Getting Started

Install VariantIQ, create your first template, and activate the App Block on your product pages — in about 15 minutes.

Step 1 — Install the App

1. Find VariantIQ in the Shopify App Store or follow the install link from your welcome email.
2. Click Install and approve the requested permissions.
3. You'll be redirected to the VariantIQ Manager inside your Shopify admin.

On first load, VariantIQ automatically creates a hidden system product called VariantIQ Options Fee in your store. This product is used to represent price adjustments in the cart. Do not delete it.

Don't delete the Options Fee product

If the VariantIQ Options Fee product is deleted, dynamic pricing will stop working. VariantIQ will recreate it on the next dashboard load, but any in-progress customer carts may show incorrect totals.

Step 2 — Create a Template

A Template is a reusable set of custom fields. For example, you might create a "T-Shirt Customization" template with fields for "Custom Name", "Number", and "Logo Upload".

1. In the VariantIQ dashboard, click the Templates tab.
2. Enter a name for your template (e.g. T-Shirts) and click Create.
3. You'll be taken to the Template Editor.

Step 3 — Add Fields

Inside the Template Editor, click + Add Field to add your first custom field.

For each field, you'll configure:

• Field Type — Dropdown, text box, color swatch, file upload, checkbox, date picker, and more. See Fields for the full list.
• Label — The label shown to customers (e.g. "Custom Name").
• Options — For choice-based fields, the values customers can select.
• Price Adjustment — An optional surcharge (positive or negative) applied to specific options.
• Required — Whether the customer must fill in this field before adding to cart.

Drag the ≡ handle on any field to reorder them. Click Save Template when done.

Step 4 — Link Products

With the template saved, go to the Products tab inside the template.

1. Click Add Products.
2. Search and select the products that should use this template.
3. Click Add.

The same template can be linked to hundreds of products. Changes you make to the template (adding fields, updating options, adjusting prices) automatically apply to all linked products.

Link by product or variant

You can link a template at the product level (applies to all variants) or use separate templates for different product types. For very large catalogs, consider using Global Datasets to manage option lists centrally.

Step 5 — Activate the App Block

Before your fields appear to customers, you must add the VariantIQ Custom Fields block to your product page template.

1. In Shopify admin, go to Online Store → Themes.
2. Click Customize on your active theme.
3. Using the top dropdown, navigate to Products → Default product.
4. In the left sidebar, find the Product information section and click + Add block.
5. Under Apps, select VariantIQ Custom Fields.
6. Drag the block above the Add to cart button.
7. Click Save.

Your custom fields are now live on any product linked to a VariantIQ template.

Using a non-standard product template?

If you use custom product templates for specific products (e.g. product.bundle), repeat Step 5 for each additional product template that needs VariantIQ fields.

Step 6 — Test on the Storefront

1. Open any linked product on your storefront.
2. You should see your custom fields above the Add to Cart button.
3. Select options and add to cart — any price adjustments appear as a separate line item from the VariantIQ Options Fee product.

If fields aren't appearing, see the Troubleshooting guide.

Next Steps

Guide	What you'll learn
Fields	All available field types and configuration options
Conditional Rules	Show/hide fields based on customer selections
Global Datasets	Manage large option lists centrally
Billing & Plans	What's included in Free vs. Pro