Product and variant

A product is the shared model card

A product groups information that applies to the model as a whole: its main name, description, brand, categories, groups, and shared images.

For example, Wave Bracelet is a product.

A variant is a specific inventory item

A variant represents a version that can be tracked separately. It has its own SKU, prices, characteristics, optional images, and stock. A variant may also have its own description when versions differ by more than a few parameters.

During import, the website summary is proposed for the Product description and the full text for the Variant description. If only a full description exists, it is proposed in both fields. Variant description can be edited or cleared independently; it is optional, limited to 2,000 characters, and does not affect activation readiness. Refreshing linked cards does not overwrite catalog text: missing descriptions are supplemented only after preview and confirmation in the import project.

For example:

• Wave Bracelet · Silver is one variant;
• Wave Bracelet · Gold is another variant.

Every variant has its own SKU and inventory movement history.

You can add images from an expanded card of a saved variant by selecting files or dragging them into the upload area. The images remain linked to the variant but also appear in the shared product gallery. The image limit is shared by the product and all its variants.

Technical photos

The expanded card of a saved variant has a separate Technical photos section. It is for internal images that help staff identify a specific item. These photos never appear in the catalog, shared gallery, imports, or exports.

Each variant can hold up to 10 images, with a maximum size of 5 MB per file. Select several files or drag them into the upload area; each file is uploaded independently, so one failure does not undo the other photos. Archived cards provide view-only access. Removal requires confirmation and is permanent.

Unique items

A one-of-a-kind item is still modeled as a product with one variant. Its stock is usually 0 or 1. This keeps catalog rules consistent and allows prices, images, and movements to work without special exceptions.

A simple rule

Create a new product when the model itself changes. Add a new variant when it is another sellable version of the same model and needs separate stock or a separate SKU.

Bulk activation of drafts

In the catalog, select several products and choose «Активировать». Before changing data, Sklads checks every draft and shows how many products and variants are ready. A blocked card identifies the product, variant or SKU, and the reason that needs correction.

After you confirm «Активировать готовые», the system activates every non-archived draft variant of a ready product and then activates the product. This is one operation per product: if any variant or the product fails validation, no lifecycle status inside that card changes. Other ready products in the same selection may still complete successfully.

The preview does not change the catalog. The system repeats all checks before saving, so a price, category, or other required field changed after the preview is reflected during confirmation.

Bulk brand and category changes

Select products in the catalog. To select a continuous range, click the first product checkbox, then hold Shift and click the last; use the same gesture to clear a whole range. On wide screens, the editor replaces the new-product panel on the right without moving the list; on narrow screens, it appears above the selected cards. Unsaved new-product fields are preserved when you clear the selection.

Choose one operation in Action: activate, archive, move to drafts, assign or remove a brand or primary category. For assignment, select an active brand or active leaf category, then choose Review changes and confirm the preview. For example, assign a brand to several imported cards, then assign “Clothing” in a separate operation.

Removal is an explicit action, not an empty dropdown value. A primary category can only be removed from drafts; restore archived products to drafts first. Other fields and lifecycle status are not changed automatically. Already matching values are skipped. Each run handles up to 500 products, with changed, skipped and failed outcomes. Successful changes remain saved after a partial failure: review the result before retrying.

Calculate prices from reference rates

In a variant's prices section, choose Calculate from rate and select a currency that already has at least one price. Sklads calculates missing RSD, EUR, and RUB values only within the same price type. Existing prices are preserved, and retail, sale, wholesale, and cost prices are never derived from one another.

Before saving, a preview shows the source and calculated amounts, rate dates, and skipped fields. Rates come from Frankfurter, which aggregates reference rates from central banks and official sources. The calculation may differ from a bank or payment provider rate and is not a financial quote.

If a fresh rate is temporarily unavailable, Sklads may offer a stored rate up to seven days old. A stale rate is clearly marked and requires separate acknowledgement. Saved prices remain fixed and do not follow later rate changes automatically. If a source price changes after preview, run the calculation again.