How to Use Product Variants in Odoo Sales

Table of Contents

• What Are Product Variants
• Activating Variants in Odoo Sales
• Setting Up Attributes and Values
• Applying Attributes to a Product
• Configuring Variant Pricing and Exclusions
• Using the Product Configurator on Quotations
• Next Steps

What Are Product Variants

Product variants let you manage a single product that comes in different variations — such as a t-shirt available in multiple sizes and colors. Instead of creating separate products for each combination, you define one product template with attributes, and Odoo generates the variants automatically.

This approach is essential in industries like fashion, furniture, and electronics where customers expect multiple options. It keeps your product catalog clean, simplifies inventory tracking, and gives customers a smooth purchasing experience without exposing the underlying complexity.

Activating Variants in Odoo Sales

Before creating variants, enable the feature in your Sales settings:

1. Open the Sales application
2. Go to Configuration > Settings
3. Look for the Variants option near the top
4. Activate it and save

Once enabled, you gain access to the Attributes menu under Configuration, where you define the characteristics your products can have.

Setting Up Attributes and Values

Attributes define the categories of variation (e.g., Color, Size, Legs), while values are the specific options within each attribute (e.g., Red, Blue, Large).

Creating an Attribute

Navigate to Configuration > Attributes and click Create. Each attribute requires three settings:

Setting	Options	Description
Attribute Name	Free text	The name shown to customers (e.g., "Color")
Display Type	Radio, Select, Color	How values appear on the storefront
Variant Creation Mode	Instantly, Dynamically, Never	When Odoo generates variant records

Important: Once variants have been created for an attribute, you cannot change the variant creation mode. Choose carefully during initial setup.

Adding Values

Within each attribute, add the specific values your products can use:

• For Color display type, you can assign an HTML color code to each value for visual representation on the website
• Mark a value as Custom if you want customers to enter their own specification
• You only need to create values once — they can be reused across multiple products

Example: Color Attribute

A typical Color attribute might include values like Grey, White, Black, Blue, Pink, Yellow, and Rainbow. Each can have an associated HTML color code so customers see a color swatch rather than just a text label.

Applying Attributes to a Product

Once your attributes are ready, apply them to individual products:

1. Open a product from Sales > Products
2. Go to the Variants tab
3. Click Edit and add an attribute line
4. Select the attribute (e.g., Color)
5. Choose only the values that apply to this product
6. Save the product

Odoo generates the variants based on your selection. If variant creation mode is set to Instantly, the variants appear right away. You can always add more values later — for example, introducing a new color option for an existing product.

Configuring Variant Pricing and Exclusions

Click Configure Variants on the product to fine-tune each variant:

Extra Pricing

Add a price premium to specific variants. For example, if a rainbow-colored lamp is in high demand, you can set an extra price of $5. This amount is added on top of the base product price.

Value Exclusions

Define incompatible combinations between attribute values. This is useful when certain options cannot physically or logically coexist. For example:

• A customizable desk with aluminum legs might not be available in black
• Selecting "black" as the color would then hide "aluminum" from the legs options

Exclusions work across the product configurator to prevent customers from selecting invalid combinations.

Using the Product Configurator on Quotations

When creating a quotation, the product configurator streamlines variant selection:

1. Go to Orders > Quotations and create a new quotation
2. Select your customer
3. Add a product that has variants

The Product Configurator pops up automatically, displaying all available attributes with their values. Prices update in real time — if a variant has an extra price, it shows immediately so you and your customer can see the total before confirming.

Prerequisite: Ensure the Product Configurator option is activated in your Sales settings to see this popup.

After selecting the desired variant, click Add to place it on the quotation. You can then proceed with the standard sales flow — confirming the order, generating invoices, and managing delivery.

Next Steps

With product variants configured, consider these related features to enhance your sales workflow:

• Pricelist rules — Set variant-specific pricing for different customer segments
• eCommerce integration — Display variants with color swatches and dropdowns on your online store
• Inventory tracking — Monitor stock levels per variant for accurate availability
• Manufacturing — Link variants to specific bills of materials for production planning

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References

• Product Variants | Odoo Sales — Odoo