WooCommerce Product Setup Attributes and Product Variations
2015
I often find clients struggling on how to use attributes and variations in woocommerce and WordPress, I totally understand the confusion. You get your shop and someone shows how to do it and you are fine, by often when you want to add new products a few months down the line it all becomes a little hazy...
In simple terms a simple product which may be a pair of sunglasses may only come in one colour and one size, hence no variables and so we can call it a simple product.
However a simple product can and should have attributes. Attributes show up in the woocommerce tab next to description and is a simple description list at a glance for example:
Size: Standard
Colour: Blue with white Stripes
Origin: China
So those are attributes!
A variable product also has attributes like a simple product but more of them, so for colour maybe you have red and blue as well.
These MUST be added to the attributes first or you cannot use them as a variation.
You must select from the Drop down menu not Simple Product but Variable product. This adds a variation window below the Attributes.
It is below Attributes and remember you MUST set Attributes before Variations.
So you have set up your new Attributes for colour and saved the attributes, next you click the use Variation button within that attribute and again click save attributes (Make a change save a change).
Now when you view your product you still will not see your variations but in the tab next to description you will see the added attributes for colour.
Now you can go back to the Variations link below Attributes, then select link all and all the variation will be added. Add a price to every variation and a SKU stock code if you wish. Once you have done this for all your variations you must now click Update/Publish.
Remember you can add multiple Attributes to variations but you do not need to add attributes that have no variables.
For example:
Atee shirt may have small, Medium and large as One attribute, Colour red, and Blue as another and Origin: China. Origin China is a Attribute but NOT a variation, so do not add to Variations.
Any problems leave me a question below.
P.s. Go buy some sunglasses from the bike shop " High Peak Cycles" it is a real shop and not a demo site!