Multi-Variant Products

Also known as MVLs (multi-variant listings). These are products you can group together to create a listing on Trade Me which will allow the buyer to select a specific product from a group of options. Each option has its own listing.

How to create an MVL

Set up the common defaults

Creating an MVL works best if the products you want to group together already exist. Open the product you want to be the first product in the group and navigate to the Trade Me tab. Select the Add multi-variant button.

You will now be able to set up the default information for all the products in the MVL and then we will show you how to add each product as a variant to the MVL.

Give the MVL a group code. The Rule Name will be displayed on the sidebar tab.

The Listing Title, subtitle (optional), category and the Description will be common to each of the variant listings displayed on Trade Me. You can optionally add a default (Hero) photo. This will be used whenever a variant product does not have its own photo.

Create the selection options

For an MVL you can have up to 5 selection options on your Trade Me listing with up to 30 values in each option dropdown. This equates to a maximum of 150 variant products on each MVL.

In the Variant options section, create name(s) for your dropdown options (These appear as dropdowns in Trade Me). If you need more options then select the Add option button.

Now add the values for each of the dropdown options. You should be able to type these in and hit enter each time without firing the Save button.

The option names and values can be up to 100 chars in length, but remember these need to display within reason in Trade Me.

Now select the Generate variants button to create every possible variant product combination. A prompt will firstly ask you to assign the variant options to this product to get things set up with at least one variant.

Select Apply and you will then see a screen full of all the possible variants waiting for you to either assign a product or complete each row yourself.

Add my products as variants

It doesn’t matter if your products don’t exist already, but it is quicker to add them if they do. You don’t have to create every variant. Just select the trash can at the end of the row to delete any variants you don’t want.

If it is easier you can use the Filter to find the next variant to complete.

Alternatively, you can use the Code field on each variant row to search for a product. Just start typing and a shortlist of products will be displayed. If you leave the code blank but fill in some of the details on the row then a new product will automatically be created when you save the MVL. Any partially completed rows will be validated when you save. Any rows which are left completely blank will be discarded and not turned into products.

Add attributes to the variant products

As well as variant options you can also optionally add your own customised attributes to each variant product or to all your variant products. Select the + (plus) icon at the end of a variant row.

You can name your attribute anything you like. You can have up to 20 attributes and these can be common to every variant or individualised for each variant.

To collapse the attribute view and return to your variants, select the < (back arrow).

In Trade Me itself, your MVL will appear to be a single listing, but each product on the MVL has its own listing. So if your MVL has 4 products then 4 listings will be created. The listing displayed depends on the buyer search/selection and when the buyer views your MVL they will appear to seamlessly stay on the MVL with each selection of your MVL dropdown(s).

If you are a Store you can add a video to your MVL listing, but this can only be done by importing your products.

How do I make changes?

If you need to add more variants then select the Add Variant button. You can also add more option values at any time and this will re-display the Generate variants button so you can re-add the extra variants.

You can bulk change some things like Max Qty, Price, photos and auto-listing by selecting the blue pencil edit icons.

How do I delete the MVL?

You can delete a variant from the MVL at any time and this will not delete the product or the MVL.

To delete the MVL rule but not the products themselves, select the Rule options button and then the Delete rule option.

You can delete the products themselves if you wish from the Product List screen. If your products have inventory or they have had listings or sales then they will be archived instead of permanently deleted.

NB: you may need to go again and do one more final delete and clean up the lingering primary variant product.

What are the fees?

Even though your MVL is made up of many individual listings, when creating the MVL on Trade Me you will only pay once as if the MVL was a single listing. You will pay success fees on every individual product which sells.