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As a Marketplace seller, you can create variant groups in Seller Center or via Walmart APIs. In this guide, you’ll learn how to create a variant group with 50 or more items using the Full Setup Template in Seller Center.
Before you get started, keep in mind that if you include too many items in a variant group, it can be challenging for customers to find the item they want. We recommend including fewer than 50 items for a variant group with a single attribute (e.g., a towel with 50 different colors). We also recommend including fewer than 500 items for a variant group with multiple attributes (e.g., pants that come in 25 different sizes and 20 different colors).
Full setup
Step 1 — Get started
Navigate to your Catalog in Seller Center, then select Add Items. On the next page, select the Walmart template link located under Upload a spreadsheet. When the Walmart templates popup appears, select Create a full-setup template.
Step 2 — Choose a product category, type and fulfillment method
Select the product categories that best fit the items you want to add, then choose Next. Then, choose up to 10 product types per product category. Once you’ve chosen your product types, choose Next. If you aren't sure which classification to choose, review our Content standards: Overview. Finally, choose your preferred fulfillment option. When you’re ready, select the Download button in the bottom right corner of the page. If you chose both fulfillment method options, two templates will download.
Step 3 — Add variant attributes
There are five columns you must fill out to successfully set up a variant group. All items in a variant group should be included as separate items in the template. For example, a T-shirt in two colors and three different sizes would have six rows with each variation defined in a separate row.
Column | Context |
|---|---|
Variant Group ID | This is a unique alphanumeric identifier, up to 20 characters in length (e.g., “DryFit_VG5”). You’ll use this to track your variant group in the Items dashboard once it’s been created. |
Variant Attribute Name | Attribute Names indicate which attributes vary within the group, such as Size or Color in the example of a clothing group. If your items vary for multiple attributes (e.g., different colors and different sizes), you can add more columns. You can't create custom Variant Attribute Names. You must select an option from the dropdown. |
Swatch Image – Swatch Variant Attribute | Visual variants can be displayed as swatches on the Item Page in Marketplace. For example, if a T-shirt comes in three different colors, the Swatch Variant Attribute would be set to Color. |
Swatch Image – Swatch Image URL | You’ll need to include an image for each variation of the swatch, but not each variation within the group. For example, the same URL could be used for a green T-shirt in three different sizes. Swatch Image URLs must follow our image guidelines.
**NOTE: If you don't provide a Swatch Image URL, variants will appear as tiles with the color stated as text on Walmart.com. Walmart may derive a swatch image from your primary or secondary images to optimize variants for the customer experience. |
Primary Variant | The Primary Variant is the item that appears when users search Walmart.com, and it's also the default view on the item page. If you select Yes on more than one item in a single variant group, your feed may fail. Consider selecting the top-selling item or the item with the most inventory as the Primary Variant.
**NOTE: If your item is in a merged variant group, the Primary Variant you select may not be the Primary Variant that appears on Walmart.com. |
Step 4 — Upload the template
Once you’ve appropriately filled out the template, you can upload it by navigating back to your Catalog in Seller Center, then select Add Items. You can drop your file under the Upload a spreadsheet heading or by selecting the browse link to select the file from your computer’s file explorer. Updates can appear as quickly as 15 minutes or can take up to four hours.