Product Attributes and Variants

Product Attributes and Variants

Managing an inventory with thousands of devices, accessories, and repair parts can quickly become overwhelming. With Product Attributes and Variants in RepairDesk, you can organize your products more efficiently and keep your catalog structured with ease.

Video Guide

In this article, we’ll walk you through how this powerful feature works and how it helps you manage your inventory with greater accuracy.

What are Product Variants?

Product variants are different versions of a single base product. They are created by combining various product attributes, such as color, size, or memory. This allows you to manage multiple variations of a product under a single listing, streamlining your inventory and sales processes.

For example, instead of creating separate products for a "White iPhone 16 Pro Max Case" and a "Black iPhone 16 Pro Max Case," you can create one base product "iPhone 16 Pro Max Case" and manage its "White" and "Black" variants. Each variant can have its own SKU, stock quantity, price and mor.

Creating Product Variants

Creating product variants is a two-step process: first, you set up your product attributes, and then you use them to generate variants for a specific product.

A. Creating Product Attributes

Product attributes are the characteristics you want to track for your items (e.g., color, size, condition).

1

Go to Settings > Product Attributes.

You will see a list of default attributes that are standardized across the system, including:

  • Condition
  • Color
  • Network
  • Size
  • Condition on Purchase
  • Condition on Sale

    • You can Add, Update & Delete Attribute Values of these Default Attributes by clicking on Edit icon.

    2

    To create a new, custom attribute, click on the "Create Attribute" button.

    3

    Add Attribute name and values then Save
    e.g. If you want to track different memory sizes, you can create an attribute called "Memory" and add values like "32GB," and "64GB".

    Once created, these attributes will be available for use when generating variants for your products.

    B. Creating Variants for a Product

    1

    On the product details page for the item you wish to create variants for.
    Scroll down to the Variants section, and Enable Variants by toggling them on.

    2

    On the Create Variants pop-up, select the attributes and their values that you want to use for this product
    e.g. White and Black for Color, Grade A and Grade B for Condition.

    3

    After adding Attribute values, you can confirm the Selected values to make sure they are the correct ones.

    4

    RepairDesk will automatically generate unique variants for every possible combination
    In this case, 4 variants: White/GradeA, White/GradeB, Black/GradeA & Black/GradeB.
    You can then edit the details for each variant individually, including:

  • SKU
  • Unit Cost
  • Retail Margin
  • Retail Price
  • On-Hand Stock

    • You can also use the "copy to all" button to quickly copy values to all variants at once, saving you time.

    5

    Click Proceed to create and store all the new variants.

    Note: Once variants are enabled for a product, the base product's stock and pricing fields become read-only. The base product will now display the cumulative on-hand stock and average cost & retail prices based on all its variants. All future inventory and sales updates will be managed at the variant level.

    Managing Product Variants

    After creating your variants, you can manage them in a centralized location for efficient inventory control.

    A. Variants from the Product Listing & Details Page

    1

    On the product listing page, in the On-hand column you can view number of Variants of the product.
    You can also filter to only view Products that have Variants by selecting ‘Product Variants’ in the Criteria field.

    2

    You can click on the number of Variants of the product to view the Variants listing drawer.

    3

    On the product details page, a new Variants tab will appear.
    This tab provides an overview of all the variants associated with the product. From here, you can:

  • Bulk update multiple variants at once.
  • Manage inventory, pricing, SKU and other fields for each variant.
  • Click on an individual variant to access its dedicated details page.

    • B. The Variant Details Page

    1

    Each variant has its own dedicated details page where you can manage its attributes, stock, pricing, and update history, just like a regular product. This allows for granular control over each unique item in your inventory.

    C. Importing and Exporting Variants

    Managing large inventories is easier with the import/export functionality.

    1

    To export your existing variants, go to Inventory > Manage Inventory > Products.

    2

    Select the products you want to export.

    3

    Click on the Import/Export button and choose Export. A file will be downloaded containing your products and all their variants.

    4

    You can use this same template to import new variants into RepairDesk, making it simple to add or update your inventory in bulk. (Learn more)

    Selling Product Variants

    The POS is designed to make selling products with variants quick and seamless.

    1

    When you search for your base product in the POS, a list of all its available variants will be displayed.

    2

    Each variant has a unique SKU, so you can also search directly by the variant's SKU, Name or Attribute Value to pull up a specific item.

    3

    Once a variant is added to the cart, you can easily switch to a different variant from the Variant listing drawer if needed.

    Adding Product Variants in Tickets

    Adding a variant to a repair ticket is similar to adding a base product.

    1

    On a ticket, click on Add Item.

    2

    Search for the item you need, whether it's a device or a part.

    3

    You will see a list of all available Products & Variants.

    4

    Simply select the correct Variant and add it to the repair ticket.

    Creating & Managing Serials of Variants

    In RepairDesk, you can also manage serials for your serialized variant products. This process works similarly to managing serials for regular products, but with a few key updates.

    A. Generating Serials for Serialized Variants

    1

    In the Serials tab, click on the Create Serial button, this will open the Generate Serials pop-up.

    2

    Select the specific variant you want to generate serials for.

    3

    Choose the supplier, method and enter the quantity of serials you need to generate.

    4

    Click Generate Serials. The system will create unique serial numbers for the selected variant.

    B. Managing Serials of Variants

    1

    On the Serials tab, you can view all the serials associated with the base product and its variants.

    2

    The Variant Info and Attribute columns will show the specific attribute values (e.g., Color: White, Condition: Grade A) for each serial, so you can easily identify which variant it belongs to.

    3

    For a more focused view, you can either:

  • Use the filter options on the Serials tab to filter by the variant or attribute value you want to see.
  • Go to the Variants tab, select a specific variant, and then view its associated serials.

    • All other serial management functionalities, such as editing, selling, or tracking remain the same as before, but are now managed on a per-variant basis.

    Note: Variants are only available for Advance Plan Merchants

    FAQs

    What is the main benefit of using Product Variants?

    Product Variants allow you to manage all versions of a product, such as color, size, memory, or condition, under one organized structure, reducing duplicate listings and improving accuracy across inventory, pricing, and sales workflows.


    When should I use variants versus creating a new, separate product?

    Use variants when items are the same base product but differ only by attributes (e.g., color, memory, size, grade).

    Create a separate product when the item is fundamentally different and does not share the same core identity.


    What happens to the stock and pricing of the base product once variants are enabled?

    After enabling variants, the base product’s stock and pricing fields become read-only and will display cumulative on-hand stock and average cost/retail price across all variants, with all future updates managed at the variant level.


    Are Product Variants available on all RepairDesk plans?

    No, Product Variants are only available for Advance Plan merchants.


    Can I convert an already created Product into a Variant Product?

    Yes, you can open an existing product, enable the Variants toggle, select attributes and values, and generate variants for it.


    How can I create Trade-Ins/BuyBacks with Variants?

    Trade-Ins and BuyBacks work the same as regular products; when selecting an item, you will see all available variants and can choose the correct one based on its attribute values.


    Can Variant Products have Serials?

    Yes, serialized variants are supported. You can generate serials per variant, view them under the base product, and filter them by variant or attribute values, with all serial-management actions done at the variant level.


    How can I import a large list of new variants?

    Export your product/variant file from Inventory > Manage Inventory > Products, update or add variants in the provided template, and re-import it using the Import/Export menu.


    What happens if I try to sell a variant that has no stock?

    A variant with zero stock behaves like any out-of-stock item; it cannot be sold unless your store settings allow selling with negative stock.


    Do Variants sync with supported eCommerce integrations like WooCommerce and Shopify?

    Yes, each variant syncs as an individual item with its own SKU and stock when connected to Shopify. (WooCommerce Coming Soon!)
    Can I add a variant to a refurbishment process?

    Yes, you can select and add a specific variant when creating or managing refurbishment items.
    How does the Variants feature work with the Product Category Tree?
    Variants inherit the category and subcategory of their base product, and all variant-level items appear under that structure.


    How can I quickly find a specific variant in the POS if the product has many variants?

    You can find variants quickly by searching the variant SKU, name, or attribute values; searching the base product also displays all its variants.


    Can I switch the variant of an item that is already on a ticket or in the cart?

    Yes, both POS and Ticketing allow you to open the Variant drawer and switch the item to another available variant without removing and re-adding it.