variant-matrix

Compute the Cartesian product of your option value arrays, then create one variant per combination with its own SKU, price, and inventory. On Shopify and BigCommerce the admin generates the matrix automatically; for custom builds, use a reduce/flatMap cartesian function.

Use the format [PRODUCT-CODE]-[OPTION1]-[OPTION2], all uppercase, hyphen-separated, max 20 characters. Normalize special characters with a regex like replace(/[^A-Z0-9]/g, '-') and use standard abbreviations such as M for medium and BLU for blue.

Combine two options into one axis, create separate product records per color linked with metafields, or use Shopify Bundles for configurable products. For very large catalogs, generate variants lazily on first order instead of pre-creating all combinations.

No, archive variants by marking them unpublished instead of deleting them. Deletion breaks historical order line items that reference the variant; use diff logic to compute which variants to archive when option values change.

Embedding hundreds of variants in the initial page HTML slows rendering. For 100+ variants, fetch variant availability via API on option change, and consider lazy variant creation rather than storing every combination upfront.