Variable products can have their own expiry date and action set on each variation, so different sizes, colors, or batches of the same product can expire independently of one another.
- Edit a Variable product.
- Open the Variations tab in the Product data panel.
- Expand the variation you want to configure.
- Set the Expiry Date, then choose the Action for that variation.
- Fill in any other options you need, then click Save changes.
Options inside each variation
Every variation has the same expiry fields as a simple product. They apply only to that one variation, so you can give each one its own date, note, and action.
Expiry Date
The calendar date this variation should expire on. The action runs at the end of that day in your store timezone. Leave it empty if this variation should not expire on its own.
Expiry Time (Pro)
An exact hour and minute on top of the date, for precise expiry per variation. This field is part of Product Expiry Pro and stays locked until you upgrade.
Expiry Note
Optional text shown in place of the date for this variation, such as “This size is sold out for the season”.
Action
What happens to this variation when its expiry date passes:
- Nothing: the variation is left as is and simply recorded as expired.
- Make it Draft: the parent product is unpublished. Use this only if expiring one variation should take the whole product offline.
- Out of stock: this specific variation is set out of stock, while other variations stay purchasable.
- Reduce stock by amount: stock for this variation is lowered by the quantity you set in Reduce Stock By, kept in sync through WooCommerce so HPOS and lookup tables update correctly.
- Mark as Expired: this variation shows an Expired badge and its add to cart option is switched off, while other variations are unaffected.
Reduce Stock By
The quantity to subtract from this variation’s stock when the action is set to Reduce stock by amount. Ignored for the other actions.
When the parent product has no date of its own
A variable product’s parent page does not need its own expiry date. If you leave the parent’s Expiry Date empty and set dates only on the variations, enable Earliest Variation on Parent under Product Expiry → Settings to have the parent page automatically show whichever variation is expiring soonest. This keeps shoppers informed without you having to set a separate date on the parent.
Where the date appears: as with simple products, showing the expiry date on the storefront is controlled globally under Product Expiry → Settings, not inside the variation itself.
Each variation is scheduled and expires independently, so you can stagger expiry across sizes, colors, or batches of the same product, and update or clear any variation’s expiry at any time.