---
title: "How do I set up variant pickers in the bundle widget?"
description: "Set up per-unit variant pickers, swatches and buttons, sold-out looks and pre-selected variants in the bundle widget, and fix theme variant sync issues."
url: "https://smart-bundles.io/help/bundles/variant-pickers"
updated: "2026-11-02"
product: "SMART Bundles App & Upsells"
section: "Help center / Bundles"
---


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

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](https://smart-bundles.io/help/getting-started/get-support) by chat or email.
- Products with more than 250 variants don't show the bundle widget.

Related: [Quantity break tiers](https://smart-bundles.io/help/bundles/quantity-break-tiers) and [Widget design and custom CSS](https://smart-bundles.io/help/bundles/widget-design-and-custom-css).

**Let shoppers pick a size for every unit** SMART Bundles App & Upsells is free on the Shopify App Store, with per-unit variant pickers and swatches included. [Install SMART Bundles App & Upsells on the Shopify App Store](https://apps.shopify.com/smart-automatic-discounts).

## Frequently asked questions

### Can a customer pick a different size for each item in a Buy 3 offer?

Yes. Keep **Pick a variant for each unit** on, and each unit gets its own picker.

### Do different variants count toward the same tier?

Yes. Variants of one product count together, unless you tick **Count each variant separately**.