How To Add Variations On Etsy The Simple, Fuss-Free Way! 

Are you stuck right now at your Etsy listing page, wondering how to add variations on Etsy?

Well, guess what? I’ve been in that exact same scenario before!

I was helping my sister sell printables on Etsy and I wanted to offer customers the option to customize certain aspects of their printables — like giving them a monthly planner instead of a weekly one. 

You can check out her etsy shop here, its new and we are so proud of it!

Yes, that moment where I’m wondering what buttons I should click just to get this seemingly simple task of how to add more variations on Etsy done.

Initially, it was extremely intimidating because I just couldn’t seem to figure out how to navigate the various options on the settings page. 

I finally figured it out, and I’m here to give you all the details to save you all the trouble and hopefully avoid the possibility of pulling all your hair out in frustration. 

Spoiler alert: I’m pretty sure I lost a few hairs in the process myself!! 

How to add variations to your Etsy listing is super straightforward and can just be done from your listing page. 

Want to know exactly how? Read on below, and I’ll detail the exact steps on how to add multiple variations on Etsy in a super fuss-free manner! 

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The links on this page may be affiliate links, from which I earn a small commission if you click on them, AT NO EXTRA COST to you. Hope you find the information here useful. Thanks! 

Quick Guide On How To Add Variations On Etsy

Puzzled on how to add variation on Etsy? Here are the quick steps:

1. Go to your ’create a listing’ page

2. In the ‘categories’ dropdown, choose one or more categories. Etsy will then show you different variable attributes within that category. 

3. Select ‘I offer more than one’. 

4. Scroll down the page to see the ‘variations’ section, select ‘add a variation’ 

5. The dropdown will offer a series of common variations based on your category. Choose the type of variation you’d like to offer to your customer. If not, add a new variation by clicking ‘create a new variation’. 

6. Add in your variation, then click ‘add’. If you have more than one, just keep inputting the details till you have the number of variations you need.

7. Remember to click save! 

That’s really it! Not complex at all. 

If you’re wondering how to add price variations on Etsy or how to add quantity variations on Etsy, just follow the same steps and modify this at step 4 when you choose the relevant variation. 

Just remember that when you add a price variation, it will be the total price for that particular variation, not an additional cost to the base price. So make sure you set the right price. 

What Are Etsy Listing Variations?

Etsy listing variations, put simply, are just different options for a single item.

Imagine you’re selling a hairclip design on Etsy. You might have it in different colors and sizes.

Instead of creating a different listing for each hair clip when the design is similar, you can simply offer color and size options. 

Honestly, if you prefer uploading each type of hair clip as a listing and not as a variation, you can do so, too.

Especially if you’re just starting, your storefront is quite sparse, and you have certain Etsy listing keywords you’d like to target. 

However, if you have many different items in your shop and you want to make it easier for your customers by having variations within a particular listing, then adding variations would be ideal for you. 

What Type of Etsy Listing Variations Can You Add?

Depending on the item category, these are some of the types of Etsy listing variations you can add:

• Color
• Height
• Width
• Diameter
• Dimension
• Fabric
• Flavor
• Finish
• Height
• Material
• Pattern
• Size
• Style 
• Weight

Etsy Product Variation Tips To Boost Sales 

You might wonder, what’s the pro of adding a product variation as opposed to adding a new listing?

Apart from the added convenience of not having to list multiple times (and saving money in the process), adding variations makes it easy for your clients to purchase multiple different products within one listing.

Here are some tips if you opt for Etsy product variations to boost your sales:

• Have enough variations so your customers have choices, but not too many such that they get paralyzed by the number of choices 
• Keep your variations simple 
• Ask yourself — does my thumbnail match my variation? If it doesn’t, then you should have a new listing rather than variations.
• Do your Etsy SEO keyword research using a tool like Sales Samurai. 
• If there are too many options, just request for them to reach out to you for a customized order or design. 

How To Hide An Etsy Variation On Your Listing?

If you’ve decided to hide an Etsy variation on your listing, then just go to your listing manager and click the toggle button under the term ‘visible’. 

You can also opt to delete the Etsy variation by going into each variation that you want to delete, clicking ‘edit variation’, and selecting ‘delete’. 

FAQs On How To Add Variations On Etsy

Why Can’t I Add Variations To Digital Products On Etsy?

You can’t add variations to digital products on Etsy, as variations are only available for physical listings on Etsy. 

One reason why Etsy might not allow this is because every seller has a file size limit of 20 MB per listing.

If you sell digital products, it means you need to keep your file size under 20MB. 

If they have multiple variations for digital files, Etsy would need to consider increasing its file size limit for sellers. 

In turn, they might have a huge problem with having enough server space for all of its sellers, and this might lead to increased business costs. 

How Do I Add Custom Options On Etsy?

To add custom options on Etsy, follow these steps:

• Click on ‘Listings’
• Choose which list you’d like to add custom options to
• Under ‘Inventory’, turn ‘Personalization’ on.
• Under ‘Guidelines for buyers’, you can then add prompts for your buyers to key in like what they’d like personalized, like pattern, text, or color. 
• If there is an option for the person to not have a customized item (for example, they can opt for a plain one), then remember to tick the ‘Optional’ checkbox.
• Check everything and click on ‘Publish’.

If you want to add custom options to multiple listings on your Etsy shop, here’s what you do:

• Click on ‘Listings’.
• Tick the box for the listings you’d like to add custom options to. 
• Select ‘Editing options’
• Select ‘Edit personalization’ and turn it on. 

The rest of the steps are similar to the individual items, where you’ll need to add the guidelines for buyers and select if the personalization is optional or not. 

Can You Bulk Add Variations On Etsy?

Yes, you can add bulk variations on Etsy, but it is only recommended if you want all variations for the product selected to be the same, as the bulk action will make every item uniform. 

It works if you previously had different types of variations for your products. 

For example, you sold bags, and you had black for a handbag but green and yellow for a tote bag, and you now want to offer the same multiple colors for the different bag types. 

Does Etsy Charge For Variations?

Etsy doesn’t charge for variations, but it will charge if a customer purchases more than one variation. 

For example, when a customer purchases one item, Etsy charges a $0.20 listing fee for that one item.

If the customer buys the same item with another variation, Etsy will count it as an additional item purchased from the same listing and charge another $0.20. 

How Many Variations Does Etsy Allow?

Etsy allows up to 70 variations for each product. If you have anything more than 70, then Etsy will reject your variation and your product.

However, you need to remember that the more variations you have, the more challenging it is for your customers to sieve through the variations.

They might get frustrated with the number of choices or find it difficult to look through so many different attributes. 

There isn’t a fixed number of variations I’d recommend, but ensure that you think about the customer’s experience when listing the variations.

If there are too many, you might wish to have a separate listing instead. 

Does Etsy Only Allow 2 Variations?

Yes, Etsy only allows for two types of variations. The example Etsy has used is that if you sell a dress, you can offer variations concerning size and colors. 

If you want to add in dress length, it might be best to create another listing, as you will not be able to add the length if you already have size and color. 

How To Add More Than 2 Variations On Etsy

You cannot add more than 2 variation types on Etsy. You can only choose two variation types on Etsy. 

But you can add more than 2 variation listings. For example, if you want to sell a dress, you can have these different variations based on the attributes of size and color:

• Green dress in small
• Green dress in medium
• Green dress in large
• Red dress in small
• Red dress in medium
• Red dress in large

And the list goes on till a limit of 70. You are only able to add up to 70 variations per listing. 

How To Add 3 Variations On Etsy?

Unfortunately, you cannot add 3 variations on Etsy. Etsy does not allow you to add more than 2 variation types (or attributes). 

So, if you want to sell a dress and add variations, you can only select two attributes such as size and color. 

How Do I Add More Than 3 Variations On Etsy?

If you want to know how to do more than 3 variations on Etsy, here’s how you can do it:

1. Go to your ’create a listing’ page

2. In the ‘categories’ dropdown, choose one or more categories. Etsy will then show you different variable attributes within that category. 

3. Select ‘I offer more than one’. 

4. Scroll down the page to see the ‘variations’ section, select ‘add a variation’ 

5. From the list of variation types, choose the one you’d like to offer to your customer. If not, add a new variation by clicking ‘create a new variation’. 

6. Add in your variation, then click ‘add’. If you have more than one, just keep inputting the details till you have the number of variations you need.

7. Remember to click save! 

Remember you can only add two variation types — for example, if you’re selling a dress, you can only add size and color. 

However, 70 variations is the limit for the number of variation listings within these two attributes.

Can I Sell The Same Item In Two Etsy Shops?

Yes, you can sell the same item in two Etsy shops if you legitimately have two of the same items to sell.

For example, if you have two cups you’d like to sell, you can list them in two Etsy shops.

However, if you only have one cup, you can only have one listing. You can’t have two listings when you only have one item to sell.

Did you figure out how to add variations on Etsy after reading this article?

I hope you’ve realized that adding variations isn’t too difficult at all.

If you are selling different variations of the same item, it may be better for you to have variations on your Etsy shop so it is easier for you and your customers, too, to see the items at a glance.

However, you need to be careful about having too many variations in case you frustrate your potential buyers.

It’ll always be a fine balance, so give it a go and see what works best for your type of item and Etsy shop.

More questions? Let me know or read my other articles on my Etsy experiences like this one on how to become a best seller, to learn more about how to sell better on Etsy! 

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