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Guide

Create a variant group: Items dashboard

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Overview
Items dashboard
Frequently asked questions
Helpful resources

Overview

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 for a group of up to 49 existing items using the Items dashboard.

Notes

If you include too many items in a variant group, it can make it 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).

Items dashboard

Step 1 — Get started

Navigate to the Items dashboard by selecting Items under Product Catalog on the left side of the screen. Next, search for your items by SKU or Item Name using the search bar above the items list. Select the check box in the left column next to each item you want included in your variant group.

Select the More actions dropdown menu in the upper right corner, then select Create Variant Group. Select Create variant group again when the popup window appears.

Notes

If you try to include more than 49 items in your group using the Items dashboard, you'll get an error message.

Step 2 — Add the group details

On the next screen, you’ll see all your selected items as well as three information boxes at the top of the page. Enter the details in each box accordingly:

Choose a Variant Group ID: The Variant Group ID is a unique alphanumeric identifier you'll choose for this group, up to 20 characters long (e.g., “DryFit_VG5”). You’ll use it to track your variant group in the Items dashboard once it’s been created.

Assign a Category: The Category dropdown menu lists the category your items belong to. In some cases, multiple categories might appear here—for example, if a group of shirts includes items from both Clothing and Sports & Recreation Other. The category you choose won’t change your listing details, only how the group is displayed on Walmart.com. The category will also determine which Variant Attribute Names you can add.

Notes

If you aren't sure which category to select, refer to the Item Categorization Guide. Once an item is set up with the appropriate category, the system assigns a Product Type. The Product Type determines the Contract Category and referral fees for your item.

Select Variant Attribute Names: Select up to three Variant Attribute Names for the group. These indicate which attributes vary within the group, such as Size or Color. For example, if an item comes in small, medium and large, the Variant Attribute Name would be Size. Check out Supported Variant Attribute Names to learn more.

Notes

You can’t create multiple variants with identical details. Variant Attributes that have the same details (e.g., Size, Color, etc.) on multiple items will be flagged as an error. Review your items for accuracy and make necessary changes to item details and variants before submitting.

Step 3 — Select a primary variant

Once all group items are confirmed and Variant Attribute Names are verified, it’s time to select one Primary Variant. This is the item that appears first when users search Walmart.com, and it will be the default view on the item page. Select the Star icon in the Actions column to make your selection.

Step 4 — Remove items if needed (Optional)

If there’s an item you don’t want to include in the group, select X in the Actions column to remove it.

Notes

There’s no undo function when you remove an item using the Action column. Please ensure you’re removing the correct item or you’ll have to start the process over.

Step 5 – Confirm details and submit

When all fields are complete, select Submit.

Frequently asked questions

How do I add or remove items from an existing variant group that I’ve already created?

What if I create a variant group that contains items sold by another seller?

If this happens, your groups will merge to appear on the same page on Walmart.com. While you can group, modify and delete your own variant groups, any items in other groups will continue to appear on the item page. Consequently, you may not always be able to define which content will be displayed on a product page if there are multiple sellers providing content for the same item. Walmart will determine the best available content for items unless provided by a brand owner or authorized reseller.

The Variant Attribute Name that I want to use is not on the Supported Variant Attribute Names list. What should I do?

You can’t create custom variant attributes. Variant Attribute Names are populated based on the product category of the items in the group. Choosing the correct product category during item setup and when creating variant groups is important.

Check to see if there’s another way you could set up your item using a Supported Variant Name. For example, if you’re selling vitamins in one-, two- and three-bottle packs, you could set them up to vary by Count instead of by Bottle. If you’re unable to find an alternative like this, you shouldn't set up your items in a variant group.

How does Walmart determine the ranking of Variant Attributes and how they show up on the item page?

How many different variants can I add to an item?

How can I change the Primary Variant if it’s out of stock?

If the Primary Variant goes out of stock, the grouping still remains valid, with the Primary Variant showing as “out of stock” on the item page. If you decide to discontinue the Primary Variant (e.g., never add inventory again), you have the option to set a different variant as the primary by updating the variant group list with a different primary item selected. If your item is in a merged variant group and the other seller's Primary Variant is out of stock, please create a case in Seller Help for Seller Support to resolve the problem.

How can I discontinue the Primary Variant in a variant group when it matches a variant group set up by Walmart?

The Walmart variant group takes precedence. Your items will be included under Walmart's group if all the items match the items in that group. Matching is done using the item's unique Item ID (e.g., UPC, ISBN). If you decide to discontinue the Primary Variant (by never adding inventory again), you have the option to set a different variant as the primary by updating the Variant Group ID grouping with a different Primary Variant selected.

Helpful resources

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Item setup methods: Overview

Item setup

Once you’ve completed the three-step account setup process in Seller Center, you can start to build your product listings on Walmart Marketplace in different ways.

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