productVariantCreate creates two variants instead to just one

Shopify Discussion

Topic summary

Issue: Creating a single product variant via Shopify’s GraphQL mutation (productVariantCreate) results in two variants appearing in the Shopify Admin, one of which is named “Default Title.”

Context: The product should have only one variant. The mutation includes productId, inventoryItem (cost, tracked), price, options (placeholder value), and sku. The API call succeeds and returns a single variant without userErrors.

Observation: Despite the successful response, the Admin UI shows two variants, including an unexpected “Default Title.”

Request: Seeking an explanation for why the extra “Default Title” variant appears and guidance on how to ensure only one variant exists for the product.

Status: Unresolved; no confirmed cause or solution provided in the thread yet.

Summarized with AI on January 7. AI used: gpt-5.
1

Hi,

I am using the graphql endpoint in order to create one variant for my product. The product is unique, no I dont need anything else.

The call is basically:

{"query": "mutation productVariantCreate($input: ProductVariantInput!) {productVariantCreate(input: $input) {productVariant { id } userErrors { field message }}}", "variables":{"input" : {"productId" : "gid://shopify/Product/7714902868143"  , "inventoryItem": {"cost": 1,"tracked": true} ,"price": 1,  "options": ["Variant 1234567890-gid://shopify/Product/7714902868143"], "sku": "1234567890" } }}

Options field is just a proof of concept, so I will change in the future. The call is ok and returns a variant, however, in the shopify admin console I see two, one called Default Title.
Any reason about? any way to have one variant for one product?

Thanks