When you sell a product that comes in several sizes, colors or styles on Target+, you want shoppers to see one product page with options to choose from, not a separate page for every variation. This article explains how Acenda sends a variant family to Target+, what to check before and after launch, and how to fix a family that won't group.
Good to know: Target builds the grouped product page from the parent and child information Acenda sends. Target Partner Support has told sellers it can't change item relationships on its side, so when a family won't group, the fix is almost always in how the family is set up in Acenda.
How Acenda sends a variant family to Target+
Target labels every item with a variation type. You'll see these codes in Target's Partner Portal and in some error messages:
VAP (Variant Parent): the parent of the family. In Acenda this is an item with Group set to product. It holds the shared details and isn't sold by itself.
VC (Variant Child): each variation a shopper can buy. In Acenda these are items with Group set to variant, assigned to the parent.
SA (Standalone): an item sold on its own, with no family.
For help setting Group, see How to Use the Group Attribute to Set Products and Variants.
Acenda sends the parent and all of its variants to Target+ together, in one update. The parent tells Target which attributes the family varies by (its variation theme, set by Product Options), and each variant carries its own value for each of them. Whenever anything in the family changes, Acenda sends the whole family again.
When a family is sent as standalone items: Acenda only sends a family as a group when the parent and at least two of its variants are mapped to your Target+ channel. If the parent isn't mapped, or only one variant is, each mapped variant goes to Target+ as a standalone (SA) item and gets its own product page.
Before you launch: check the family in Acenda
In the sidebar, under CATALOG, click Items, then click the view (eye) icon on the parent's row.
On the Details tab, check that Group is product.
Still on the Details tab, check Product Options. It lists what the family varies by, for example
sizeandcolor. This section only appears when Group is product. If it's empty, Target+ rejects the family; see How to Resolve the "Parent variation type is VAP but no variation theme on parent" Error.Open the Variants tab. Every variation should be listed. If one is missing, open that item, go to its Parents tab, click Assign parent, and choose this product.
Open each variant and check its Additional Attributes. It needs a value for every Product Option (for example a Size and a Color), and no two variants can share the same combination.
Open the Channel Status tab on the parent and on each variant and check that each one is mapped to your Target+ channel:
If you see Not Mapped to Channel, click Add Channel Mapping, choose your Target+ Subscription, pick the Posting Template, set Listing Action to FULL, and click Add Mapping.
Use the same posting template (Target category) for the parent and all of its variants.
On your Target+ posting template, check that the variant Size and Color fields are mapped. A value that isn't mapped never reaches Target.
Tip: Target+ allows up to 300 variants per parent. See What is the maximum number of product variants on Target+?.
After launch: what to expect
Target reviews each item in the family, including the parent, and gives each one its own TCIN. While that review is still running, you may see some variations on Target.com before others, or before the family page is complete. That's normal, and it can take a few days. You don't need to ask Target to merge anything at this stage.
To see where things stand:
Status and TCIN: Open the item, go to the Channel Status tab and select your Target+ channel. Channel Overview shows the item's Status, and View on Channel shows its TCIN with a link to the Target.com page. Check the parent and each variant.
What Acenda sent: Open the parent's Channel Events tab to see when the family was sent and what changed. Target content updates are logged on the parent. See Tracking Marketplace Updates with Channel Events.
Errors: In the sidebar, under CHANNELS, click Item Issues, or check the Channel Status tab on the item.
Troubleshooting
Variants show as separate listings and the parent isn't mapped to Target+: Map the parent to your Target+ channel with the same posting template as its variants (see step 6 above). Acenda then sends the family as a group, and Target links the existing variant listings under the parent. They keep their TCINs.
Only one variant is mapped to Target+: A family with a single mapped variant is sent as a standalone item. Map the other variants to join them into one family.
The parent is mapped, but none of its variants are: Nothing is sent for the family. You may see "No Enabled Variants for Marketplace" on the parent. Map the variants to Target+.
Nothing in the family was sent, and the parent shows "Related SKUs have Error": An error on any one item holds back the whole family. Fix the errors on the SKUs listed in the message. Acenda sends the family once they're fixed.
"Parent variation type is VAP but no variation theme on parent": The parent's Product Options is empty. See How to Resolve the "Parent variation type is VAP but no variation theme on parent" Error.
"Duplicate theme combination": Two variants have the same values for every Product Option, for example both are Color White and Size Large. Give each variant a unique combination, or add the attribute that actually differs to the parent's Product Options.
"Theme 'size' requires the 'Size' attribute but it is missing" (or similar): A variant has no value for one of the Product Options, or that field isn't mapped on your Target+ posting template. Fill in the value on the variant's Additional Attributes and check the mapping.
A variant is grouped under the wrong parent: Open the variant, go to its Parents tab, remove the wrong parent, and assign the correct one. Acenda re-sends both families.
Adding a variant to a family that's already live: Create the variant, assign it to the parent on its Parents tab, fill in its Product Option values, and map it to Target+ with the same posting template. Acenda re-sends the whole family, including the new variant.
Changing the variation theme after launch: Update the parent's Product Options, then make sure every variant has a value for each new option. Acenda re-sends the whole family and Target reviews it again. Target decides which variation attributes each category allows, so watch Item Issues for errors afterwards.
Everything is approved on Target, but the variants still show separately after a few days: Re-send the family by making a small content edit, such as adding a period to a bullet point, on the parent and on each variant that shows separately, then saving. Acenda sends the whole family again.
Still split after a re-send? Open a case with Target Partner Support and include the parent's TCIN and the TCINs of the variants that should be grouped under it. See How do I export marketplace IDs (like TCINs or ASINs)? to export them. You can also contact Acenda Support and we'll check what was sent.
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Still stuck? Contact Acenda Support and tell us the parent SKU and the variant SKUs that aren't grouping.