Frequently asked questions
Search the questions merchants ask us most, or browse by topic. Each answer is short and links to the full step-by-step guide.
83 of 83 questions
Getting set up
I installed the app but nothing changed on my store.
Two quick steps put swatches live: add the Color swatches block to your product template, and turn on the Collection swatches app embed. Both buttons are on the app's Dashboard, under Where swatches appear.
Read the guide: Why can't I see swatches on my product page?
How do I add swatches to my product page?
On the Dashboard, click Add to product page. The theme editor opens with the Color swatches block ready: place it just above your theme's variant picker and click Save.
I can't find the Color swatches block in the theme editor.
Use Add to product page on the Dashboard: it opens the right product template with the block ready to add. The block needs an Online Store 2.0 theme.
How do I show swatches on my collection pages?
Turn on the Collection swatches app embed. On the Dashboard click Enable on theme, switch it on under App embeds and click Save.
The Dashboard says Not added, but I already added the block.
Not added usually means the block is on an unpublished theme, or on a different product template than the one your published theme uses. Add it to the product template of your published theme and save.
What does Unknown mean on the Dashboard?
The app couldn't read your theme's settings. It doesn't mean swatches are off: open a product page on your store to check.
I have thousands of products. Will the app work?
Yes, there is no product limit. The app reads your catalog page by page and keeps going until it reaches the end, so a large store only means the first sync takes longer. You can keep working while it runs.
What does We couldn't finish updating your catalog mean?
A background update of your catalog failed, so the app is still working from the last version it read. Click Retry in the banner. If it keeps coming back, click Chat with us.
What does Your storefront is out of date mean?
Your settings saved in the app but couldn't be published to your store, which still shows the previous version. Save again; if the banner stays, click Chat with us.
Do I need to prepare anything before installing?
Only an Online Store 2.0 theme and products with variants, such as Color or Size. The app reads your catalog and maps colours by itself.
Swatches not showing
Swatches show on some products but not on others.
Usually the product is outside your coverage in Where it applies, has only a single default variant, or one of its options uses the Theme default style.
Read the guide: Why can't I see swatches on my product page?
I still see my theme's dropdown instead of swatches.
The app leaves a product to your theme when the block isn't on the template, the product is outside your coverage, or an option uses Theme default. It also brings the theme's picker back if swatches can't load within about two seconds.
Read the guide: Why do I see my theme's picker instead of swatches?
Both my theme's picker and the swatches show at the same time.
Your theme builds its picker in a way the app doesn't recognise yet, so it can't hide it. We fix this per theme: click Chat with us and send your theme name and a product link.
Read the guide: Why do I see my theme's picker instead of swatches?
Can I delete my theme's variant picker so it doesn't show?
Please keep it. The app hides the theme's picker and uses it behind the scenes to switch variants and add the right item to the cart. Removing it breaks add to cart.
Will the app break my add to cart?
No. Tapping a swatch selects the same value in your theme's own picker, and your theme handles price, images and cart as usual.
The wrong variant is added to the cart.
Check that the theme's variant picker is still in the product template and that there's only one Color swatches block. If it keeps happening, click Chat with us with your theme name and a product link.
My product has no swatches. It only has one variant.
A product with a single default variant has nothing to choose, so no swatches appear. If each colour is a separate product, link them with a product group.
Catalog and options
I added a new product or colour but it isn't in the app.
Give it a few seconds and refresh: the app picks up product edits from Shopify on its own. If it is still missing, click Sync options & swatches on the Dashboard to re-read the whole catalog.
Read the guide: Why is a new product or colour missing in the app?
Why are Color and Couleur listed as separate options?
Options are merged by name, so the same option in another language is a separate row with its own style. Give both rows the same style to make them match.
What do the Auto, Ready and Missing badges mean?
Auto: you haven't saved a style for the option yet. Ready: every value has a colour or image. Missing: some values still need one; click Edit to set them.
Why do my colour options show product photos instead of colours?
Colour options start on Variant image, which shows each variant's photo. Switch the option to Color swatch in Options to show your mapped colours instead.
Colours and images
Some colours show as blank or empty swatches.
An empty swatch means that value has no colour or image yet. Open Options, click Edit on the option, tick Show missing only and set a colour for each value.
How do I change the colour of a swatch?
Go to Options, click Edit on the option, click Colour on the value's row, pick the colour, click Apply and then Save.
The app picked the wrong colour for one of my values.
Automatic colours come from the value's name, so a creative name can land on the wrong shade. Set the right colour by hand on the option's Values page; the app never overwrites a colour you set.
How do I show two colours on one swatch, like Black / White?
In the Choose colour window, pick Two colours and set Color 1 and Color 2. The swatch is split in half; change the split direction in the style's settings.
Can I use a fabric pattern or texture as a swatch?
Yes. On the option's Values page, click Image to pick a file from Shopify Files, or Upload one (JPG or PNG, up to 2 MB), then Save.
Can a swatch show the product photo instead of a colour?
Yes. Set the option's style to Variant image (or Polaroid) and leave Swatch image on Auto. Each swatch then shows the variant's own photo.
My photo swatches look blurry.
Variant photos load at 120 px by default to keep pages fast. Raise Photo sharpness to Sharp (240px) or Very sharp (480px) in the style's Advanced settings.
The same colour name looks different on each product.
A colour you set is shared by every product with that value. When shades differ per product, use the Variant image style so each product shows its own photo.
My swatch image won't upload.
Swatch images must be JPG or PNG and under 2 MB. If the Shopify file picker doesn't open, use the Upload button instead.
I don't see the Suggest colours button.
Suggest colours only appears when some missing values have common colour names the app recognises. Set other colours by hand.
Styles
How do I change swatches from square to circle?
Open Styles, click Customize on the style your option uses, choose Circle under Shape and save. Every option using that style updates.
How do I make the swatches bigger or smaller?
In Styles, open the style and pick an Overall size: Compact, Standard, Large or Extra large. Fine-tune exact pixels under Advanced.
Can I use a dropdown for sizes?
Yes. Set the Size option's Product page style to Dropdown in Options and save. Dropdowns are available on product pages.
I edited one style and several options changed.
Styles are shared, so every option using a style updates together. To change one option only, Duplicate the style, edit the copy and assign it to that option.
Read the guide: Why did editing one style change several options?
How do I create my own style?
In Styles, open a built-in style's menu and click Duplicate (or Create style), adjust it, save, then assign it in Options.
I can't delete a style.
Built-in styles can't be deleted, and your own styles can only be deleted once no option uses them. Give those options another style in Options first.
How do I change the selected border colour or the hover effect?
Open the style, expand Advanced and use Selected & hover: selected colour, border width, hover shadow, zoom and lift.
I have too many colours and the row is very long.
In the style's settings, under When there are many values, choose Compact +N (a few values, then a +N button) or Scroll (one sideways row).
Can I show the price next to each size?
Yes. On product page styles, turn on Show a price on each value, or use the Button with price style. It shows the lowest price for that value.
How do I turn the colour name tooltip on or off?
In the style's Labels section, switch Show the value name on hover. Tooltip colours and size are under Advanced.
Can I match the swatches to my brand colours?
Borders, button colours, text case and weight, spacing and tooltips are all in a style's Advanced section. For anything beyond that, add Custom CSS in Settings.
Product page
A sold-out variant isn't shown as sold out.
The app follows Shopify: a variant that doesn't track inventory, or that has Continue selling when out of stock turned on, counts as available. Check those settings on the variant.
How do I hide sizes that don't exist in the selected colour?
In Settings, under Product page, set Unavailable combination behavior to Hide (or Fade) and save.
Can I show a message like Only 3 left in stock?
Yes. In Settings, under Stock urgency, tick Show a low-stock message, write it with {n} where the quantity goes, set the threshold and save.
The low-stock message doesn't show.
It only shows when the selected variant tracks inventory and has between 1 and your threshold left. Check the variant's inventory settings and your threshold.
How do I remove the Color: text above the swatches?
In Settings, under Variant picker defaults, set Option label line to Value only, Name only or Hidden, and save. You can change the separator too.
Product cards
Swatches show on collection pages but not on my home page.
Each page type is switched on separately. In Where it applies, under Product cards, tick Home page and save.
Read the guide: Why do swatches show on collections but not on the home page?
Can I show sizes on product cards too?
Yes. In Options, choose a style in the Size row's Collection page picker and save. One option per card usually keeps grids cleanest.
How do I hide an option from product cards?
In Options, set the option's Collection page style to Hidden and save. It stays on product pages.
Cards show 5 swatches and then +N. Can I show more?
Yes. Open the card style in Styles (Product cards tab) and move Max swatches per product, anywhere from 3 to 20.
Can a click on a card swatch open the product page?
Yes. In Settings, under Product cards, change Click behavior to Go to product page and save. The page opens with that colour selected.
The card image doesn't change when I click a swatch.
Switch product image uses variant images, so the variant needs its own image in Shopify. If it has one and the photo still doesn't change, click Chat with us with your theme name.
Swatches appear in the wrong place on my product cards.
Some themes build their product cards in an unusual way. Click Chat with us with your theme name and a collection link, and we'll adjust the placement.
How do I change the order of options on product cards?
In Options, click Reorder collection options, drag them into order, click Apply order and Save.
Coverage and tags
Can I use swatches on only some products or one collection?
Yes. In Where it applies, choose Only the products I choose, add the products or collections, and save.
How do I exclude gift cards or bundles?
In Where it applies, choose All products except the ones I choose, add those products or their collection, and save.
I set coverage but nothing has changed yet.
Coverage is applied by tagging products, which takes a short sync. Wait until the Sync status card stops showing Applying tags; if a collection changed later, click Re-apply tags.
It won't let me save Only the products I choose.
That mode needs at least one product or collection; otherwise it would turn swatches off everywhere. Add a product or collection first, then save.
Style rules
Can one collection have a different swatch style?
Yes, with a style rule: open Style rules, click Create rule, add the collection under Applies to, set what changes per option, and save.
Why does this product look different from the others?
Most likely a style rule targets it. On the Style rules page, use Test with a product to see which style each option ends up with.
Two of my rules conflict. Which one wins?
Rules run top to bottom, and the lower one wins for the same option. Reorder them with the arrows on the rules list.
I can't save my rule.
A rule needs at least one product or collection, and at least one option set to something other than No change.
Badges
How do I add a Sale or New label to one colour?
Go to Badges and click Create badge (there are Sale and New templates), save, then assign it to that colour under Show this badge on.
My badge isn't showing.
Check that it's assigned to an option or value, its Storefront switch is on, and the option uses swatches, pills, polaroids or buttons. Dropdowns don't show badges.
Can badges show on collection cards?
Yes. Open the badge, tick Show on product cards and save.
How do I put a badge on all colours, or only on one?
In the badge, click Choose options and values. Tick All values for the whole option, or pick single values.
Product groups
Each colour is a separate product. Can I link them with swatches?
Yes, that's what product groups do: every product in a group shows the same swatch row, linking to the others.
How do I create a product group?
Go to Product groups, click Create group, add at least two products, give each a value name such as Red, and save.
My product group isn't showing on the store.
Check that Show on storefront is on, the Color swatches block is on your product template, and no Storefront update pending banner is showing.
Can group swatches use each product's photo?
Yes. Product image (automatic) is the default swatch fill: each swatch uses the product's featured photo. A custom colour or image works too.
I deleted a product that was in a group.
The group flags that product as no longer in your catalog. Remove it from the group and save; the rest of the group keeps working.
What does Storefront update pending mean?
The group saved in the app, but publishing it to your store didn't finish. Click the retry button in the banner, or Sync groups to storefront on the groups list.
Settings and uninstalling
Can I add my own CSS?
Yes, in Settings, under Custom CSS. It loads wherever swatches appear. If you'd rather not write CSS, click Chat with us and describe the look you want.
Can I change the app's language?
Yes, in Settings, under App language. It changes the app's own screens only, not your storefront.
What should I do before uninstalling?
If you used coverage or style rules, click Remove all Vensa tags in Where it applies first; uninstalling can't remove them.
Step-by-step troubleshooting
For the most common problems, these pages walk through every check in order.
Need help?
Open the app and click Chat with us on the Dashboard for free setup assistance, or contact us with your store address and what you are stuck on.