Variants represent diverse choices within a product that enable customers to select specific features or styles they prefer. These options can encompass sizes, colors, materials, or other customizable aspects of a product.

**2. How do Variants enhance the shopping experience for customers?**

   Variants allow customers to personalize their purchases, catering to their unique preferences. By offering customized options, the chances of customers buying a product increase significantly.

**3. Can you provide an example of Variants within a product?**

   Let’s consider the "Vostro 3500 Business Laptop" as a product. Variants for this laptop could include different storage capacities, such as 1TB HDD, 512GB HDD, and 256GB HDD, offering customers various options within the same laptop configuration.

**4. What is the process for creating Variants using ONDC Buyer platforms?**

   Creating Variants involves a few key steps:

   - Create an exclusive category for the item and its variants.

   - Generate groups within this category to contain the variants.

   - Create each variant as a distinct item within the designated category and group.

   - Utilize flexfields to define variant options and associate them with respective items.

   - Group these variants into a Variant Group, specifying a default and naming attribute.

   - Add these variants to outlets for customer access on the buyer platform.

**5. How are Variants structured for customer visibility on the buyer platform?**

   On the buyer platform, the product will be displayed with its various customizable options laid out. For instance, a laptop might showcase different storage capacities (1TB, 512GB, 256GB) as selectable choices, allowing customers to pick their preferred variant.

**6. Where can I access detailed guides for each step of the Variant creation process?**

   Detailed instructions for creating categories, groups, items, flexfields, and variant groups are available in the Catalog Set up Guide provided by ONDC Buyer platforms. This guide elaborates on each step involved in setting up and managing Variants effectively.

**7. What's the significance of associating flexfields with Variants during creation?**

   Flexfields play a crucial role in defining and organizing variant options. They facilitate the selection of variant attributes and their association with specific items, allowing for seamless categorization and customization.

**8. Can a default option be set for Variants, and how is it chosen?**

   Yes, a default variant can be set during the creation of a Variant Group. The default is typically one of the variants available for selection, chosen based on preferences or common customer choices.

**9. What benefits do Variants bring to online retailers or businesses?**

   Offering Variants enhances customer engagement and satisfaction by allowing personalized selections, ultimately increasing sales potential. It also differentiates the shopping experience, setting a brand apart in a competitive online market.

**10. Are Variants only limited to specific product types, or can they be applied broadly?**

   Variants are versatile and adaptable across various product types. They can be employed for a wide array of customizable product attributes, such as sizes, colors, materials, and more, catering to diverse customer preferences.