Bulk Generate Missing Variations is a plugin for WooCommerce stores that scans your store for variable products with incomplete attribute combinations and lets you generate all missing variations in bulk, without editing any product individually.
Installation
↑ Back to topTo start using a product from WooCommerce.com, you can use the “Add to store” functionality on the order confirmation page or the My subscriptions section in your account.
- Navigate to My subscriptions.
- Find the Add to store button next to the product you’re planning to install.
- Follow the instructions on the screen, and the product will be automatically added to your store.
Alternative options and more information at:
Managing WooCommerce.com subscriptions.
Getting Started
↑ Back to topScan Products
↑ Back to top- Go to Products in your WordPress admin
- Select the products you want to check using the checkboxes
- From the Bulk Actions dropdown, choose Find Missing Variations
- Click Apply
- A side panel will open and the scan will begin automatically
Generating Missing Variations
↑ Back to topAfter a scan completes, you have two options:
- Generate all at once — Click the Generate button at the top to create all missing combinations across all scanned products in one action.
- Generate per product — Expand any individual product to see its specific missing combinations. Select only the ones you want and generate them independently.
All generation runs in the background, you can close the page or continue working on other tasks without interrupting the process. If needed, you can pause or stop the active process from the admin notice bar.
Export Missing Combinations as CSV
↑ Back to topBefore or after generating, you can export the full list of missing variation combinations as a CSV file. Click the Export CSV button available on both the scan results panel and the individual scan detail page.
Each row in the export represents one missing combination, including the product name and the specific attribute values that were absent. Use the file for internal review, team approvals, or to re-import later with additional data such as custom pricing, stock quantities, or metadata you want to define before the variations go live.
Settings
↑ Back to topWhen you click Generate for any product or for all products, a Generation Settings modal will appear before the process begins. This gives you control over how new variations are created.
Set new variations as Enabled (Default: On)
Newly created variations will be immediately visible in your store and available for purchase. Uncheck this if you want to generate variations in the background and review or price them before making them live.
Copy values from existing variations (Default: Off)
When enabled, new variations will automatically inherit the price, stock, weight, and dimensions from existing variations of the same product. Useful when your existing variations share common values and you want new ones to be sellable without any manual entry.
FAQs
↑ Back to topHelp customers by answering commonly asked questions.
Will the plugin slow down my site?
No. All processing runs in the background using a queue engine that handles data in small, controlled batches. Your site remains fast and responsive throughout.
Does it work with global WooCommerce attributes?
Yes. The plugin is fully compatible with both global product attributes and custom per-product attributes.
What does the CSV export contain?
The CSV includes all missing variation combinations for the scanned products. You can use it for review or import it later with additional product data.
Will newly created variations have prices filled in?
Only if the Auto-copy from sibling variations option is enabled. When enabled, price, weight, and shipping class are copied from an existing variation. When disabled, new variations are created with blank fields.
Troubleshooting
↑ Back to topScan is taking too long
This is normal for very large catalogs. The plugin processes data in batches to keep your server stable. Allow it to run in the background — it will complete without timing out.
Variations were generated but prices are blank
The Auto-copy from sibling variations option is disabled by default. Enable it in settings to automatically inherit pricing from existing variations.
The bulk action doesn’t appear on the Products page
Ensure the plugin is activated. If the option still doesn’t appear, try deactivating and reactivating the plugin, then clear any caching plugins.
Generation stopped unexpectedly
Check if a caching or security plugin is interfering with background processing. Temporarily disable them and retry. If the issue persists, contact support with your PHP error log.
