Bulk Variant Field Editor

Edit variant-level fields like weight, barcode, SKU, and more across multiple products simultaneously. This tool supports both simple set operations and complex pattern-based generation.

Opening the Editor

  1. Select products in the main grid
  2. Open using one of these methods:
    • Toolbar: Click Targeted Bulk Edit > Variant Fields
    • Right-click: Select Bulk Edit > Variant Fields from context menu

Available Fields

Field Description Use Case
Weight Product weight with unit Shipping calculations
Barcode UPC, EAN, ISBN, etc. Inventory management, POS
SKU Stock Keeping Unit Internal tracking
Taxable Whether variant is taxable Tax compliance
HS Code Harmonized System code International shipping
Inventory Policy Overselling behavior Stock management
Cost per Item Cost of goods Profit reporting
Country of Origin Manufacturing country Customs/compliance

Variant Selection

Apply to All Variants

Select this option to apply changes to every variant of the selected products.

Apply to Filtered Variants

Apply changes only to variants matching specific criteria:

Option Value Filter

Filter by product option values:

  1. Enable Filter by Option Value
  2. Select the option name (e.g., Size, Color)
  3. Enter values separated by commas (e.g., "Large, XL, XXL")

Only variants with matching option values will be edited.

SKU Pattern Filter

Filter by SKU using wildcards:

Pattern Matches
SKU-* SKU-001, SKU-ABC, SKU-anything
*-BLK SHIRT-BLK, PANTS-BLK
PROD-??? PROD-001, PROD-ABC (exactly 3 chars)

Price Range Filter

Filter by variant price:

  1. Enable Filter by Price range
  2. Enter minimum and/or maximum price
  3. Only variants within range will be edited

Field Operations

Weight Field

Operation Description Example
Set To Set exact weight Set to 2.5 kg
Increase by Amount Add fixed amount Add 0.5 kg
Decrease by Amount Subtract amount Subtract 100 g
Increase by Percent Increase by percentage Increase 10%
Decrease by Percent Decrease by percentage Decrease 15%
Clear Remove weight value Clear all weights

Weight Units:

  • Kilograms (KILOGRAMS)
  • Grams (GRAMS)
  • Pounds (POUNDS)
  • Ounces (OUNCES)

Text Fields (SKU, Barcode, HS Code)

Operation Description Example
Set To Set exact value Set SKU to "NEWSKU-001"
Set from Pattern Generate from template {product.handle}-{variant.option1}
Prefix Add text at beginning Add "2025-" prefix
Suffix Add text at end Add "-v2" suffix
Find Replace Find and replace text Replace "OLD" with "NEW"
Clear Remove value Clear all barcodes

Pattern Placeholders

Use placeholders to generate values from product/variant data:

Placeholder Content
{product.handle} URL handle
{product.vendor} Brand/vendor
{product.title} Product name
{product.type} Product category
{variant.position} Variant number (1, 2, 3...)
{variant.option1} First option value
{variant.option2} Second option value
{variant.option3} Third option value
{date} Current date (YYYY-MM-DD)

Example Patterns:

SKU: {product.handle}-{variant.option1}-{variant.position}
Result: blue-widget-large-1

Barcode: 123456{variant.position}
Result: 1234561, 1234562, 1234563...

HS Code: 6109.10.00
Result: 6109.10.00 (same for all)

Taxable Field

Operation Description
Set True Mark variants as taxable
Set False Mark variants as non-taxable

Inventory Policy Field

Operation Description
Set to Deny Don't allow purchases when out of stock
Set to Continue Allow purchases when out of stock (overselling)

Cost per Item Field

Operation Description
Set To Set exact cost
Increase by Amount Add fixed amount to cost
Decrease by Amount Subtract from cost
Increase by Percent Increase cost by percentage
Decrease by Percent Decrease cost by percentage
Clear Remove cost value

Country of Origin Field

Enter the 2-letter ISO 3166-1 alpha-2 country code:

Code Country
US United States
CN China
GB United Kingdom
DE Germany
JP Japan
AU Australia
CA Canada
MX Mexico

Preview and Apply

Preview Changes

  1. Configure field type, operation, and value
  2. Click Preview Changes
  3. Review the preview grid showing:
    • Product and variant names
    • SKU for identification
    • Current value
    • New value after operation
    • Changed indicator

Understanding the Preview

Column Description
Product Product title
Variant Variant title (e.g., "Large / Blue")
SKU Variant SKU for identification
Field Field being edited
Current Value Existing value
New Value Value after operation
Changed Whether value will change

The status bar shows:

  • Total variants affected
  • Changed count (values that will update)
  • Unchanged count (values already match)

Applying Changes

  1. Review all changes in preview
  2. Click Apply Changes
  3. Confirm when prompted
  4. Wait for Shopify sync to complete

Common Use Cases

Bulk SKU Generation

Generate consistent SKUs across products:

  1. Select products
  2. Choose SKU field
  3. Select Set from Pattern operation
  4. Enter pattern: {product.handle}-{variant.option1}
  5. Preview and apply

Update Weight for Shipping

Set weight for products without weights:

  1. Filter by Option Value (e.g., Size = "Large")
  2. Choose Weight field
  3. Select Set To operation
  4. Enter weight (e.g., 2.5 kg)
  5. Preview and apply

Add HS Codes for International

Add HS codes to specific product types:

  1. Select products of same type
  2. Choose HS Code field
  3. Select Set To operation
  4. Enter HS code (e.g., "6109.10.00")
  5. Preview and apply

Update Cost for Margin Tracking

Update costs after supplier price change:

  1. Select affected products
  2. Choose Cost per Item field
  3. Select Increase by Percent operation
  4. Enter percentage (e.g., 5%)
  5. Preview and apply

Disable Overselling

Prevent backorders on specific items:

  1. Select products
  2. Choose Inventory Policy field
  3. Select Set to Deny operation
  4. Preview and apply

Best Practices

Before Editing

  1. Filter carefully - Use variant filters to target exactly what you need
  2. Preview first - Always preview before applying
  3. Start small - Test with a few products before bulk operations
  4. Document patterns - Save useful SKU/barcode patterns for reuse

SKU Management

  • Use consistent patterns across your catalog
  • Include product identifier and variant options
  • Avoid special characters that may cause import issues
  • Consider including year/season for seasonal products

Weight and Shipping

  • Set weights for accurate shipping calculations
  • Use consistent units across your catalog
  • Include packaging weight in product weight
  • Update weights after packaging changes

Customs and Compliance

  • Use correct HS codes for your products
  • Verify country of origin accuracy
  • Keep HS codes updated when regulations change
  • Consult customs experts for complex products

Troubleshooting

"No variants match filter"

  • Check filter criteria are correct
  • Verify option names match exactly
  • Try broadening filter criteria
  • Remove filters to see all variants

"Weight not saving"

  • Ensure weight value is positive
  • Check unit selection is appropriate
  • Verify variant has inventory item (required for weight)

"HS Code rejected by Shopify"

  • HS codes should be 6-10 digits
  • Format: XXXX.XX.XX (periods optional)
  • Verify code is valid for your products

"Cost not updating"

  • Ensure variant has inventory item
  • Cost must be positive number
  • Check for read-only inventory locations

"Country code invalid"

  • Use 2-letter ISO code only
  • Codes are uppercase (US, not us)
  • Verify code exists (see ISO 3166-1)

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut Action
Enter Apply changes
Escape Cancel / Close window

See Also