Shopify lets a product have at most 3 options (for example Size, Color and Material). A Square item can have more - say Size, Color, Material and Fit. unSquared has a product setting that decides what happens to those extra options, and it is on by default so the product still migrates.
Why this needs a setting
If unSquared simply dropped the extra options, two variants could end up with exactly the same options (for example the Slim and Regular versions of the same jacket), and Shopify rejects a product with duplicate variants - you would lose the whole product. Combining the extra options keeps every variant unique instead.
Turn it on or off in Product Settings
- Combine extra options for products with more than 3 optionsON by default
On by default. Products with more than 3 options still migrate: the extra options are combined into the 3rd option, and every variant keeps its own SKU, barcode, price, stock and images. Turn it off to skip those products instead.
What happens to the same product, on and off
A jacket with Size (S, M), Color (Black, Navy), Material (Wool) and Fit (Slim, Regular) - 4 options, 8 variants.
| Setting on | Setting off | |
|---|---|---|
| Product in Shopify | Created, with 3 options | Not created (skipped) |
| Options | Size, Color and "Material & Fit" (Wool / Slim, Wool / Regular) | Not applicable |
| Variants | All 8, each with its own SKU, barcode, stock and images | None - listed in the report instead |
| Tag added | unsquared-extra-options | None |
When the options are combined, and when they are only trimmed
unSquared checks the real variants. If leaving out the extra options would still keep every variant unique, it just uses the first 3 options and saves the dropped values on each variant. Only when two variants would become identical does it combine option 3 and every later option into one, with a name like "Material & Fit" (Shopify does not allow a slash in an option name) and values like "Wool / Slim". With 5 or more options, option 3 and everything after it are all combined.
Filtering by Material and Fit separately in Search & Discovery
A combined option such as Material & Fit is one filter in Shopify's Search & Discovery app, with values like Wool / Slim. Each variant's original options are saved in the square.option_values metafield, and Shopify can use a single line text variant metafield as a filter, but that metafield holds all the options in one piece of text, so a filter built on it lists whole combinations. To filter by Material and Fit on their own, create one single line text variant metafield definition for each (for example Material and Fit), fill them from square.option_values using Shopify's bulk editor or a product CSV import, then in Search & Discovery go to Filters, select Add filter, and choose each one as a Variant metafield. This is done in Shopify, not by unSquared.
Where to see it took effect
- In Shopify
The product carries the tag unsquared-extra-options, so you can filter for it. Each variant keeps its original options in a metafield called square.option_values, for example "Size: S, Color: Black, Material: Wool, Fit: Slim".
- Migration report
The summary shows "Products With Extra Options Combined" (setting on) or "Skipped - More Than 3 Options" (setting off), and each affected product's row carries a note.
- Skipped - More Than 3 Options sheet
Only when the setting is off. One row per variant with all of the product's original options (not limited to 3), plus SKU, barcode, price, cost, stock by location and image links.
- Shopify import file (CSV)
Only when the setting is off. On the migration report page, a banner above the report has a Download Shopify import file (CSV) button. It is a separate file from the Excel report, ready for Products > Import in Shopify.
- Preview
The Preview page shows a clearly labelled example product, based on your saved setting. It only reads a small sample, so the report after the run is the full list.
- Ready to Migrate
A "Products with more than 3 options will be skipped." badge appears once you have saved the setting off.
Bring skipped products into Shopify with the import file
- 1Open the migration report
From Migration History, open the report of the run that skipped the products. A banner says how many products were skipped for having more than 3 options.
- 2Download the Shopify import file
Select Download Shopify import file (CSV). The file is named unsquared-more-than-3-options and the date of the run.
- 3Check the file
Shopify's importer also allows only 3 options per product, so each Square product is split into several products, one for each combination of its 4th and later options (for example Wool Jacket - Slim and Wool Jacket - Regular). Options 1 to 3 stay as the options. Every product is tagged unsquared-extra-options, and every variant keeps its SKU, barcode, price, cost, weight and images.
- 4Match the inventory columns to your Shopify locations
Stock is in columns named after your Square locations, for example Inventory Available: Main Store. Rename each one to the exact name of your Shopify location, or delete the columns if you do not want to import stock.
- 5Import it in Shopify
In Shopify admin, go to Products, select Import, upload the file, and review the preview before you confirm. Search for the tag unsquared-extra-options to find the new products afterwards.
Products added with the import file are not linked to Square
They are ordinary new Shopify products. Re-sync Products and Inventory Sync do not update them, and they are not added to collections, discounts or URL redirects, so add them yourself where needed. The import file is only available for runs that saved the product details; for an older run, use the Skipped - More Than 3 Options sheet in the downloaded report, or turn the setting on and run the migration again.
Skipped products are also missing from collections, discounts and redirects
With the setting off, a skipped product does not exist in Shopify, so it cannot appear in a collection, be covered by a discount, or get a URL redirect. The report page has a Download Shopify import file (CSV) button that splits each product into Shopify-sized products you can import, and the sheet in the downloaded report lists every detail.
Review the full Product Catalog reference
Everything that's always included, and everything you control field-by-field.
Read the Migration Guide