Bluehost AI Store Variants: Setup & Maintenance

This guide walks you through setting up and maintaining product variants in Bluehost AI Store, so you can offer sizes, colors, or other options without creating separate product pages. You’ll learn how to add variants, manage inventory, and keep your store organized.

What You’ll Need

• An active Bluehost AI Store account with a published store.
• Products already added to your catalog (or the ability to add them).
• Admin access to the store dashboard.

Step-by-Step

1. Log in to your Bluehost control panel. Go to your Bluehost account, find the AI Store section, and click Manage Store to open the dashboard.
2. Navigate to Products. In the left sidebar, click Products to see your current product list.
3. Edit or create a product. Click Add Product for a new item, or select an existing product to edit.
4. Scroll to the Variants section. Look for a section labeled Variants or Options—usually below the price and inventory fields.
5. Add your first option group. Click Add Option and name it (e.g., “Size” or “Color”). Enter the option values one by one (e.g., “Small”, “Medium”, “Large”).
6. Create a second option group if needed. For products with multiple dimensions (like size and color), add another option group and its values.
7. Generate variants. Click Generate Variants (or Create Combinations). The system will list every possible combination of your option values.
8. Set variant-specific details. For each variant, you can typically set its own price, SKU, and stock quantity. Update these as needed. If you don’t set a separate price, the variant will use the base product price.
9. Upload variant images (optional). Some themes allow you to assign a different image per variant. Use the image upload icon next to each variant to do this.
10. Save the product. Click Save or Update at the top of the page. Your variants are now live.
11. Test the product page. Open your storefront, go to the product, and check that the option dropdowns appear and that selecting a variant updates the price and image correctly.
12. Maintain inventory. Whenever a variant sells out, you can update its stock count directly in the product editor. You can also set low-stock alerts if your plan supports them.

Common Mistakes

• Not setting variant prices. If you don’t override the price for a variant, it will inherit the base price. This can lead to underpricing if your base price is a placeholder.
• Creating too many variants. A product with 5 sizes and 10 colors creates 50 variants. This can clutter your dashboard and slow down the product editor. Only create combinations you actually sell.
• Forgetting to update stock. If you don’t track stock per variant, you might oversell a size that’s out of stock. Always update stock when you receive new inventory.
• Ignoring variant SKUs. Without unique SKUs, you can’t track which variant sold in reports. This makes reordering difficult.

Tips

• Use clear option names. Instead of “Option 1”, use “Size” or “Material”. This helps customers and makes your admin panel easier to navigate.
• Set a default selection. If one variant is most popular, you can often mark it as “default” so it’s pre-selected on the product page.
• Keep variant images consistent. If you upload images, make sure they are all the same style and background. This looks professional.
• Review your variants regularly. Every few months, check if any variants have zero sales. You might want to discontinue them to simplify your inventory.
• Use bulk edit tools. If your plan includes bulk editing, use it to update prices or stock for multiple variants at once.

Troubleshooting

Variants not showing on the storefront. First, clear your browser cache. Then check that the product is set to “Active” and not “Draft”. Also, make sure you clicked Save after generating variants.

Can’t add a second option group. Some themes only support one option group. If you need multiple, you may have to use a third-party app or switch to a different theme that supports multiple option groups.

Variant price doesn’t update on the page. This is often a caching issue. Try viewing the page in an incognito window. If that doesn’t work, check if your theme requires you to enable JavaScript for variant price updates.

Stock not decreasing after a sale. Go to the product editor and verify that “Track inventory” is enabled for each variant. If it’s off, the system won’t deduct stock.

Variant images don’t swap. This is a theme limitation. Check your theme’s documentation to see if it supports variant images. If not, you may need to upgrade your theme.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I add variants to an existing product? Yes. Edit the product, add your option groups, generate variants, and save. The variants will appear on the storefront immediately.

Can I set different prices for each variant? Yes. After generating variants, you can edit each variant’s price individually. If you leave it blank, it uses the base price.

How do I delete a variant? In the product editor, find the variant you want to remove and click the trash icon next to it. Be careful—this permanently deletes the variant and its stock history.

Can I reorder variants? Yes, you can drag and drop variants in the product editor to change their display order on the storefront.

What happens if a variant runs out of stock? If you have “Hide out-of-stock variants” enabled, the variant will disappear from the storefront. Otherwise, it will show as “Out of Stock” and cannot be purchased.

Can I have variants with different SKUs? Yes, each variant can have its own SKU. This is recommended for inventory tracking.

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