Documentation

Set up StoreFlow Variant Discovery with confidence

Follow the standard setup, choose how options appear, apply your presentation, and test it before publishing.

Getting started

  1. 1. Install through Shopify. Open StoreFlow Variant Discovery from your Shopify Admin after installation.
  2. 2. Enable the Theme App Embed. In the Shopify theme editor, open App embeds, enable StoreFlow Variant Discovery, and save.
  3. 3. Choose a Built-in Theme or create a Custom Theme. Review the interactive sample preview while configuring presentation settings.
  4. 4. Apply the theme. Apply it globally, to selected Collections, or to individual Products.
  5. 5. Test before publishing. Verify product options, price, media, URL, selected variant, native purchasing controls, and product cards on an unpublished theme.

Presentation modes

Auto

Selects the clearest supported presentation from available option data.

Image Swatch

Uses reliable option imagery when every required value has a usable, non-duplicated image.

Color Swatch

Presents Color or Colour values visually.

Text Button

Turns values such as size or style into selectable buttons.

Dropdown

Keeps long or complex option lists compact on product pages.

If image data is incomplete or unreliable, Auto falls back to another supported presentation. If StoreFlow Variant Discovery cannot safely apply an App control, the Shopify theme’s native presentation remains available whenever possible.

Built-in and Custom Themes

Built-in Themes are read-only presets. Apply one directly, or choose Customize to create an independent Custom Theme based on it. The original preset does not change.

Custom Themes are reusable configurations that you can create, edit, duplicate, apply, disable, or delete. A store can maintain up to eight Custom Themes. Disabling a theme and deleting a theme are different actions.

Application scope and priority

On an actual Collection page, settings are resolved in this order: Product → Collection → Global → Shopify native presentation.

In a Featured collection section, settings are resolved in this order: Product → Global → Shopify native presentation. Collection-specific settings apply only while shoppers are viewing the selected Collection page. A Featured collection section does not automatically inherit the Collection-specific Theme for the Collection it displays.

Each Product or Collection can have only one directly applied theme at a time. If you apply another theme to the same target, that target is transferred to the new theme after confirmation.

Product pages

On supported product pages, StoreFlow Variant Discovery presents radio or select-based option groups through your chosen mode. App controls synchronize with the theme’s native variant controls so the theme can continue managing product media, price, URL, variant ID, availability, and the product form.

Product cards

Supported product cards in initial Dawn or Horizon Collection Product Grids and supported standard Dawn or Horizon Featured collection sections can display Image, Color, or Text option controls. Long option lists appear in one horizontal option rail. Variant selection may update the supported card’s image, link, and simple price display.

StoreFlow Variant Discovery focuses on variant presentation and selection synchronization. Your Shopify theme continues to control product forms, native Quick Add or Choose options, Add to cart, cart, and checkout.

Other unvalidated product-card surfaces, such as recommended products, search results, dynamically inserted grids, or custom theme sections, may retain the theme’s native presentation.

Testing and rollback

Theme versions, customizations, and third-party apps can affect storefront compatibility. Test StoreFlow Variant Discovery on an unpublished theme before enabling it on your published storefront whenever practical.

After replacing, updating, or significantly customizing your theme, re-check the StoreFlow Variant Discovery App Embed and test product options, selected variants, media, price, links, and native purchasing controls again.

If the storefront does not behave as expected

Turn off the StoreFlow Variant Discovery App Embed in Shopify’s Theme Editor and save. StoreFlow Variant Discovery controls will stop loading. Verify that the theme’s native variant and purchasing controls work correctly before publishing.

Troubleshooting

App controls do not appear

Confirm the Theme App Embed is enabled and saved for the theme you are testing. Then verify that a theme is applied to the relevant scope.

Native controls remain visible

The page structure may be unsupported or unconfirmed, or the applied mode may not have reliable data. Review compatibility and test without conflicting variant apps.

Image Swatches are unavailable

Check that each option value has a reliable, unique image source. Incomplete or duplicate image data triggers a safer fallback.

A theme update changed behavior

Re-test the updated theme. Theme markup and variant lifecycles can change between versions.

For help, include your store URL, theme name and version, affected URL, presentation mode, screenshots, and recent theme changes. Contact support →

Uninstalling

Before uninstalling, disable the Theme App Embed and verify the storefront. After the App is removed, StoreFlow Variant Discovery controls should no longer load and the theme’s native presentation should remain. Shopify billing cancellation is subject to Shopify’s applicable billing terms.