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Shopware variant inheritance explained: when variants inherit and when not

Shopware variant inheritance saves a lot of maintenance: whatever is set on the main product applies to all variants automatically, as long as a variant has no value of its own. Exactly this also causes the most puzzling errors in the shop, such as variants without images or with incomplete properties. This page explains how inheritance works, why it breaks and how PIM for Shopware makes inherited and own values visible.

Key facts
  • Inheritance works per field: empty means inherited, a value of its own decouples the field from the main product.
  • For lists such as images, properties and visibilities it is all or nothing.
  • Shopware always keeps product number and stock per variant.
  • The PIM shows inherited values in grey and offers copying and resetting to inheritance.

What variant inheritance means in Shopware

In Shopware a variant product consists of a main product and its variants, for example a T-shirt with variants per size and colour. Technically every variant is a product of its own but refers to its main product. If a field on the variant stays empty, Shopware uses the value of the main product. This applies to name, description, prices, manufacturer, tax class, delivery time, weight, dimensions and many other fields, custom fields included.

The key is the difference between empty and a value of its own. If you enter a price on the variant, that price is from then on the variant's price. If you raise the main product's price later, the variant keeps the old value. That is intended if one size should cost more, and annoying if the value was only set by mistake. If you clear the field on the variant again, it inherits once more.

Two fields never inherit: Shopware always keeps product number and stock per variant.

Shopware variant inheritance for images, properties and visibilities

For fields made up of several entries, inheritance follows the all-or-nothing principle. If a variant has no entries of its own, it shows all of the main product's. If it has even one of its own, that one replaces the inherited ones completely.

  • Images: a variant with its own colour image shows only that image, no longer the main product's gallery.
  • Properties: if an import writes two properties to a variant, all other properties of the main product are missing, such as material and care instructions. Filters in the shop then no longer find the variant.
  • Visibilities: if a sales channel is missing in a variant's own visibilities, the variant cannot be found there.
  • Tier prices: without its own tiers, those of the main product apply.

For texts there is a second level, the language. If a text is missing in a language, the default language applies; if it is missing on the variant, the main product applies. An empty variant name is therefore usually not an error but intentional.

Why variants suddenly stop inheriting

Inheritance almost always breaks through a write operation that leaves a value of its own on the variant:

  • Imports and interfaces often write values for every variant separately, even if they are identical to the main product.
  • Copy functions create values as own values. Afterwards the variants no longer follow later changes on the main product.
  • Manual editing of a single variant decouples exactly that field.

The tricky part: the variant looks right at first. The error only shows with the next change to the main product, which does not reach all variants.

How the PIM shows inherited and own values

PIM for Shopware makes the difference between inherited and own visible in several places:

  • Detail view of a variant: empty fields show the main product's inherited value in grey as a placeholder, inherited tags appear with the note "Inherited from master product".
  • Variant window and variant table: here too inherited values appear in grey in the field, select fields show the inherited entry with the addition "(Hauptartikel)". An empty selection deliberately resets the variant to inheritance.
  • Properties: groups and options that are attached only to a variant and not to the main product are marked with a note in the variant view.
  • Custom fields: if a variant gets its own custom field values when saving, a notice names the number of fields whose inheritance is removed as a result.
  • Completeness: dashboard and product list take inherited values into account. The filter for missing texts counts inherited texts as present but can be switched to the variant's own texts.

Copy or reset to inheritance

For repairs the PIM offers two deliberately different approaches:

  • Properties to variants (bulk edit, "Assignment" tab): "Reset to inheritance" removes the variants' own properties, and they follow the main product again afterwards. "Copy from main product" writes the properties as own values, useful if each variant should deviate afterwards. In the detail view, "Copy properties to variants" adds the main product's missing properties to variants that have their own properties.
  • Copy images to variants: creates the main product's images including order and cover image as own images on all variants that do not have their own yet. Variants with their own images stay unchanged.
  • Visibility to variants: replaces the variants' own visibilities with a copy of the main product's visibilities.
  • Transfer to variants in the detail view: copies selected fields such as price, delivery time, weight and dimensions or EAN as own values to all variants.

When duplicating a variant product, the PIM also asks which fields the variants of the copy should inherit: images, name, price, weight and EAN. Inherited fields follow the main product later, the others are copied as own values.

Rule of thumb: if a value should be the same for all variants and stay that way, inheritance is the better choice. Copying pays off if you want to deviate per variant afterwards. Keep in mind: after copying you have to transfer later changes on the main product again.
Video: the video on creating variants in PIM for Shopware shows how variants are created and maintained.

Use cases

  • Incomplete properties after an import: reset variants to inheritance with "Properties to variants".
  • Variants without images in listings: copy the main product's images to all variants without their own images.
  • A price increase does not arrive everywhere: spot variants with their own price in the variant table and clear the field.

Frequently asked questions

What is variant inheritance in Shopware?

Variants take over all values of the main product that they have not set themselves. A value of its own on the variant decouples the respective field.

Which fields do variants not inherit?

Shopware always keeps product number and stock per variant. Almost all other fields can be inherited.

Why is a variant missing properties of the main product?

If the variant has its own properties, they replace the inherited ones completely. In the PIM, "Reset to inheritance" puts the variant back on the properties of the main product.

How do I restore inheritance for a field?

Clear the field on the variant. For select fields in the PIM you choose the empty entry with the addition "(Hauptartikel)".

Is copying to variants the same as inheriting?

No. Copied values are own values of the variant and no longer follow later changes on the main product.

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