How to offer free gift if customers order specific product variants in Shopify?

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Understanding Variant-Based Gift Goals

What You Will Learn in This Article

In this comprehensive guide, you will learn how to create targeted gift promotions based on specific iPhone variants in your store. We’ll explore how to set up a promotion where customers receive a matching phone case when they purchase specific iPhone color variants, walking through the complete process of configuration and management.

Introduction

Imagine wanting to boost sales of the pink iPhone by offering a matching pink case as a free gift. When customers purchase the pink variant of the iPhone, they automatically receive a coordinating case, while purchases of other colors don’t trigger the gift. This type of targeted promotion can help move specific inventory while providing extra value to customers. This guide will walk you through setting up such a targeted reward system using Dr Free Gift, BOGO Buy X Get Y Gift Goals feature.

Understanding Variant-Based Gift Goals

A variant-based gift goal is triggered when a customer adds specific product variants to their cart. In our iPhone example, when a customer adds a pink iPhone to their cart, they automatically qualify for a free pink case. The system provides several powerful customization options that let you:

Track purchases of specific iPhone variants (like the pink model) while excluding others
Add matching cases automatically or let customers choose their preferred case style
Remove the free case if the qualifying iPhone variant is removed
Apply different case styles for different iPhone color variants
Limit how many cases a customer can receive per order

Step-by-Step Implementation

Let’s implement our example scenario of offering a free matching case when customers purchase a pink iPhone.

1. Create the Free Gift Product

Go to “Create-A-Gift” in your admin panel
Click “Select a Product”
Search for and select your iPhone case
Enter “Free Pink iPhone 16 Case” as the gift title
Click “Create Free Gift”

2. Access and Enable the Goal

Navigate to “Gifts and Goals” in your admin panel
Select the “Goals” tab
Click the “New Goal” button
Enable the goal using the toggle switch at the top
Enter “Free Pink Case with Pink iPhone Purchase” as your goal name

The name should clearly communicate both the gift (pink case) and the qualifying variant (pink iPhone) to avoid customer confusion.

3. Configure the Goal Target Settings

Set up the basic parameters that will trigger your gift:

Select “Cart Item Count” as your Goal Target
Enter “1” in the Minimum Requirement field

This ensures the case is awarded as soon as a customer adds a pink iPhone to their cart. You might set a higher number if you want to require multiple units for the gift.

4. Set Variant-Based Targeting

This crucial step defines which specific iPhone variants will trigger your gift reward:

Under “Goal Target Applies To,” select “Included Items”
In the “Included Items Filtered By” dropdown, select “Variants”
Click “Select Included Variants” button
Search for “iPhone” in your product list
Select only the pink variant/variants you want to trigger the gift
- For example: “iPhone – Pink – 128GB”, “iPhone – Pink – 256GB”
Click “Confirm Selection”

This precise targeting ensures that only purchases of pink iPhones will trigger the free case offer, regardless of storage capacity.

5. Configure Gift Reward Settings

These settings determine how customers receive their free cases and how many they can earn per order.

Set up how your matching cases will be awarded:

Under “Goal Reward,” choose your preferred delivery method:
- “Automatically add gifts to cart” is recommended for matching cases
- “Let customers choose gifts to add to cart” if offering multiple case styles
Click “Select Products” to choose your gift product (the pink iPhone case)
Set the Gift Quantity Award to “1” (one case per qualifying iPhone)
Set “Maximum Times The Goal Can Be Met Per Order” to “1” unless you want to offer multiple cases
Consider enabling “Gift Removable” to let customers decline the case if they prefer

6. Testing Your Configuration

Before launching your promotion, thoroughly test the setup:

Add a pink iPhone variant to a test cart
Verify that the matching pink case is added automatically
Add a different iPhone color to ensure it doesn’t trigger the case gift
Remove the pink iPhone to confirm the case is also removed
Check all customer-facing messages for clarity and accuracy

Important Considerations

Managing Inventory

Effective inventory management is crucial for variant-based promotions:

Monitor stock levels of both product and gift
Set up inventory alerts
Consider enabling “Continue selling when out of stock” for gift products
Regularly review inventory levels to maintain promotion effectiveness

Progress Bar Messages

Clear communication helps customers understand your promotion.

Example:

Configure the empty cart message: “Buy a Pink iPhone, Get a Matching Case Free!”
Set the progress message: “Add a Pink iPhone to your cart for a free matching case”
Use the success message: “Congratulations! Your free Pink iPhone case has been added”

Best Practices

To run successful variant-based gift promotions:

Name goals clearly to show which variants qualify
Match gift value to product tier – premium variants deserve premium gifts
Monitor inventory of both variants and gifts
Time promotions with seasons and product launches
Test all scenarios before launch
Track performance to identify winning variant-gift combinations

Conclusion

Variant-based gift promotions represent a powerful tool for driving sales of specific product variations while enhancing customer satisfaction through targeted rewards. By creating carefully structured goals that respond to variant-specific purchases, you can guide customer behavior and increase interest in particular product options. The key to success lies in thoughtful implementation, from creating appropriate gift products to configuring precise variant targeting rules.

The effectiveness of your variant-based gift strategy depends on maintaining a balance between promotional appeal and operational efficiency. Regular monitoring of both variant and gift inventory levels ensures sustainable program operation, while tracking redemption patterns provides valuable insights for future promotional planning. By following the steps and best practices outlined in this guide, you can create engaging promotions that not only boost sales of specific variants but also deliver a seamless and satisfying experience for your customers.