Digital Catalog – Variants Guide

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Please review the information below and download the attached PDF as needed for the Digital Catalog Variants Guide.  

Content - Jump Links

1. Introducing Variants
1.1 How Variants Look to Shoppers
1.2 Where to Use Variants
2. Prepare Your GDSN Data
2.1 Link Your Variant Family
2.2 Define Each Item’s Variant
2.3 Add More Than One Variant Type
3. Set Up the Variants Object in Template Creator
3.1 Add the Object to Your Template
3.2 Configure the Object
3.3 Show Multiple Variant Types
4. Verify on the Live PDP
4.1 Read Combined Variants
5. Quick Reference
5.1 Setup Checklist
5.2 Troubleshooting

Version

Version	Date	Description	Owner
1.0	10.02.2026	Initial training guide for the Digital Catalog Variants object	Travis Sterling

1.    Introducing Variants

Shoppers rarely want just one version of a product. They want the T-shirt in their color and size, the dressing in their favorite flavor. The new Variants object in Digital Catalog connects these related items so every option appears together on the product detail page (PDP), in one clean view.

One click on a variant takes the shopper straight to that item’s PDP. No searching, no dead ends.

What You’ll Learn

• How to prepare your GDSN data to link a family of related items
• How to add and configure the Variants object in Template Creator
• How to combine multiple variant types, such as color and size
• How to read and verify variants on a live PDP

        How Variants Look to Shoppers

The Variants object displays each available option as a button. The shopper’s current item is highlighted, and every other button links to the PDP for that variant.

Figure 1: The Variants object on a live PDP, showing every available color for this T-shirt.

        Where to Use Variants

Use Variants anywhere a product comes in multiple versions that shoppers compare side by side.

Product Type	Common Variant Types	Example Options
Apparel (T-shirts)	Color, Size	Red, Blue, Black / Small, Medium, Large
Footwear	Style, Size	Low-top, High-top / 8, 9, 10
Food (jelly, salad dressing)	Flavor	Strawberry, Grape / Ranch, Italian
Beverages	Flavor	Lemon, Lime, Original

2.    Prepare Your GDSN Data

Variants are powered by your GDSN data. Before you touch Template Creator, every item in a variant family needs two pieces of information: who it is linked to (Referenced Trade Item) and what makes it different (Variant).

        Link Your Variant Family

Step 1: Choose a Variant Master

From the group of items that share a variant, choose one to act as the Variant Master. The choice has no special significance, so any item in the family works. Every other item will point back to this master’s GTIN.

Step 2: Link Every Other Item to the Master

On each item except the master, complete the Referenced Trade Item section:

• ① Referenced GTIN: Enter the GTIN of your Variant Master.
• ② Referenced GTIN Type Code: Select Item Variant Master.

Figure 2: The Referenced Trade Item section on a non-master item, linked to its Variant Master.

Note

On the Variant Master itself, leave both Referenced GTIN and Referenced GTIN Type Code blank.

Example: A Linked T-Shirt Family

Here’s a T-shirt family in three colors and three sizes. The Red Large is the master, and all eight other items point back to its GTIN.

	GTIN	Product Description	Referenced GTIN Type Code	Referenced GTIN	Variant Value (Colour)	Variant Value (Size)
	00838016097949 VARIANT MASTER	Branded Red T-Shirt Large	Leave blank	Leave blank	Red	Large
	00838016097932	Branded Red T-Shirt Medium	Item Variant Master	00838016097949	Red	Medium
	00838016097925	Branded Red T-Shirt Small	Item Variant Master	00838016097949	Red	Small
	00838016097918	Branded Turf Green T-Shirt Large	Item Variant Master	00838016097949	Turf Green	Large
	00838016097901	Branded Turf Green T-Shirt Medium	Item Variant Master	00838016097949	Turf Green	Medium
	00838016097895	Branded Turf Green T-Shirt Small	Item Variant Master	00838016097949	Turf Green	Small
	00838016097888	Branded Royal Blue T-Shirt Large	Item Variant Master	00838016097949	Royal Blue	Large
	00838016097871	Branded Royal Blue T-Shirt Medium	Item Variant Master	00838016097949	Royal Blue	Medium
	00838016097864	Branded Royal Blue T-Shirt Small	Item Variant Master	00838016097949	Royal Blue	Small

Figure 3: Every non-master item references the master GTIN 00838016097949.

        Define Each Item’s Variant

Next, tell Digital Catalog what makes each item unique. Complete the Variant section on every item in the family, including the master.

Step 1: Select the Variant Type Code

① Choose the type of variant. For a T-shirt that comes in different colors, select Colour.

Step 2: Enter the Variant Value

② Enter the specific value for that item, such as Black, Blue, or Red. Each GTIN gets its own value.

Figure 4: The Variant section for the black T-shirt.

Pro Tip

Keep Variant Values consistent across the family. The values you enter here can become the button labels shoppers see, so matching spelling and capitalization keeps the PDP clean and professional.

        Add More Than One Variant Type

Variant attributes are repeatable, so a single item can carry several variant types. A T-shirt, for example, commonly varies by both color and size. Add a separate Variant section for each type.

Figure 5: Two Variant sections on one item: Colour = Black and Size = Large.

3.    Set Up the Variants Object in Template Creator

With your data ready, it’s time to bring Variants to life on your PDP template.

        Add the Object to Your Template

Step 1: Open Template Creator

In Digital Catalog, open Template Creator and select the template you want to update.

Step 2: Add the Variants Object

In the Add New Attribute / Objects panel, under Objects, select Variants.

Figure 6: The new Variants object in the Objects panel.

        Configure the Object

Expand the Variants object on your template and confirm the following settings.

Figure 7: Variants object settings for a color variant.

#	Setting	What to Choose
1	Label	The heading shoppers see above the options, for example Color.
2	Variants or Variety Pack?	Select Variants.
3	Variant Mapping	The Variant Type Code this object displays, for example Colour. It must match the Variant Type Code in your GDSN data.
4	Variant Name Mapping	The text shown on each option button. Choose Variant Value to display values like “Black”, or Product Description to display each item’s description.

Use the optional Color, Inline, and Content Styling controls to match the object to the look of your template.

Important: Verify on a Live PDP

Template Creator does not display a live preview of the Variants object. Once setup is complete, open a live PDP for any item in the family to confirm your variants appear as expected.

        Show Multiple Variant Types

Add one Variants object per variant type. For a T-shirt that varies by size and color, add two objects: one with Variant Mapping set to Size, and one set to Colour.

Figure 8: Two Variants objects in Template Creator, one for Size and one for Color.

4.    Verify on the Live PDP

Open a live PDP for any item in your variant family. You will see one Variants object for each variant type you configured.

        Read Combined Variants

When you use more than one variant type, the objects work together. They show which combinations exist for the item you are viewing, so shoppers never click into an option that isn’t available.

Figure 9: Size and Color objects working together on a live PDP.

Button Style	What It Means
Bold border	The shopper’s current selection.
Solid border	Available in combination with the current selection. Click to open that item’s PDP.
Dashed border	Exists in the variant family, but not in combination with the current selection.

In This Example

The shopper is viewing the Red Large T-shirt. Black has a solid border, so it’s also available in Large. Purple and Blue are dashed, meaning they exist in the family but not in Large. XL is dashed for the same reason: it exists, but not in Red.

5.    Quick Reference

        Setup Checklist

• A Variant Master is chosen, with Referenced GTIN and Referenced GTIN Type Code left blank.
• Every other item has Referenced GTIN Type Code set to Item Variant Master and Referenced GTIN set to the master GTIN.
• Every item, including the master, has a Variant Type Code and Variant Value for each variant type.
• One Variants object per variant type is added to the template in Template Creator.
• Variant Mapping and Variant Name Mapping are set on each object.
• Results are confirmed on a live PDP.

        Troubleshooting

If You See This	Check This
The Variants object doesn’t appear on the PDP	Confirm non-master items reference the master GTIN with Type Code Item Variant Master, and that the object was added to the template the PDP uses.
An option is missing	Confirm that item has a Variant Type Code and Variant Value, and that its Variant Type Code matches the object’s Variant Mapping.
Option labels look inconsistent	Review Variant Values across the family for matching spelling and capitalization, or confirm the Variant Name Mapping choice.
Nothing changes in Template Creator	This is expected. Template Creator has no live preview of Variants, so check a live PDP instead.