Articles on: Synchronization

✚ How to create a new variant from Airtable with SyncBase?

Good news — you can create new Shopify variants directly from Airtable using SyncBase.

This allows you to manage product options (Size, Color, etc.) without going back to Shopify.

In this guide, you’ll learn the correct method to create a variant and avoid common mistakes.

Before you start

Make sure:

SyncBase is installed on your Shopify store
You have generated your Airtable sync base
Your Products and Variants tables are visible and synced

How variant creation works

Shopify requires a Product ID to create a variant.

If this value is missing when the record is created, Shopify will reject the request.

⚠️ This means you cannot create a blank record and fill it later. The required fields must be filled at the moment the record is created.

Step-by-step: Create a new variant

1. Copy the Product ID

Go to your Products table in Airtable.

Find the product where you want to add a variant
Copy its Product ID

2. Create a new record in the `Variants` table

You must create the record with required fields already filled.

Minimum required fields:

Product ID
All Option values which are set for this Product (example: XL, Red, 128GB…)

⚠️ You can have 1, 2 or 3 Options set for your Product ( For example: "Size" only or "Size, Colour" or "Size, Colour, Storage"). Make sure to double check how many Option values you need to fill in. They all need to be completed or the Variant cannot be created.

You can create this properly using:

Airtable Forms
Airtable Automations
Airtable Scripts
Custom Interfaces

3. Wait a few seconds

SyncBase sends the request to Shopify automatically.

If everything is correct:

A Variant ID will appear in your new record
A new entry will also be created in the Variants Metafields table

4. (optional)Confirm in Shopify

Open the product in Shopify.

Your new variant should now be visible and live.

Fields you can fill during creation

Do not fill Variant ID & Variant Name. These values are automatically generated by Shopify.

You may also set these fields when creating the variant:

Price
Compare At Price
SKU
Barcode
Option 1, Option 2, Option 3 (if they exist at product level)

Creating Variants linked to Metafields

For advanced Shopify setups, variants can be connected to Metafields to create highly custom configurations.

These linked Variants can be created in Shopify and edited from Airtable.

To add linked variants directly from Airtable, a highly individual, custom Airtable setup is required. The Metafields are connected via reference values, and this logic must be properly reflected in your Airtable variant creation process (see Metafield reference values).

Our experienced in-house Airtable experts can assist you or build it for you in a paid studio mission. Please reach out in the live chat for a custom proposal.

Good to know

⚠️ When creating your first variant on a product, you may notice a deletion event Airtable. This is expected. Shopify automatically creates a hidden "default" variant for every product that has no variants. When you add your first real variant, Shopify deletes this default variant in the background. This is normal Shopify behaviour and does not affect your data.

Need help with advanced automation?

If you’d like to build a custom workflow (bulk creation, approval pipeline, automation setup…), our team can help.

Simply reach out via the in-app live chat and explain your use case — we’ll guide you or prepare a custom setup proposal.

Updated on: 04/06/2026

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