Product Variations
Require age verification for specific WooCommerce product variations and set variation-specific minimum ages.
Product Variations
Use variation rules when only certain versions of a variable product require age verification. For example, a clothing product can offer both an unrestricted L size and an age-restricted L size.
Variation rules are available when the plugin scope is set to Selected products & categories. See Configuration.
Set a variation rule
- Go to Products → All Products and edit a variable product.
- Open Product data → Variations.
- Expand the variation you want to configure.
- At the bottom of the variation panel, find Age Verification.
- Tick Require age verification to purchase this variation.
- Optionally enter a Minimum age override for that variation.
- Click Save changes in the Variations section, then Update the product.
The Age Verification section is available regardless of whether WooCommerce variation stock management is enabled.
How variation rules work
A direct variation rule applies only to the selected variation. Other variations of the same product remain unrestricted unless they inherit a rule from the parent product or one of its categories.
Variation rules are additive. They cannot be used to make a variation unrestricted when its parent product or a category already requires age verification.
| Parent product | Category | Variation | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Not gated | Not gated | Gated | Only this variation requires verification |
| Gated | Not gated | Not gated | Every variation requires verification |
| Not gated | Gated | Not gated | Every variation requires verification |
| Gated | Gated | Gated | Every variation requires verification |
Minimum age precedence
For each cart item, the plugin determines the required age in this order:
- Variation minimum-age override
- Parent product minimum-age override
- Highest minimum age from an applicable gated category
- Store-wide required age
An age override changes the required age, not whether a broader rule applies. For example, a variation with a 21+ override inside an 18+ gated category requires 21+. A variation without its own override inherits the category's 18+ requirement.
Example: restricted and unrestricted sizes
Consider a variable product with Size and Eligibility attributes:
| Variation | Direct variation rule | Result |
|---|---|---|
| S / Unrestricted | Off | No verification, provided the parent and categories are not gated |
| S / Age-restricted | On | Verification required |
| L / Unrestricted | Off | No verification, provided the parent and categories are not gated |
| L / Age-restricted | On, age 18 | Verification required at 18+ |
Keep the parent product and its categories unrestricted when this is the intended setup. If you gate the parent product or category, all of its variations become gated.
Parent-product notice
When a product has one or more directly gated variations, its Age Verification box shows a Variation rules active notice. This is a reminder that direct variation rules exist and that their age overrides apply only to those variations.
For parent-product and category rules, see Products & Categories.