# Product options and variant selection Load current product details and choose an available variant before adding an item to your basket. *Release 3.3 · operator, visitor* **Products** · **Product cards in a conversation** ## What it is **Choose options** lets a visitor select the exact product combination they want. INSIDE retrieves missing product details from the connected catalogue before offering a supported basket action. A search result alone may not contain all the choices needed to purchase. ## Who uses it and why Visitors choose options and quantity for their own basket. Operators inspect product information and prepare cards for visitors. Operator previews and conversation history do not act as the shopper's basket controls. ## Where to find it On a product card, use **Choose options** when choices are required. A supported product with no remaining choices can show **Add to cart**. Operators find product cards in **Products** and in conversation drafts and history. ## How it works 1. Open the product card's options. If the card lacks complete detail, INSIDE requests it from the current catalogue. 2. Select the required choices, such as size and colour. Options resolve to one exact variant. 3. Check the displayed price, image and availability, which can change with the selected variant. 4. Choose a valid quantity and use **Add to cart** when the card supports it. If a new choice conflicts with an earlier choice, INSIDE clears the conflicting choice. It does not silently substitute another option. A related colour or style can load another product only when the provider explicitly supplies that relationship. An incomplete, missing or ambiguous product cannot enable a basket action. If product options cannot be loaded, the card directs you to the product page. ## Configure it Your **Settings** or **Developer** administrator enables **Product lookup** for the relevant Commerce Provider. Product data comes from the connected store. Card layout and the display of unavailable choices are configured separately under **Settings › Commerce › Product Cards** by a **Settings** administrator. Basket actions also need a supported storefront integration. Enabling product lookup alone does not add basket support. ## Limits and good to know - You must complete all required choices and resolve exactly one available variant before adding it. - The card's default quantity is 1. Shared card controls allow whole-number quantities up to 99, subject to tighter supplied minimum, maximum and increment rules. - Known store sellability takes priority over stock-count estimates. Missing stock information is not treated as a known quantity. - Unavailable values may be shown or hidden according to the card's presentation settings. - Reloading a card's product details updates that displayed card. It does not rewrite the original conversation message. - Some products require the store page, including Shopify selling-plan products and BigCommerce products with required modifiers. ## Depends on and works with ### This feature uses - **Requires** [Product cards in visitor chat](VX-019.md): Visitors select product options through the product-card controls in chat. - **Configured in** [Commerce provider setup and selection](COM-001.md): Product lookup for incomplete cards is enabled on the selected Commerce Provider. - **Configured in** [Product card configuration and shopping actions](COM-014.md): Product card presentation determines how choices and unavailable values appear. - **Works better with** [Shopify commerce connection](COM-002.md): Shopify supplies complete product variants and sellability information. - **Works better with** [Salesforce B2C Commerce connection](COM-003.md): Salesforce B2C Commerce lookup completes product summaries with options. - **Works better with** [BigCommerce store connection](COM-004.md): BigCommerce supplies variants and checks modifiers before native basket actions. - **Works better with** [UCP product catalogue connection](COM-005.md): UCP can supply advertised product details and variants. - **Works better with** [Custom commerce integrations](COM-006.md): A custom integration can supply supported product detail operations. - **Works better with** [Add to cart from product cards](COM-016.md): A supported storefront action adds the selected available variant to the shopper's basket. ### Used by - **Enhances** [Product cards in visitor chat](VX-019.md): Product lookup can fill in missing variant details before supported product choices become available. - **Enhances** [AI product suggestion settings](AI-027.md): Catalogue facts provide product attributes, variants and availability. - **Enhances** [Shopify commerce connection](COM-002.md): Supplies product options, variants and availability. - **Enhances** [Salesforce B2C Commerce connection](COM-003.md): Supplies detailed product choices through product lookup. - **Enhances** [BigCommerce store connection](COM-004.md): Supplies variants and checks required product modifiers before basket actions. - **Enhances** [UCP product catalogue connection](COM-005.md): Product lookup supplies available option and variant details. - **Enhances** [Custom commerce integrations](COM-006.md): A custom integration can supply product lookup, options and variants. - **Enhances** [Product search and filters](COM-007.md): Product lookup retrieves complete options after a search result is selected. - **Enhances** [Store product selection for chat](COM-009.md): Visitors can retrieve complete product options from eligible cards. - **Enhances** [Product card configuration and shopping actions](COM-014.md): Product lookup and variant selection add current product choices to cards. - **Enhances** [Add to cart from product cards](COM-016.md): Option selection lets shoppers add products that need a specific size, colour or other variant. - **Enhances** [Product recommendations and purchase tracking](COM-017.md): Product lookup enriches unambiguous recommendation matches. ## FAQ and troubleshooting ### Why is Add to cart disabled? Complete the required choices and enter a valid quantity. The product must resolve to one available variant with complete detail and a supported basket action. ### Why did my size selection disappear after changing colour? The earlier combination was incompatible. Choose an available size for the new colour. ### Why does the card say product options are unavailable? INSIDE could not retrieve a single complete product for the current visitor and catalogue. Open the product page or ask a **Settings** or **Developer** administrator to check the provider connection. ### Why does the price change when I select an option? Variants can have different prices. The card updates to the selected variant's supplied price and image. ### Can an operator test Add to cart in a preview? Operator and draft product cards are read-only previews. The shopper's supported storefront session performs basket actions.