How do I set up variant pickers in the bundle widget?

Updated November 2, 2026 · SMART Bundles App & Upsells (E-TRADE PARTNER)

Variant pickers are on in new bundles. On the bundle's Settings tab, under Variant pickers, choose whether each unit gets its own picker, how each option shows (dropdown, buttons, color or image swatches, variant images or hidden) and how sold-out values look.

The main settings

Open the bundle in SMART Discounts and go to Settings tab > Variant pickers:

• Show variant pickers (on). Under it: Show the picked variant's thumbnail, Pick a variant for each unit and Collapse variant pickers, which folds an offer's pickers into one line until the shopper opens them.
• Pick a variant for each unit (on in new bundles): a Buy 3 card shows three pickers, one per unit. It works on Quantity breaks, Mix and match and Buy X, get Y; Complete the bundle rows have their own checkbox.
• Hide theme variant picker hides your theme's own picker.
• Sold out values: Shown, Faded (default), Crossed out or Hidden.
• Require a variant choice before Add to cart: shoppers must pick every option first.
• Count each variant separately: quantity tiers count each variant on its own, so 2 red and 1 blue don't make 3. It shows while the bundle has a Quantity breaks offer and can't be used with Pick a variant for each unit.

Swatches and buttons

1. Under Options ("Pick how each product option shows"), each option, such as Color or Size, has a select: Dropdown, Buttons, Color swatches, Image swatches, Variant images or Hidden ("No picker. The first available value is used.").
2. For Color swatches or Image swatches, click Edit values. The "<option> values" window has a live preview. Fill from Shopify copies your Shopify swatch colors; each value can also get its own color or image. Values without an image use the variant image. Click Apply.
3. Tick Show in a dropdown to open the swatches from a dropdown list, which suits long lists and one picker per unit.
4. With a Collections or All products target, type an Option name and click Add to style an option (up to 20).
5. Style the pickers on the Design tab > Element styles > Variant pickers.

Sold-out values and missing combinations

• A sold-out value can't be picked. It shows faded, crossed out or as normal, per Sold out values, or is left out with Hidden. Dropdowns add "(Sold out)".
• When a value has no variant at all with the shopper's other picks (a gap in your variants), it gets the same sold-out look but can still be picked. Picking it moves the other options to a variant that exists.

Pre-selected variants

• On an offer card, the Pre-selected variant row has Set pre-selected variants, with a row per unit (#1, #2 and so on) when each unit has its own picker. It shows when the bundle targets one product with several variants, and on Quantity breaks and Mix and match offers whose products have an option with 2 or more values. Alternative product offers don't have it.
• Complete the bundle rows have their own Pre-selected variant select (Any or one variant).
• A link to a specific variant (?variant= in the URL) wins over the pre-selected variant when the page opens.

When the widget and the theme disagree

• A variant picked in the theme's picker flows into the widget for every unit the shopper hasn't picked one by one. Alternative product cards keep their own product.
• Update the theme gallery to the selected variant (Settings tab > Theme integration, on by default) shows the widget's pick in your gallery; Follow the item picked last follows the last unit changed.
• If the widget shows a different variant than the theme, often on themes that redraw the product form, let the widget control the choice: keep Show variant pickers on and tick Hide theme variant picker.
• With the widget's pickers off and the theme picker hidden, shoppers can't change the variant: each offer adds its pre-selected variant, or the one already on the page.
• On a heavily customized theme, the app's main Settings > Theme selectors > Variant picker tells the widget where your picker is. Still stuck? Get support by chat or email.
• Products with more than 250 variants don't show the bundle widget.

Related: Quantity break tiers and Widget design and custom CSS.

Frequently asked questions