Comparing variations, choices and extras
ShopWired offers 3 main features for allowing you to configure additional options for your products:
Each feature has a specific set of functionality different from the others. This guide compares the differences between features.
Feature comparison
| Feature/Aspect | Product Variations | Product Choices | Product Extras |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary use | Offers multiple variation types and options (e.g. Size with options like Small, Medium) |
Provides reusable, globally configurable options for multiple products | Provides single-choice add-ons, used for yes/no or single-selection options |
| Configuration | Configured individually per product | Configured globally and applied to products | Configured individually per product |
| Limits | 3 variation types (e.g. Size, Colour), with varying limits of option values (e.g. Small, Medium) depending on the number of types |
Unlimited number of choices and options | Unlimited |
| Prices | Price replaces the product price | Price is set as an additional cost to the product price | Price is set as an additional cost to the product price |
| Stock tracking | Track stock for each variation | Cannot track stock | Track stock if linked to a separate product on your ShopWired account (that product cannot have variations) |
| Attributes supported | Supports: Sale price, Image, Weight, GTIN, MPN, Custom VAT rate, Reward points value, Bulk pricing | Does not support additional attributes | Does not support additional attributes |
| Website | Visitors must select a variation when a product has variations | Each product choice selection is optional by default | Optional by nature — visitors either select the option or they don't |
| Additional notes | Better for complex products with specific attribute tracking requirements | Useful for reusable options across multiple products | Useful for optional, single-choice add-ons |
Additional information
- Each product choice is optional by default in ShopWired
- Visitors are not required to select an option when choices are available
- Product extras are designed to be optional
- Visitors either select the extra or they don't; these are typically used for simple add-ons or yes/no options
- Product variations allow additional attributes to be set that are not available for product choices or extras:
- Sale price
- Image
- Weight
- GTIN
- MPN
- Custom VAT rate or zero-rated/VAT exempt
- Reward points value
- Bulk pricing
- When creating a product extra, you can link it to another product on your website for stock tracking. This feature is unavailable for product choices
Examples
- Examples of variation types include
SizeandColour, with values such asSmall,Medium,Red,Blue - Choices might include customisable options like
Gift Wrap, where multiple styles can be offered - Extras are singular, a checkbox for adding a warranty or a specific accessory that can either be selected or not
