# How to Show Product Options and Variants > Show each choice before the buyer adds a product to the cart. If “Large” costs more than “Small,” show the large jar’s photo, price and stock status as soon as the buyer selects it. Make unavailable choices clear instead of letting buyers discover the problem at checkout. - Type: Merchant guide - Level: Intermediate - Reading time: About 4 minutes - Audience: Written for store owners, builders, and designers refining high-performance ecommerce stores. - Last updated: 2026-11-04 - Canonical page: https://academy.getzenbasket.com/merchant-questions/how-to-show-product-options-and-variants/ - Part of: [Merchant Questions](https://academy.getzenbasket.com/merchant-questions/) on ZenBasket Academy --- ## What you need to know ### What is an option, and what is a variant? An option is a choice presented to the buyer, such as size or color. A variant is the specific item selected, such as the large version of a product. That version may have a separate stock count, image, or price. A descriptive attribute, such as material, need not be a choice at all. Put the measurement beside “Small” and “Large” so a gift buyer knows which item will arrive. ### How many variants are too many? There is no universal limit. There are too many choices when a buyer cannot tell them apart, or you cannot keep each version’s price and stock correct. If you offer many combinations of options, such as several scents, sizes, containers and labels, consider whether some belong in separate product pages or a guided custom-order flow. Do not make a shopper choose details that do not change what they receive. Remove unnecessary steps. ### What if one version sells out? Show that the specific version is unavailable. If you have no large version in stock, the small version may still be for sale. Do not let the buyer add “Large” and then reveal at checkout that it cannot be supplied. Offer a real alternative or a verified waitlist option when available. Never promise a restock date unless it is known. ### Should each variant have a separate URL? A URL is a page’s web address. Separate addresses may help when two versions need different product pages; they are not necessary just because the buyer can choose a size. Two sizes of the same product may work as choices on one page; very different products may need separate pages. Check how the chosen platform handles links, product data, and search indexing before changing URL structure. Google has specific guidance for describing product variants to search systems. Machine-readable variant details should agree with the visible selection and its actual offer. --- ## Frequently asked questions ### Should the image change when the buyer changes color? Yes, when the selected color changes the appearance. Show the version they will receive. ### Can a variant have a different price? It can. Update the displayed price when the buyer selects that version, before they add it to the cart. ## Related articles - **How to Write Product Titles, Descriptions and Specifications** - **What Makes a Good Ecommerce Product Page?** - **How to Handle Product Stock and Availability** - [ZenBasket Build Guide](https://help.getzenbasket.com/zenbasket-builder/)