List the real combinations before generating variations. For example, a shirt may exist in Small and Medium in blue but only Medium in red. Creating every possible combination can advertise items you do not stock. Decide whether inventory is shared at parent level or tracked for each variation.

1. Create or edit the product and select Variable product in Product data.
2. Add the relevant global or custom attributes and mark them for use in variations.
3. Save the attributes, then open the Variations section.
4. Create only the valid combinations, or generate combinations and carefully remove those that are not sold.
5. For each variation, set a valid price, availability and any specific SKU, image, shipping or tax details.
6. Save the variation changes, then update or publish the parent product.

Check whether an enabled variation exists for the complete selected combination and has a price and available stock. A parent attribute can list a term without a usable matching variation. Also check backorder rules and the store's out-of-stock visibility settings.

Wildcard-style Any values can match several combinations and create ambiguity with more specific variations. For a straightforward catalogue, define each variation explicitly. If you intentionally use broad matches, understand the matching order and test overlapping combinations so the selected price and stock are predictable.

Open the public product page, select each valid combination and add it to the cart. Confirm the chosen attributes appear in cart and order details, and that changing the selection updates price, image and availability correctly. Check at least one invalid or out-of-stock combination as well.

Keep a stable SKU strategy and a record of variation-specific stock. Large bulk actions can affect every variation immediately, so back up before substantial changes and test a small sample. When adding a new attribute later, review how it changes existing combinations rather than regenerating the entire product without preserving the established variation relationships.

• Creating product attributes for a WooCommerce catalogue
• Setting variation prices and stock correctly
• Configuring product reviews and verified-owner labels
• Creating a downloadable product and testing file delivery

• WooCommerce: Variable Product
• WooCommerce: Managing Product Taxonomies
• WooCommerce: Product Editor Settings