Overview

Your guide to setting up variations the right way on Amazon US.

Amazon variations help shoppers browse related products through size, color, style, or pattern options.

This guide explains how to choose a variation theme, group products correctly, and avoid common variation errors, so your listings stay compliant and optimized when published via Streamoid.

Key Steps to Set Up Variations

Follow these essential steps to create Amazon-compliant variation families:

1. Understand Amazon Variation Themes

Variation themes differ across categories. Common examples include:

• Size

• Color

• Size-Color

• Style Name

• Pattern Name

• Material Type

Each category only supports specific themes. Choosing the wrong one causes rejections.

2. Identify Parent & Child Products

A valid variation family includes:

• One Parent SKU (non-buyable container)

• Multiple Child SKUs (individual purchasable products)

Parent product contains:

• Title

• Brand

• Category

• No price or inventory

Child products contain:

• Variation values (Size, Color, etc.)

• Images, price, inventory, attributes

3. Ensure Variation Consistency

Every child SKU must:

• Share the same parent category

• Belong to a single theme (for example, all based on color)

• Include the attribute value defined by the theme

• Have unique variation values (no duplicates)

4. Add All Required Images

Amazon strongly recommends:

• Parent-level collages or representative images

• Child-level images showing the variation (for example, color variant)

• High-resolution images (1000px+)

5. Fill Category-Level Required Fields

Depending on category, Amazon may require:

• Color map (for example, “Red”, “Blue”, “Black”)

• Pattern name

• Style name

• Item type keywords

• Size mapping (for example, “Small”, “Medium”, “Large”)

Missing these fields often leads to variation suppression.

6. Create the Variation Family in Seller Central

Go to Add a Product → Add Variations

• Select the variation theme

• Add parent SKU

• Add each child SKU with their unique values

• Upload child images

• Review for errors

• Submit for approval

7. Validate Your Variations

Check your final variation family for:

• Correct theme selection

• No duplicate values

• Accurate parent/child structure

• Proper image assignment

Variations typically go live in 15 minutes–6 hours depending on category.

How It Works (Inside Streamoid)

Streamoid automates variation setup and ensures Amazon compatibility:

1. Import products into Catalogix

2. AI identifies size, color, style, and pattern relationships

3. Automatically groups eligible SKUs into variation families

4. Applies the correct Amazon variation theme

5. Ensures all required variation attributes are complete

6. Validates and publishes variation families to Amazon US

Comparison Table