---
title: "Per-Variant Limits"
description: "Apply quantity limits to specific product variants like sizes or colors independently."
contentType: "docs"
locale: "en"
localized: true
source: "https://orderrules.com/docs/product-limits/per-variant-limits"
slug: "product-limits/per-variant-limits"
---
## Limit Specific Variants

Sometimes the constraint is not on the product as a whole but on a particular variant. OrderRules lets you set limits at the variant level so you can restrict popular sizes or options without affecting the rest.

## How to Set Variant Limits

1. Go to **Product Limits**
2. Click **Add Product Limit**
3. Select the product
4. Choose the specific **variant** you want to limit (for example, "Size Large")
5. Set your min and/or max quantities
6. Click **Save**

## Example: T-Shirt Size Limits

```
Product:   T-Shirt
Variant:   Size Large
Max:       5 per order

Other sizes: No limit

Result:
  Customer orders 5 Large shirts:  OK
  Customer orders 6 Large shirts:  Blocked
  Customer orders 10 Small shirts: OK (no limit on Small)
```

## Example: Limited Color Run

```
Product:   Handmade Mug
Variant:   Color: Gold Edition
Max:       1 per customer (lifetime)

Result:
  First order: Customer buys 1 Gold mug -- OK
  Second order: Customer tries Gold mug again -- blocked
  Customer buys Blue mug: OK (no limit on Blue)
```

### Product level versus variant level

| Set at | Applies to | Use when |
|---|---|---|
| Product | Every variant of that product | The whole item is constrained |
| Variant | One variant only, others unaffected | A single size or colour is the bottleneck |

A variant-level rule takes precedence over the product-level one, and switching variants on the product page re-applies the correct limit.

## When to Use Variant Limits

- **Popular sizes** that sell out fast and you want to distribute fairly
- **Limited colorways** or special editions within a product line
- **Different production capacity** per variant (for example, custom engraving only available in small batches)
- **Premium variants** that are more labor-intensive to produce

## How It Works at Checkout

If a customer exceeds a variant-level limit, checkout displays a specific error:

```
"You can only order 5 units of T-Shirt (Size Large) per order."
```

The error names the exact variant so customers know which item to adjust.

## Combining with Product-Level Limits

You can set both product-level and variant-level limits. Both are enforced:

- Product limit: Max 10 T-Shirts per order (any variant)
- Variant limit: Max 5 Large T-Shirts per order

A customer ordering 6 Large and 5 Small would be blocked by the variant limit on Large, even though the product total (11) also exceeds the product limit.

## Related

- [Per-Product Limits](/docs/product-limits/per-product-limits)
- [Minimum Order Quantity (MOQ)](/docs/product-limits/minimum-order-quantity)
- [Collection Limits](/docs/product-limits/collection-tag-limits)