StoreAutomator has 3 different product types: Single, Parent, and Child, and here are the major differences and aspects:
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A single product is a standalone product that can exist without parents or children.
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A Parent product is a group that contains a group of products that are the same in essence but have minor differences.
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A Child product is contained in a parent group, and they are different from each other as defined in “Option Sets”; e.g., a sports shoe is a parent product, and if this shoe has 3 colors and 10 size variations in option sets; that makes 30 children products of this parent.
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Child products exist in real life, while parents don’t.
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You can create a parent or single product while creating products from scratch.
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You can convert a single and a parent product to each other.
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You can only create child products if you work on a parent product by assigning options and adding variations.
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Single products have an ‘S’, Parent products have a ‘P,’ and child products have a ‘C’ incorporated in the third digit from right in their SKUs if the AUTO Sku feature uses when creating a product.
Assigning Options for Parent
You can create new products with the “Add Product” button located on the Menu > Inventory > Products page.
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Click on the “Add Product” button, located at the upper right-hand corner of the screen, to open the Product entry dialog box. The first thing you need to choose is that either this product will be a parent or a single one, and depending on this choice, the dialog box layout and information solicited changes.
Single product entry has the basic required fields: SKU, Product Id, Brand, Name, Price, Quantity.
Parent product entry has SKU, option sets, brand name, and price. You can use the search function and type the option set name in the text box and choose from the search results list.
2. When all required information is provided, click on Create and immediately on the Edit button to open the product entry page.
Options can be assigned to already created Parent products through the Options tab.
This process can be done on the Parent Product editing page: Menu > Inventory > Products,
1. Click on the Parent Products tab first, then click on the product you want to assign children.
2. Click on the Edit button towards the right-hand side of the product line to enter editing mode.
3. Click on the “Options” Tab and click on the “Add Variant” button towards the right-hand side of the screen. Once you create a variant for a parent product, the variants will be referred to as children products. In the next dialog box, there are two options:
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Create a new Variant: This will add variations to the current parent product. Possible variations are provided in the bottom under “Variation Select”; chose applicable variations for this child product,
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Convert A single product to a Variant: if you have entered a single product already and would like to convert this to a child of some parent product, go with this option. You can find the existing Single Product with the Search function's help, type the name, and select from the list. Select applicable variations of this child product,
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“Variation Select” text boxes are search fields, and when a letter is typed in, applicable variations can be viewed,
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If you cannot find the variation, you can type in the variant name, and it will be added to the current variation family. You can create an empty variation family and fill in applicable variations during product entry,
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If you can’t see the variation families you are looking for under “Variation Select,” you need to delete the parent product and start from scratch, creating the same product as Parent and assigning the correct variation families,
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When provided all the information required, click on “Create” and save your work