Product Variation
Also known as: variant, parent-child listing, variation family.
One version of a product that differs in a few attributes such as size or colour, usually grouped under a parent listing. Counts may refer to the parent or to a variant.
Synthetic dataExamples on this page use synthetic data created for illustration.
Definition
A product variation, or variant, is one version of a product that differs in a few attributes such as size or colour. Marketplaces often group variants under a parent listing that holds shared content, so counts of ratings, ranks and prices may refer to the parent or to one variant.
In plain terms
The parent holds the title, images and description; the variants (children) carry their own identifiers, prices and stock. Ratings are often pooled across the family, while price and availability are per variant. A rank may belong to the parent or to one variant, and the arrangement can change when sellers add or remove variants.
The practical rule is to decide the unit of analysis, parent or variant, and to record which one every number refers to. Mixing the two causes double counting and mismatched comparisons.
Example
A parent listing “Widget” has three variants (S, M, L) and 1,200 pooled ratings averaging 4.4.
| Variant | Price |
|---|---|
| S | 10 |
| M | 12 |
| L | 15 |
| Way of counting | Products | Ratings |
|---|---|---|
| By parent | 1 | 1,200 |
| By variant, with the pooled number copied onto each row and then summed | 3 | 3,600 (three times too many) |
Common misunderstandings
- “Each variant has its own reviews.” On many marketplaces ratings are pooled across the family.
- “A parent listing has a price.” The price belongs to a variant; a parent can only show a range.
- “The set of variants never changes.” Variants are added, merged and withdrawn; keep the history.
References
- ProductGroup . Schema.org.
- Item group ID [item_group_id] . Google Merchant Center Help.