How to Link Shopify Variants to the Designer

When you sell products with variants in Shopify, you can configure the designer to automatically load the matching customization when a customer selects a variant. This guide uses color variants as the example — the most common use case — but the same process applies to any variant type that requires separate customizations.

Prerequisites

• Your Shopify product already has variants set up.
• You have created at least one base customization in the app, including all views you need (e.g., front and back).

Step 1: Create One Customization per Variant

You will need a separate customization for each variant that has unique features (like a different color). The easiest way is to duplicate your existing one.

1. Go to the Customizations tab in the app.
2. Open the additional options (three dots on the right) for your base customization and click "Duplicate."
3. Rename the copy to reflect the variant — for example, "T-Shirt – Red". Also, remember to replace the thumbnail images.
4. Open the copy in the Product Builder.
5. Replace the product mockup image in each view with the correct image for that variant.
6. Repeat for every variant.

Step 2: Link Variants in the Shopify Products Tab

Once all customizations are ready, connect each one to its Shopify variant.

1. Navigate to the Shopify Products tab in the app.
2. Find your product and click the variant dropdown to expand the full variant list.
3. For each variant, select the matching customization from the Assigned Customizations dropdown next to it.
4. Assign a default customization to the product itself as well. This is what loads if no specific variant match is found.
5. To assign the same customization to multiple variants at once, select those variants and click the "Assign Customization" button at the top of the variant list.

Theme Compatibility

Variant switching requires your Shopify theme to update the page URL when a customer selects a variant. Most standard themes do this by default. If variants are not loading the correct customization, your theme may not support this behavior — reach out to us via the in-app chat and we will help you investigate.

Prefer Handling Colors Inside the Designer?

If you would rather manage color changes within a single customization — for example, using colorizable layers or a color palette — see the Colorization Methods & Setup article.

Updated on: 20/03/2026