Shopify Bulk Edit Variants: 2 Efficient Methods

Managing an online store on Shopify can become complex as your product catalog grows, especially when products have multiple variants. However, handling this type of data individually can be time-consuming and prone to errors.

To solve it, merchants use Shopify bulk edit variants to save time, reduce mistakes, and streamline store operations. In this article, we’ll guide you with the best ways to bulk edit variants Shopify, both manually and using third-party apps.

What Are Product Variants in Shopify?

Product variants in Shopify are the different options available within a single product listing. These options could include sizes, colors, styles, materials, or any attribute your products may have that customers can choose from.

For example, a T-shirt product may have variants like:

• Size: small, medium, large
• Color: red, blue, grey
• Material: cotton, polyester

Variants allow you to keep all options under one product listing while showing customers the available choices.

Managing variants effectively involves organizing and updating variant details such as prices, SKUs, images, and inventory to ensure each option is accurate and appealing. It also includes controlling variant-specific settings like variant inventory policies and fulfillment methods to optimize stock control and order management.

Common fields for Shopify bulk edit variants 

Here are common variant fields you may want to bulk edit for your Shopify products:

• Price: The selling amount set for a specific variant which can differ based on size, color, or other attributes.
• SKU (Stock Keeping Unit): A unique identifier code used to track inventory and sales of each variant.
• Inventory Quantity: The current stock level available for that variant to prevent overselling.
• Barcode (UPC, EAN, ISBN): A standardized code used for scanning and tracking the variant in physical and online stores.
• Weight: The shipping weight of the variant, which affects shipping rates and fulfillment calculations.
• Variant Images: Specific pictures associated with each variant, showing customers exactly what that version looks like.
• Metafields: Custom fields that allow storing additional customized data about a variant beyond Shopify’s default fields for more detailed management.

Why is managing variants efficiently crucial?

Efficiently managing product variants is essential for any Shopify store aiming to maintain smooth operations. Here are some reasons you should keep them organized:

• Customer experience: Accurate variant information ensures customers find the right size, color, or option easily, leading to higher satisfaction and fewer returns.
• Efficiency: Bulk managing variants eliminates repetitive manual work, reducing human errors that can occur when updating individual items.
• Inventory control: Keeping variant inventories updated prevents overselling or stockouts, helping maintain smooth order fulfillment and customer trust.
• Business strategy: Quick adjustments of variant prices and details allow timely promotions and competitive pricing, giving the store flexibility to react to market trends.

Efficient variant management ultimately drives sales, reduces operational headaches, and enhances your store’s professionalism and reliability.

How to Bulk Edit Variants in Shopify Manually?

There are two main manual ways to bulk edit variants Shopify:

Method 1: Use Shopify Bulk Editor

Shopify Bulk Editor is a simple tool within the Shopify admin that allows you to bulk edit product and variant details, such as price, inventory, and SKU, for selected products..

Here is how to bulk edit product variants using the Shopify Bulk Editor:

1. Go to Products in Shopify Admin. Select the products with variants you want to edit and click on the Bulk edit button.
2. In the spreadsheet-style interface, you will see all the products with their variants right underneath. Use the Column button to add or remove fields such as price, inventory, SKU, and more.
3. Make changes to the variants directly according to your needs and click Save. 

Method 2: Use a CSV file

Shopify provides another way for you to bulk edit variants using the Shopify product import/export feature. This method offers more control but requires care with CSV formatting to avoid errors or data loss.

Here is how to bulk edit Shopify variants using a CSV file: 

1. Export your product variants as a CSV file. Open the file with a spreadsheet tool like Excel.

2. In the spreadsheet, edit variant details such as prices, inventory counts, SKUs, etc.

3. Save your changes and import the updated CSV back into Shopify to update your variant details. Remember to select “Overwrite products with matching handles” to add information to existing variants.

Best Bulk Edit Product Variants Shopify Apps

Should you use Shopify default methods?

It’s undeniable that the default tools for Shopify bulk edit variants offer some useful functionality, especially for small to medium-sized stores or simple tasks. 

The bulk editor allows you to select and edit multiple variants from your Shopify admin dashboard using a user-friendly interface. However, it becomes inefficient when managing large catalogs or making complex changes, as manual edits can be time-consuming and prone to errors.

Using CSV files for bulk edit variants Shopify offers more flexibility and can handle large volumes at once. Yet, mistakes in formatting or file preparation can cause data loss or incorrect updates. CSV editing is also less convenient due to the export-edit-import cycle for every change without automation features.

Additionally, Shopify Admin’s importing and editing capabilities are limited. It does not support importing more advanced information, such as reviews or complex metafields and metaobjects. It also has a variant limitation of only 100 different default variants. These drawbacks restrict the flexibility needed for more sophisticated store operations.

For these reasons, while Shopify’s native bulk editing tools are useful and accessible, they are not always the most optimal solutions for managing large or complex catalogs. 

Alternative: Use third-party apps – BulkFlow

For Shopify store owners seeking a more powerful and flexible approach for bulk edit product variants Shopify, third-party apps offer an excellent alternative to the default methods. Among these, BulkFlow stands out as one of the best choices for efficiently managing variants and other product-related data.

BulkFlow is designed specifically to handle bulk edits with precision and ease. Unlike Shopify’s native tools, BulkFlow supports editing complex metafields and custom fields, making it ideal for stores that require detailed, customized variant data management.

The app also offers automation features, such as field mapping or scheduling automated bulk updates, which drastically reduce the time and effort needed for manual variant management. Additionally, BulkFlow can handle very large product catalogs without the import limits, making it scalable for growing businesses.

Other notable third-party apps include:

• Matrixify: A powerful tool for importing, exporting, and bulk editing Shopify data via spreadsheets with advanced customization options.
• QuickEdit: A user-friendly app focused on fast bulk edits for product details such as prices, inventory, and other simple fields.
• Hextom: A useful app that offers a wide range of bulk editing capabilities for products, combined with scheduling features.

How to Bulk Edit Variants in Shopify Using BulkFlow

BulkFlow is designed to simplify Shopify bulk edit variants and other product data, making it fast and accessible for store owners without technical expertise.

Here’s a step-by-step guide to bulk edit variants using BulkFlow:

• Step 1: Set up BulkFlow and prepare your product data
• Step 2: Create a new feed for Shopify bulk edit variants
• Step 3: Connect and configure your data source
• Step 4: Map variant fields and launch the update
• Step 5: Review and manage variant updates

Step 1: Set up BulkFlow and prepare your product data

Before you begin, install BulkFlow from the Shopify App Store and connect it to your Shopify store.

Then, you need to prepare your product data file containing the variant you want to update. If you don’t have an existing file, export your product or variant data directly from Shopify or BulkFlow. Using BulkFlow is recommended, as you can choose to export only the data fields you need to edit.

If you already have your file, you can upload it right away to BulkFlow. However, you need to ensure your product identifiers (IDs, Handles, etc.) are written correctly to help Shopify recognize and update data to the correct products.

If you plan to prepare your data file from scratch, you download BulkFlow template from your dashboard and fill in variant information there. Using this template will help you skip the field mapping step later.

Step 2: Create a new feed for Shopify bulk edit variants

In your BulkFlow dashboard, select Create New Feed and choose the Update option to start a new bulk update feed.

Name your feed and select Products as the entity to update.

After that, you need to set up the feet based on your prepared file. Choose between your template and BulkFlow template, then select one of BulkFlow’s supported connection options: local file upload, file URL, FTP/SFTP, or Google Sheets.

Once finished, click Continue to proceed with the feed setup.

Step 3: Connect and configure your data source

In this step, BulkFlow will ask you to upload and configure connection details based on your chosen upload method in Step 2.

• File Upload: Upload your file from your device. Then, BulkFlow will ask you to choose the sheet you want and select the header row.
• File URL/Google Sheet: Paste the URL and press Test connection.
• FTP/SFTP: BulkFlow will ask you to enter details like username, password, host, directory path,… Then, press Test connection

Proceed by clicking Next Step.

Step 4: Map variant fields and launch the update

If you use BulkFlow’s template, all the variant fields in your file will be pre-mapped for you. For custom files, BulkFlow will also attempt to map your headers, but allows you to flexibly adjust them to ensure accuracy.

Once the field mapping is confirmed, click Next Step to launch the bulk variant update process. BulkFlow will then upload and apply changes to your Shopify store variants immediately.

Step 5: Review and manage variant updates

After the Shopify bulk edit variants process, check the Activity Log in BulkFlow to see your update and review any errors. If variants are uploaded successfully, they will appear in Successful Items. For unsuccessful ones, you will receive a failed warning and can view them in Failed Items.

You can also go to your Shopify store to check for variant updates.

BulkFlow also provides a scheduling feature to automate regular updates for your variants, eliminating the need for repeated manual changes and saving time for other management tasks.

Best Practices for Bulk Editing Product Variants

Bulk edit product variants Shopify effectively requires a strategic approach to maintain accuracy and efficiency. By following these essential best practices, Shopify merchants can minimize errors, save time, and ensure their product catalogs remain organized and up to date:

• Backup and test before applying changes: Always export and save a backup of your product and variant data before starting. Then, test your Shopify bulk edits on a small subset of variants to verify accuracy and prevent widespread errors.
• Use targeted filters and standardize data: Apply precise filters (e.g., product type, tags, price) to edit only relevant variants, minimizing mistakes. Maintain consistent data formats for SKUs, barcodes, and metafields to avoid import errors and ensure smooth updates.
• Leverage automation for efficiency: Use scheduling and automation features in third-party apps like BulkFlow to automate repetitive bulk edits such as price adjustments or inventory updates, saving time and reducing manual workload.
• Review and document changes: After completing bulk edits, verify updates in both Shopify admin and storefront to catch any issues early. Keep records of your editing processes to ensure repeatability and ease of troubleshooting.

Following these focused practices will streamline your variant management, minimize errors, and help maintain a reliable, up-to-date product catalog.

Shopify Bulk Edit Variants – FAQs

Final Words

BulkFlow offers a powerful and user-friendly solution for managing bulk edits on Shopify, making complex product and variant updates fast, accurate, and effortless. Its advanced filtering, automation, and support for complex fields like metafields set it apart from Shopify’s native tools, saving merchants valuable time and reducing errors.

When it comes to Shopify bulk edit variants, BulkFlow excels by providing precise control over variant data, allowing you to update prices, inventory, SKUs, images, and even metafields in just a few clicks. This level of flexibility and automation is essential for stores with large or complex variant catalogs, enabling smoother operations and better customer experience.

For any Shopify store owner looking to streamline variant management and boost operational efficiency, trying BulkFlow is a smart move. Get started today and transform how you manage your product variants!