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How to Hide Product Variants Without Deleting them in Shopify
Last modified: September 16, 2024
Sometimes when you have product variants, you might want to hide them for a while. There can be several reasons for this. For example, you might have a seasonal variant, like a mug, specialist t-shirt or something. Another option is that you might want to hide product variants because they’re going to be out of stock for a long time.
Unfortunately, there is no specific way that allows you to hide any product variants on Shopify without deleting them on Shopify at the moment. Not with the basic Shopify plans at the moment. However, two options can work around this and allows you to hide variants.
Here are the two options available to you.
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Auto Hide Un‑hide Products
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Out‑of‑Stock Police
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Stockly: Out‑Of‑Stock Cleaner
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Search Veil
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SkyBlue Hide Sold Out Products
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StockyPhi ‑ Hide Out Of Stock
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Wipeout Hide Sold Out Products
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AutoHide Soldout Products
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Hide Sold Out by Power Tools
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Auto Hide Sold‑out Products
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Show More
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Hide Variants from Within Shopify Dashboard
Here are the instructions to hide the variants from products.
Step 1 – Log into Shopify
The first step is to log into your website.
Step 2 – Navigate to Products
Now you can access the ‘Online store’ area of the Shopify dashboard, go to your ‘Products’ page and then enter the product within the list that is there.
Step 3 – Find Variant
Now you need to find the variant that you would like to hide on the product listing. This can be found on the product description page you’ve entered and scroll down the page. Within this area, you can uncheck the option of ‘Continue selling when out of stock’ that can be found within the ‘Track Quantity’ setting. Then, in the ‘Available’ area, you can set the stock ‘Quantity’ to 0.
This will hide the product from the list of available products.
Hide Variants Using an App
Another option is to use an app to manage all the variants on your website. This can be a quick and simple method and doesn’t cause any conflicts with other products that might have variants. There are plenty of third-party apps that can help you manage this aspect, and some of these are free and some of these are not.
Our recommendation is this app here. It is easy to use, cost-effective and offers plenty of functions to make managing your Shopify store much easier.
Some Statistics About Product Variants and E-commerce
- Impact on Conversion Rates:
- Offering multiple product variants can increase conversion rates significantly. According to a study by BigCommerce, stores that provide a variety of product options see up to a 26% increase in conversion rates. This is because customers appreciate having choices that meet their specific preferences and needs .
- Customer Preferences:
- A survey by eMarketer found that 50% of consumers prefer shopping on websites that offer a wide range of product variants. This preference is particularly strong in categories like apparel and electronics, where size, color, and feature variations are critical .
- Inventory Management:
- Managing product variants effectively can lead to better inventory turnover rates. According to Shopify, stores that track and manage their variants accurately can reduce stockouts by up to 30% and decrease excess inventory by 20%. This efficiency leads to better overall store performance and customer satisfaction .
- Revenue Growth:
- Offering product variants can boost revenue. Research by McKinsey & Company indicates that businesses offering customized and variant-rich products experience a 5-10% increase in revenue. This growth is attributed to the ability to meet diverse customer needs and capture a broader market segment .
- Challenges in Product Variant Management:
- Despite the benefits, managing multiple product variants can be challenging. Gartner reports that 45% of retailers find it difficult to manage and synchronize product data across different sales channels. This complexity can lead to inconsistencies and errors that negatively impact the customer experience .
Conclusion: How to Hide Product Variants Without Deleting them in Shopify
When it comes to hiding product variants without deleting them, there are two options for your website. Above are the options which are quick to implement and make your website much easier to manage. Which option will you use?
Some other options for hiding product variants without deleting them is to find your Shopify catalog ID for the specific variants you want to hide. With the catalog ID, you can identify and hide these variants from your product listings, streamlining your offerings while preserving the ability to reinstate them later if needed.
Alternatively, you could delete all product variants, but this approach is more drastic and may not be desirable if you want to keep the variants in your catalog for future use. Deleting variants permanently removes them from your store, which may not be ideal if you plan to reintroduce them at a later date.
Shopify also offers advanced customizations that allow you to manage product variants more efficiently. With access to the platform’s code and APIs, developers can create custom apps, integrations, and functionalities tailored to your business’s unique needs.
These advanced customizations enable you to implement sophisticated solutions for hiding, unhiding, or managing product variants without permanently deleting them, providing greater flexibility and control over your product offerings.
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Can I hide a variant temporarily and then make it available again in Shopify?
Yes, you can hide a variant temporarily in Shopify. Simply adjust the inventory settings again to make the variant available.
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How do I ensure that hidden variants don’t appear in Shopify search results?
To ensure hidden variants don’t appear in search results, manage your inventory settings correctly. Third-party apps can also offer more control over search visibility.
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Can I hide variants in bulk across multiple products in Shopify?
Hiding variants in bulk isn’t a default Shopify feature. You’ll need to use bulk editing tools or third-party apps to manage multiple products efficiently.
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Can I hide product variants on Shopify without deleting them?
Yes, you can hide product variants without deleting them by setting the variant’s inventory to zero or using apps or custom code to control visibility.
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How do I hide a product variant by setting the inventory to zero?
In Shopify, you can hide a variant by setting its inventory to zero and enabling the “Continue selling when out of stock” option. If this option is disabled, the variant will no longer appear as available in your store.
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Can I use a Shopify app to hide product variants?
Yes, there are Shopify apps like “Product Variants Reloaded” or “EasyHide” that allow you to hide specific variants without deleting them. These apps often provide more control over which variants are visible.
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How do I hide variants using custom code in Shopify?
You can add custom Liquid code to your theme to check for specific conditions (e.g., inventory level or a custom metafield) and hide the variant from the storefront. This requires some knowledge of Shopify’s Liquid language.
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Will hiding a variant affect its SEO?
Hiding a variant might affect its SEO visibility since it won’t be accessible on the front end. However, since the variant is not deleted, it remains in your store’s database and can be re-enabled if needed.
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Can I hide variants based on customer tags or groups?
Yes, with custom code or certain apps, you can hide variants based on customer tags or groups, showing different variants to different types of customers (e.g., wholesale vs. retail).
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How do I hide a variant on specific sales channels?
You can manage variant visibility on specific sales channels by editing the product’s availability settings in Shopify. However, to hide variants specifically on certain channels without deleting them, custom code or an app might be necessary.
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What happens to hidden variants in the Shopify admin?
Hidden variants remain fully accessible in the Shopify admin. You can still manage inventory, edit details, or make them visible again at any time.
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Can I schedule when a variant is hidden or shown?
Some apps allow you to schedule when a variant is hidden or shown, automating the process without manual intervention. This is useful for limited-time offers or seasonal products.
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How do I hide a variant if it’s discontinued but might return?
You can hide the variant by setting its inventory to zero, disabling “Continue selling when out of stock,” or using a custom tag or metafield to control visibility. This keeps the variant in your catalog for future reactivation.
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Is there a way to hide a variant while keeping it available for certain customers?
Yes, with custom code or apps, you can hide a variant from the general public while still making it available to specific customers, such as VIPs or wholesale buyers.
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How do I ensure hidden variants do not appear in the search results?
To ensure hidden variants don’t appear in search results, make sure that the variant is not accessible via a direct URL and that it’s excluded from any product filters or search-related features in your theme.
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