drop down boxes for variants on shopify

June 26, 2025

How to Add Multiple Variant Drop Downs on Shopify

Boost sales on Shopify with 2 drop down boxes for variants. Manage inventory by SKU, assign unique images, and set dynamic pricing. Enhance your storefront today!

When product variants aren’t clearly displayed, customers can easily choose the wrong size, color, or style. This leads to frustration, unnecessary support queries, and lost sales. A cluttered layout or confusing selection interface also reflects poorly on your store's professionalism.

Shopify’s built-in variant system allows you to show up to three options per product using simple drop-down menus. This keeps your product pages clean and helps shoppers find exactly what they want with less friction.

This guide explains how to set up and optimize multiple variant drop-downs so your customers have a smoother shopping experience.

Understanding Shopify's Variant System

Shopify lets you create up to three variant options per product, such as Size, Color, and Style. Each option can have its own set of values, and the platform automatically generates every possible combination.

These combinations become individual variants with their own SKU, price, and inventory. Understanding this structure is key before setting up your drop-downs. Once you grasp the basics, you're ready to start configuring multiple options in your product setup.

Setting Up Multiple Variant Options in Shopify

Before you can display drop-downs on the storefront, you need to first set up variants in your Shopify store. This is done from the product page in your admin panel. Here's how to set up variant options:

Go to Products and choose the product to edit.

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Scroll to the Variants section and click Add options like size or color.

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Add the first option (e.g., Size) and list its values.

Click Add another option to add the second variant (e.g., Color) with its values.

Make sure all combinations are accounted for so no variant is left out.
Click Save.

This creates two variant drop-downs on your product page, provided your theme supports it. Let’s now look at how to make these options visible as drop-down menus.

Displaying Variants as Drop-Down Menus

Most Shopify themes show variant options as drop-downs by default. But if your theme doesn’t, here’s how you can set it:

Go to Online Store > Themes > Customize.

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Select your product page template.

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Look for Variant Picker settings.

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Choose the Drop-down for both variant types.

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Save your changes and preview the layout.

This ensures each variant option appears as a separate drop-down box, keeping your product pages tidy and intuitive. Still want to tweak the design or layout? Here's how to make deeper changes.

Customizing Drop-Down Appearance

If you want to personalize how your drop-downs look, you can modify your theme code:

Navigate to Online Store > Themes > Actions > Edit code.
Locate the product-related Liquid files (e.g., product-template.liquid).
Use CSS or HTML tweaks to style the drop-down menus.

Be cautious when editing theme files. Always create a backup and test your changes on a duplicate theme. If you're running into feature limits or want more flexibility, an app might be a better option.

Using Apps for Enhanced Variant Management

Shopify limits products to three variant options. If you need more than that or want more control over how variants display, apps can offer far greater flexibility.

Color Swatch King by StarApps – replaces traditional drop-downs with color swatches, buttons, or labeled pickers. You can bulk upload swatches, show variant options on the collection page, and automatically hide out-of-stock variants.

Swatches on product page - Variant Options Swatch King Shopify

Variant Descriptions King by StarApps – shows dynamic content based on the selected variant. It organizes key info like size guides, care instructions, or FAQs into collapsible tabs or accordions directly within the product page.

Write variant specific description on shopify products

These tools help you create extra input fields, conditional logic, or enhanced UI elements that go beyond Shopify’s native limit. StarApps in particular is ideal if you're already using apps like Variant Image Automator, as their ecosystem works seamlessly across variant-based tools.

But even with apps, clear setup and UX are critical. Let’s go over how to keep things user-friendly.

Best Practices for Multiple Variant Drop-Downs

Poor variant presentation can frustrate users. Follow these tips to make your drop-downs work better:

Label options clearly (e.g., "Choose Size", "Pick a Color").
Keep values consistent and readable.
Avoid offering too many choices that slow down decisions.
Ensure your inventory reflects every combination accurately.

Even a well-set layout can misbehave. Here are a few issues you might run into.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

If your drop-downs aren’t showing or working right, here are common issues:

Drop-down not displaying: Check theme settings to confirm variant pickers are set to drop-down.
Variant mismatch: Revisit the product setup to confirm all combinations are saved.
Exceeding Shopify's variant limit: Use an app to handle more than three variant categories.

Fixing these ensures your product pages stay functional and polished.

Conclusion

Setting up 2 drop-down boxes for variants on Shopify helps improve customer experience and makes shopping more intuitive. Whether you use Shopify’s native system or extend it with apps, what matters is that your setup is clean, reliable, and easy to use.

Need advanced variant handling without editing your theme manually? StarApps offers tools like SA Variant Image Automator and Color Swatch King that pair well with multi-variant setups. Try them out to improve how your variants look and perform on your store.

FAQs

1. Can I show more than two drop-downs for variants on Shopify?
Yes, Shopify allows up to three options (e.g., Size, Color, Material) per product, and each option is displayed as a separate drop-down by default in supported themes.

2. My drop-downs aren’t appearing. What should I check?
Start by confirming your theme supports variant pickers. Then check the variant setup in the product editor and make sure combinations are saved properly.

3. How do I remove a variant option from a product?
Go to the product in your Shopify admin, click 'Edit options' in the Variants section, and delete the option or adjust values. Be careful—removing options can delete associated variants.

4. Can I customize the order of drop-downs on the product page?
Yes. Shopify displays options in the order you enter them during setup. If needed, you can reorder options by editing the product and dragging the option names.

5. What if I want variant options beyond Shopify’s limit?
Use apps like Color Swatch King to introduce more flexibility and visual styles. These apps can simulate additional choices beyond the default three-option limit.