Item Variants
Item Variants
Quick Summary: Fulfill one variant SKU with interchangeable base products.
Overview
Use Inventory → Item Variants when several base products can fulfill the same order line. Creating or changing variants requires inventory read and write access.
Orders can use the variant SKU while the system selects an available component product.
Quick start
- Open Inventory → Item Variants.
- Select the + button.
- Enter a variant SKU and Description.
- Add at least one Base Item.
- Drag the Items rows into priority order.
- Optionally add destination selection rules.
- Select Save.
Item Variants list
Columns
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| SKU | Variant identifier. Select it to open the detail page |
| Description | Variant name or description |
| Stock | Combined available stock across all components. The tooltip shows each warehouse |
Search and filters
Use the search box to find variants by variant SKU or Description.
The SKU filter finds variants that contain the selected component SKU. The Warehouse filter shows variants with stock in the selected warehouses.
Creating an item variant
Required fields
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| SKU | Unique variant identifier. You cannot change it after creation |
| Description | Name or description for the variant |
Adding component products
- Under Items, select + Add New SKU.
- Search for and select a Base Item.
- Drag the row to change its priority.
- Repeat for each interchangeable base item.
- Select Save.
A lower Priority number is tried first. Dragging the rows renumbers priorities automatically.
All components must belong to your account. Each base item can appear only once, and the variant needs at least one component.
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Priority | Selection order; lower numbers are tried first |
| SKU | Component base item SKU |
| UPC | Component barcode |
| Country of Manufacture | Country code for the component |
| Description | Component description |
Selection rules
The Selections Rules panel controls destination routing.
Primary Rule defaults to Priority. When the primary rule is Priority, all components are considered in priority order.
To route by destination:
- Set Primary Rule to Country of Destination.
- In Selections Rules, select + Add New.
- Choose a Destination Country.
- Choose a component from the Variant list.
- Repeat for other countries, then select Save.
Use one rule per destination country. The Secondary Rule is Priority, which controls fallback when the matched component lacks stock.
If you change Primary Rule back to Priority, saving removes the destination rules.
How stock and selection work
Variant stock is combined across all component products. For each warehouse, the Stock count includes available stock from every component.
The system selects stock per warehouse while considering prior lines in the same order.
For a matching destination rule, the system tries the selected component first. If that component cannot cover the requested quantity, it tries other components by priority. When no single component can cover the full quantity, the order can split across components.
Selection rules provide regional routing. Priority alone provides supplier fallback.
Item Variant detail page
Select a variant SKU in the list to open it.
Actions
| Action | Description |
|---|---|
| Edit | Change components, priority, or selection rules |
| Delete | Remove the variant from future selection |
The variant SKU stays read-only when you edit it. Delete is blocked while Incomplete or Pending Approval orders use the variant.
Detail sections
Item Variant Details shows the description and timestamps.
Warehouse Stock shows these values for each warehouse:
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| On Hand | Available stock plus stock in orders being processed |
| Quarantine | Returned stock held in quarantine |
| Available | Stock currently available for allocation |
| Reserved | Stock held for incomplete or pending-approval orders |
| Total Available | Available stock minus reserved stock |
Items lists each component's Priority, SKU, UPC, Country of Manufacture, and Description.
Selections Rules lists the Primary Rule, Secondary Rule, and any destination mappings.
Troubleshooting
| Issue | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| The wrong component is selected | Priority, destination rules, or stock changed the result | Review priorities, rules, and warehouse stock |
| A destination rule did not select its component | The destination did not match or the component lacked stock | Check the country and component stock |
| One variant expands into several component products | No single component had enough stock | Add stock to the preferred component for future orders |
| A variant shows zero stock | All components have zero available stock | Check component stock in each warehouse |
| A base item cannot be added | The item is not a Base Item, belongs to another account, or is already present | Verify the component in Products |
| A destination rule cannot be saved | The country is duplicated or the component is not in Items | Use one rule per country and choose a listed component |
| Destination rules disappeared after saving | Primary Rule was set to Priority | Use Country of Destination, then recreate the rules |
| Delete is unavailable | An Incomplete or Pending Approval order uses the variant | Keep the variant while affected orders need it; resolve those orders through their normal workflow |