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Cascading Variants

Category: Products  ·  Min plan: Pro  ·  Slug: cascading-variants

Create dependent variant groups — e.g., Brand → Model. Child groups only appear when the parent option is selected.

Features​

  • Parent-child variant groups
  • Brand → Model cascading
  • Works with color and text variants
  • Compatible with variant stock tracking
  • Compatible with combination stock

When to use​

If you sell phone cases, car parts, replacement batteries, or anything where the customer flow is "pick a brand, then pick a compatible model", this add-on cleans up the variant picker:

  • Without it: every Brand×Model pair has to be its own product, or you accept long flat dropdowns where the customer can choose impossible combinations.
  • With it: Brand is shown first; once chosen, only the matching Model options are revealed.

How to activate​

  1. Open Dashboard → Add-ons at /dashboard/addons.
  2. Find Cascading Variants under the Products category.
  3. Click Activate (Pro plan required).
  4. Open any product at /dashboard/products/{id}/edit → the Variants section now exposes a Depends on picker for child groups.

Setup walkthrough​

  1. On a product, add a parent group like Brand with options Apple, Samsung, Xiaomi.
  2. Add a second group like Model.
  3. On the second group, set Depends on → Brand.
  4. For each Brand option, list the Models that apply.
  5. Save. The storefront will hide the Model picker until the customer picks a Brand, then show only matching models.

Compatibility​

  • Works with color, text, and image_text option types.
  • Stock tracking is preserved at every level: option stock, combination stock, or product stock — see Variants.
  • Multi-level cascades are supported: Brand → Model → Year. Each child group declares the immediate parent it depends on.

Tips​

  • Use image_text (small image + label) on the Model group so customers can visually distinguish look-alike model names.
  • Required groups should have Required turned on so customers cannot skip a level — server-side validation rejects checkouts with missing required selections, but JS validation alone is not enough.
  • If you switch to per-combination stock, generate the combinations after defining the cascade — only the valid (Brand, Model) pairs need a SKU.