IMPORTANT
Because Kickflip can't keep track of all the different option groups on Shopify products, it is only possible to create new variants on products with ONE option group.
Option 1: Link to an existing Shopify variant
Use this option when the Shopify variant already exists and inventory is already managed in Shopify.
Common use cases
You already sell the product outside of Kickflip.
The variant already has inventory and order history.
When creating the corresponding Kickflip variants, simply link each Kickflip variant to the matching Shopify variant.
Benefits
No duplicate products created.
Existing inventory is preserved.
Existing reporting and order history remain intact.
Inventory updates automatically through Shopify.
How your data will be linked
Option 2: Create a new variant under an existing Shopify product
Use this option when the Shopify product already exists, but the specific variant needed by Kickflip does not.
Common use cases
Expanding an existing product line.
Adding new customizable combinations.
Keeping all variants grouped under a single Shopify product.
Benefits
Keeps all variants under a single Shopify product.
Inventory remains centralized.
Product organization remains clean for merchants.
How your data will be linked
Option 3: Create an unlisted product
Use this option when the variant should only be purchased through the Kickflip customizer.
What is an unlisted product?
An unlisted product is a Shopify product that is created by Kickflip but is not intended to be displayed or sold directly through your storefront. Customers will only access these variants through the customization experience.
The product exists in Shopify for:
Inventory tracking
Order processing
Fulfillment
Reporting
But it does not need to appear in collections, navigation menus, or search results.
Common use cases
Thousands of possible customization combinations.
Made-to-order products.
Products that should only be available through the configurator.
Complex custom products that would clutter the storefront if displayed individually.
Benefits
Keeps the storefront clean.
Supports highly configurable products.
Enables inventory tracking for custom combinations.
Prevents customers from purchasing incomplete configurations outside the customizer.
Bulk actions
Bulk actions allow you to link multiple Kickflip variants to Shopify at the same time, reducing the amount of manual work required when setting up Inventory Sync. All 3 options above can be applied with bulk actions.
To use Bulk actions:
Open the Variants page.
Select one or more variants using the checkboxes.
Click Bulk Actions. (A window will appear)
Choose the desired action and click the "Link" button
In this case, when bulk linking, the user would chose the "default" option. All 3 variants will deduce the inventory from this specific product when bought.
In this case, when bulk linking, the user would chose the "Add new variant to product" option. All 3 variants will be created under the product and will have a separate inventory.
Note : Bulk actions can also be used to unlink multiple variants at once with the "Unlink variants" option.
Default variant
In Shopify, every product has at least one variant. When a product does not have multiple options (such as Size, Color, or Material), Shopify automatically creates a hidden variant called the Default Variant.
Although this variant may not be visible on the storefront or in some Shopify screens, it still exists and can be linked to Kickflip. This means that all Shopify products can be connected to Inventory sync, regardless of whether they have multiple variants or not.