Variation Listings
Everything you need to know about creating Variation Listings
If you sell items that have different variations, you can offer all of these items in one listing by creating a variation listing and this will allow you to use item specifics to group closely related items under this single variation listing.
What is a variation listing?
Variation listings are a format that is used when you are offering one product with more than one variation.
Variations can be broken down into attributes such as: color, size, material, shape, etc.
Attributes can be broken down into options, such as for color: red, white, blue, green, yellow, etc.
You might not want to:
You might not want to create a variation listing for items that are not enough closely related. This can confuse customers and there is no advantage to doing this, since at PBS, there is no cost to list items.
Variation Examples:
These examples will give you a good understanding of the (3) main components that make up variations.
Example 1: You sell fabrics and you offer them in (3) different materials:
Fabric Variation 1: Material= cotton
Fabric Variation 2: Material= silk
Fabric Variation 3: Material= polyester
Variations: there are (3) different fabric variations
Attributes: there is only (1) attribute (the material)
Options: there are (3) different material options (cotton, silk & polyester)
Example 2: You sell Tshirts and you offer them in (2) different colors and (2) different sizes.
Tshirt Variation 1: Color= red, Size= medium
Tshirt Variation 2: Color= red, Size= large
Tshirt Variation 3: Color= blue, Size= medium
Tshirt Variation 4: Color= blue, Size= large
Variations: there are (4) different Tshirt variations
Attributes: there are (2) different attributes (color & size)
Options: there are (2) different color options (red & blue)
there are (2) different size options (medium & large)
How many Variations are allowed on PBS?
Variations: up to 125 variations per variation listing, if you need more than this, just let us know.
Attributes: up to (5) attributes per variation, if you need more than this, just let us know.
Options: up to (60) options per attribute, if you need more than this, just let us know.
Pictures: up to (12) pictures can be added per variation.
Why use Variation Listings over Single Item Listings?
- Variation listings require much less work to create than single item listings, especially if you have many variations. Imagine having (50) different variations of sneakers, due to the different colors and sizes that a model of sneaker can be available in. Would you rather create (50) different single item listings –or- only (1) variation listing with the (50) variations in it?
- Variation listings allow a buyer to view all available options in one listing. This decreases the chance that a buyer will leave your listing to look for an option that might not be listed on your single listing, such as a particular color or size. This in turn increases the chances of you making the sale over another buyer.
Important Details to know about Variation Listings
- The sales price is not to be considered a variation and your sales price can be different per variation.
- The quantity is not to be considered a variation and your quantity can be different per variation.
- The shipping method and ship costs that you choose must be the same for all variations.
- The payment method that you choose must be the same for all variations.
- If one of your variations is out of stock, it will still be shown to buyers but it will be inaccessible for the buyer to choose (it will be grayed out).
- At any time, even after your listing has been created, you may add or delete: variations, attributes or options.
Tips to Creating Variation Listings
- Have all photos, descriptions, etc saved and ready to go on your computer before you start creating the listing.