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Catalog API
Product variants

Catalog - Product variants

The Catalog API manages products, categories, brands, bulk pricing rules, and more. To learn more about catalog resources, see the Catalog Overview.

A product variant is a version of a product that has its own SKU. For example, a catalog might model a particular style of high-top sneakers that come in both red and blue as one product - high-tops - with two variants - red and blue. From a storefront point of view, product variants are often what shoppers seek. They are also the object that maps to SKUs and tracks inventory. A product with one only variant is a base variant.

Our Catalog product variants endpoints let you work in two ways.

On a per-product basis, you can create and manage product variants, their images, and their metafields, which are arbitrary key-value attributes.

By design, product variants consist of a combination of product variant option values.

This API family also provides endpoints that can make batch updates to product variants from different products across the Catalog, as well as getting all variants.

The terms "product variant" and "variant" are used interchangeably throughout the documentation.

To learn more about authenticating Catalog endpoints, locate the Authentication section at the top of each endpoint, then click Show Details.

Resources

Webhooks

Learn more about Product webhook events.

Additional Catalog endpoints

Get all product variants

GET /catalog/products/{product_id}/variants

Request

Returns a list of product variants. Optional parameters can be passed in.

Authentication

  • X-Auth-Token in header

Parameters

  • store_hash in path - string
  • Accept in header with default of application/json - string
    required
    The MIME type of the response body.
  • product_id in path - integer
    required

    The ID of the Product to which the resource belongs. Product variant metafield endpoints that have the product_id in the request path are successful as long as the parameter is not empty. The product_id segment is there only for path consistency.

  • include_fields in query - array
    Fields to include, in a comma-separated list. The ID and the specified fields will be returned.
    Type: array[string]
  • exclude_fields in query - array
    Fields to exclude, in a comma-separated list. The specified fields will be excluded from a response. The ID cannot be excluded.
    Type: array[string]
  • page in query - integer

    Specifies the page number in a limited (paginated) list of products.

  • limit in query - integer

    Controls the number of items per page in a limited (paginated) list of products.

example

curl --request GET \
--url 'https://api.bigcommerce.com/stores/[store_hash]/v3/catalog/products/[product_id]/variants' \
--header 'Accept: application/json' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--header 'X-Auth-Token: {{token}}'

Response

Body

object | application/json

  • data    array[object]

  • meta    object

    Data about the response, including pagination and collection totals.

example

{
"data": [
{
"id": 382,
"product_id": 192,
"sku": "SMIT",
"sku_id": 348,
"price": 10,
"calculated_price": 10,
"sale_price": 8,
"retail_price": 10,
"map_price": {},
"weight": 4,
"calculated_weight": 2,
"width": 5,
"height": 5,
"depth": 5,
"is_free_shipping": false,
"fixed_cost_shipping_price": 10,
"purchasing_disabled": false,
"purchasing_disabled_message": "",
"image_url": "",
"cost_price": 0,
"upc": "",
"mpn": "",
"gtin": "",
"inventory_level": 0,
"inventory_warning_level": 0,

Create a product variant

POST /catalog/products/{product_id}/variants

Request

Creates a product variant.

Required Fields

  • sku
  • option_values

Read-Only Fields

  • id

Limits

  • 600 SKUs per product limit.
  • 255 characters SKU length limit.

Variants need to be created one at a time using this endpoint. To use a variant array, create products, and variants in the same call use the Create Products endpoint during the initial product creation. To obtain the option_values to include in this request, use the Create a product variant option endpoint.

Authentication

  • X-Auth-Token in header

Parameters

  • store_hash in path - string
  • Accept in header with default of application/json - string
    required
    The MIME type of the response body.
  • product_id in path - integer
    required

    The ID of the Product to which the resource belongs. Product variant metafield endpoints that have the product_id in the request path are successful as long as the parameter is not empty. The product_id segment is there only for path consistency.

  • Content-Type in header with default of application/json - string
    required
    The MIME type of the request body.

Body

object | application/json

The model for a POST to create variants on a product.

  • cost_price    number or null

    The cost price of the variant. It is not affected by Price List prices. This value displays as null in the control panel when cost_price equals zero.
    Min: 0

  • price    number or null

    This variant’s base price on the storefront. If a Price List ID is used, the Price List value will be used. If a Price List ID is not used, and this value is null, the product’s default price (set in the Product resource’s price field) will be used as the base price.
    Min: 0

  • sale_price    number or null

    This variant’s sale price on the storefront. If a Price List ID is used, the Price List value will be used. If a Price List ID is not used, and this value is null, the product’s sale price (set in the Product resource’s price field) will be used as the sale price.
    Min: 0

  • retail_price    number or null

    This variant’s retail price on the storefront. If a Price List ID is used, the Price List value will be used. If a Price List ID is not used, and this value is null, the product’s retail price (set in the Product resource’s price field) will be used as the retail price.
    Min: 0

  • weight    number or null

    This variant’s base weight on the storefront. If this value is null, the product’s default weight (set in the Product resource’s weight field) will be used as the base weight.
    Min: 0

  • width    number or null

    Width of the variant, which can be used when calculating shipping costs. If this value is null, the productʼs default width (set in the Product resourceʼs width field) will be used as the base width.

    Min: 0

  • height    number or null

    Height of the variant, which can be used when calculating shipping costs. If this value is null, the productʼs default height (set in the Product resourceʼs height field) will be used as the base height.

    Min: 0

  • depth    number or null

    Depth of the variant, which can be used when calculating shipping costs. If this value is null, the productʼs default depth (set in the Product resourceʼs depth field) will be used as the base depth.

    Min: 0

  • is_free_shipping    boolean

    Flag used to indicate whether the variant has free shipping. If true, the shipping cost for the variant will be zero.

  • fixed_cost_shipping_price    number or null

    A fixed shipping cost for the variant. If defined, this value will be used during checkout instead of normal shipping-cost calculation.

    Min: 0

  • purchasing_disabled    boolean

    If true, this variant will not be purchasable on the storefront.

  • purchasing_disabled_message    string

    If purchasing_disabled is true, this message should show on the storefront when the variant is selected.
    >= 0 characters<= 255 characters

  • upc    string or null

    The UPC code used in feeds for shopping comparison sites and external channel integrations.
    >= 0 characters<= 14 characters

  • inventory_level    integer or null

    Inventory level for the variant, which is used when the product’s inventory_tracking is set to variant. The Catalog API returns the inventory for only the default location.

    The inventory for a variant cannot exceed 2,147,483,647 in the catalog. The sum of the variant inventories, or the total inventory for a product, cannot exceed 2,147,483,647.

    If you exceed the limit, the store sets the variant inventory to the limit if no other variant inventories are set. If other variant inventories are set, the store does not save the variant inventory rather than setting the variant inventory to the remaining limit.

    The Catalog API handles limits in a different way than the Inventory API. For more information, see Limit handling.

    Max: 2147483647

  • inventory_warning_level    integer or null

    When the variant hits this inventory level, it is considered low stock.
    Max: 2147483647

  • bin_picking_number    string or null

    Identifies where in a warehouse the variant is located.
    >= 0 characters<= 255 characters

  • image_url    string

    Publicly available image url

  • gtin    string or null

    Global Trade Item Number
    >= 0 characters<= 14 characters
    Example: 012345678905

  • mpn    string or null

    Manufacturer Part Number
    Example: HV-HM02

  • product_id    integer

  • sku    string

    >= 1 characters<= 255 characters

  • option_values    array[object]

    Array of option and option values IDs that make up this variant. Will be empty if the variant is the productʼs base variant.

example

{
"cost_price": 0.1,
"price": 0.1,
"sale_price": 0.1,
"retail_price": 0.1,
"weight": 0.1,
"width": 0.1,
"height": 0.1,
"depth": 0.1,
"is_free_shipping": true,
"fixed_cost_shipping_price": 0.1,
"purchasing_disabled": true,
"purchasing_disabled_message": "string",
"upc": "string",
"inventory_level": 2147483647,
"inventory_warning_level": 2147483647,
"bin_picking_number": "string",
"image_url": "string",
"gtin": "012345678905",
"mpn": "HV-HM02",
"product_id": 0,
"sku": "string",
"option_values": [
{
"option_display_name": "Color",
"label": "Beige",
"id": 146,

Response

Body

object | application/json

  • data    object

  • meta    object

    Response metadata.

example-1

{
"data": {
"cost_price": 0,
"price": 0,
"sale_price": 0,
"retail_price": 0,
"weight": 0,
"width": 0,
"height": 0,
"depth": 0,
"is_free_shipping": true,
"fixed_cost_shipping_price": 0,
"purchasing_disabled": true,
"purchasing_disabled_message": "string",
"image_url": "string",
"upc": "string",
"inventory_level": 0,
"inventory_warning_level": 0,
"bin_picking_number": "string",
"mpn": "string",
"gtin": "012345678905",
"id": 0,
"product_id": 0,
"sku": "string",
"sku_id": 0,
"option_values": [
{
"option_display_name": "Color",

example-2

{
"data": {
"id": 384,
"product_id": 192,
"sku": "SMIT-2",
"sku_id": 350,
"price": 25,
"calculated_price": 25,
"sale_price": 20,
"retail_price": 25,
"map_price": {},
"weight": 2,
"calculated_weight": 1,
"width": 5,
"height": 5,
"depth": 5,
"is_free_shipping": false,
"fixed_cost_shipping_price": 10,
"purchasing_disabled": false,
"purchasing_disabled_message": "",
"image_url": "",
"cost_price": 25,
"upc": "",
"mpn": "",
"gtin": "",
"inventory_level": 0,
"inventory_warning_level": 0,
"bin_picking_number": "",

Get a product variant

GET /catalog/products/{product_id}/variants/{variant_id}

Request

Returns a single product variant. Optional parameters can be passed in.

Authentication

  • X-Auth-Token in header

Parameters

  • store_hash in path - string
  • Accept in header with default of application/json - string
    required
    The MIME type of the response body.
  • product_id in path - integer
    required

    The ID of the Product to which the resource belongs. Product variant metafield endpoints that have the product_id in the request path are successful as long as the parameter is not empty. The product_id segment is there only for path consistency.

  • variant_id in path - integer
    required

    ID of the variant on a product, or on an associated Price List Record.

  • include_fields in query - array
    Fields to include, in a comma-separated list. The ID and the specified fields will be returned.
    Type: array[string]
  • exclude_fields in query - array
    Fields to exclude, in a comma-separated list. The specified fields will be excluded from a response. The ID cannot be excluded.
    Type: array[string]

example

curl --request GET \
--url 'https://api.bigcommerce.com/stores/[store_hash]/v3/catalog/products/[product_id]/variants/[variant_id]' \
--header 'Accept: application/json' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--header 'X-Auth-Token: {{token}}'

Response

Body

object | application/json

  • data    object

  • meta    object

    Response metadata.

example

{
"data": {
"id": 384,
"product_id": 192,
"sku": "SMIT-2",
"sku_id": 350,
"price": 25,
"calculated_price": 25,
"sale_price": 20,
"retail_price": 25,
"map_price": {},
"weight": 2,
"calculated_weight": 1,
"width": 5,
"height": 5,
"depth": 5,
"is_free_shipping": false,
"fixed_cost_shipping_price": 10,
"purchasing_disabled": false,
"purchasing_disabled_message": "",
"image_url": "",
"cost_price": 25,
"upc": "",
"mpn": "",
"gtin": "",
"inventory_level": 0,
"inventory_warning_level": 0,
"bin_picking_number": "",

Update a product variant

PUT /catalog/products/{product_id}/variants/{variant_id}

Request

Updates a product variant.

Authentication

  • X-Auth-Token in header

Parameters

  • store_hash in path - string
  • Accept in header with default of application/json - string
    required
    The MIME type of the response body.
  • product_id in path - integer
    required

    The ID of the Product to which the resource belongs. Product variant metafield endpoints that have the product_id in the request path are successful as long as the parameter is not empty. The product_id segment is there only for path consistency.

  • variant_id in path - integer
    required

    ID of the variant on a product, or on an associated Price List Record.

  • Content-Type in header with default of application/json - string
    required
    The MIME type of the request body.

Body

object | application/json
The model for a PUT to update variants on a product.

  • cost_price    number or null

    The cost price of the variant. It is not affected by Price List prices. This value displays as null in the control panel when cost_price equals zero.
    Min: 0

  • price    number or null

    This variant’s base price on the storefront. If a Price List ID is used, the Price List value will be used. If a Price List ID is not used, and this value is null, the product’s default price (set in the Product resource’s price field) will be used as the base price.
    Min: 0

  • sale_price    number or null

    This variant’s sale price on the storefront. If a Price List ID is used, the Price List value will be used. If a Price List ID is not used, and this value is null, the product’s sale price (set in the Product resource’s price field) will be used as the sale price.
    Min: 0

  • retail_price    number or null

    This variant’s retail price on the storefront. If a Price List ID is used, the Price List value will be used. If a Price List ID is not used, and this value is null, the product’s retail price (set in the Product resource’s price field) will be used as the retail price.
    Min: 0

  • weight    number or null

    This variant’s base weight on the storefront. If this value is null, the product’s default weight (set in the Product resource’s weight field) will be used as the base weight.
    Min: 0

  • width    number or null

    Width of the variant, which can be used when calculating shipping costs. If this value is null, the productʼs default width (set in the Product resourceʼs width field) will be used as the base width.

    Min: 0

  • height    number or null

    Height of the variant, which can be used when calculating shipping costs. If this value is null, the productʼs default height (set in the Product resourceʼs height field) will be used as the base height.

    Min: 0

  • depth    number or null

    Depth of the variant, which can be used when calculating shipping costs. If this value is null, the productʼs default depth (set in the Product resourceʼs depth field) will be used as the base depth.

    Min: 0

  • is_free_shipping    boolean

    Flag used to indicate whether the variant has free shipping. If true, the shipping cost for the variant will be zero.

  • fixed_cost_shipping_price    number or null

    A fixed shipping cost for the variant. If defined, this value will be used during checkout instead of normal shipping-cost calculation.

    Min: 0

  • purchasing_disabled    boolean

    If true, this variant will not be purchasable on the storefront.

  • purchasing_disabled_message    string

    If purchasing_disabled is true, this message should show on the storefront when the variant is selected.
    >= 0 characters<= 255 characters

  • upc    string or null

    The UPC code used in feeds for shopping comparison sites and external channel integrations.
    >= 0 characters<= 14 characters

  • image_url    string

    Publicly available image url

  • inventory_level    integer or null

    Inventory level for the variant, which is used when the product’s inventory_tracking is set to variant. The Catalog API returns the inventory for only the default location.

    The inventory for a variant cannot exceed 2,147,483,647 in the catalog. The sum of the variant inventories, or the total inventory for a product, cannot exceed 2,147,483,647.

    If you exceed the limit, the store sets the variant inventory to the limit if no other variant inventories are set. If other variant inventories are set, the store does not save the variant inventory rather than setting the variant inventory to the remaining limit.

    The Catalog API handles limits in a different way than the Inventory API. For more information, see Limit handling.

    Max: 2147483647

  • inventory_warning_level    integer or null

    When the variant hits this inventory level, it is considered low stock.
    Max: 2147483647

  • bin_picking_number    string or null

    Identifies where in a warehouse the variant is located.
    >= 0 characters<= 255 characters

  • mpn    string or null

    The Manufacturer Part Number (MPN) for the variant.

  • gtin    string or null

    >= 0 characters<= 14 characters
    Example: 012345678905

  • product_id    integer

  • sku    string

    >= 1 characters<= 255 characters

example

{
"cost_price": 0.1,
"price": 0.1,
"sale_price": 0.1,
"retail_price": 0.1,
"weight": 0.1,
"width": 0.1,
"height": 0.1,
"depth": 0.1,
"is_free_shipping": true,
"fixed_cost_shipping_price": 0.1,
"purchasing_disabled": true,
"purchasing_disabled_message": "string",
"upc": "string",
"image_url": "string",
"inventory_level": 2147483647,
"inventory_warning_level": 2147483647,
"bin_picking_number": "string",
"mpn": "string",
"gtin": "012345678905",
"product_id": 0,
"sku": "string"
}

Response

Body

object | application/json

  • data    object

  • meta    object

    Response metadata.

example

{
"data": {
"bin_picking_number": "0",
"calculated_price": 85,
"calculated_weight": 1,
"cost_price": 0,
"depth": 22,
"fixed_cost_shipping_price": 0,
"gtin": "",
"height": 14.6,
"id": 65,
"inventory_level": 0,
"inventory_warning_level": 0,
"is_free_shipping": false,
"map_price": 0,
"mpn": "TR-SML02",
"option_values": [],
"price": 89,
"product_id": 81,
"purchasing_disabled": true,
"purchasing_disabled_message": "This item is not available.",
"retail_price": 89,
"sale_price": 85,
"sku": "OTS",
"sku_id": 10,
"upc": "",
"weight": 1,

Delete a product variant

DELETE /catalog/products/{product_id}/variants/{variant_id}

Request

Deletes a product variant.

Authentication

  • X-Auth-Token in header

Parameters

  • store_hash in path - string
  • Accept in header with default of application/json - string
    required
    The MIME type of the response body.
  • product_id in path - integer
    required

    The ID of the Product to which the resource belongs. Product variant metafield endpoints that have the product_id in the request path are successful as long as the parameter is not empty. The product_id segment is there only for path consistency.

  • variant_id in path - integer
    required

    ID of the variant on a product, or on an associated Price List Record.

example

curl --request DELETE \
--url 'https://api.bigcommerce.com/stores/[store_hash]/v3/catalog/products/[product_id]/variants/[variant_id]' \
--header 'Accept: application/json' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--header 'X-Auth-Token: {{token}}'

Response

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