Variant value must be at least 3 characters

[Vicki_Reale]

I have sizes in my variants such as 40, 42, 43, 44, etc. I can’t create a collection because it errors out and says “Value must be at least 3 characters”. Is there any kind of work around here besides modifying all my variant values to be 3 characters? I can’t use 42.0, 042, “42”, 42”.

[StackingContext]

Unfortunately there is no way to remove this restriction, but maybe by adding tags you could be able to work around the issue. For example size:40, size:41, size:42, etc as product tags.

These wouldn’t be visible to the customer but would let you create collections based on them. A limitation of this approach is that the Tag condition is either is equal to or is not equal to, so you’d have to populate all the values ahead of time, but given the number of sizes is a finite amount then this might be feasible in your scenario. Example here

[Laza_Binaery]

Hi @Vicki_Reale

Apologies if I misunderstood, but why would you want to create a collection with just a number like 40?

Why no " All sizes 40" ?

And that sounds more like a filter that customers can choose from.

[Maximus3]

Most of the time I’ve seen collections like size, weight, or qty, it has some other descriptor than just the number. e.g. Size 40, 14 oz., 36 inch, 3-Pack Bundles, etc.

[Small_Task_Help]

@Vicki_Reale

I have sizes in my variants such as 40, 42, 43, 44, etc. I can’t create a collection because it errors out and says “Value must be at least 3 characters”. Is there any kind of work around here besides modifying all my variant values to be 3 characters? I can’t use 42.0, 042, “42”, 42”.

Hi,

Hope this will help

• Use product tags instead of variant values
• Use manual collections if sizes don’t change often
• Use a metafield for size advanced but clean
• Filter by range instead of exact match

Shopify automated collections don’t allow numeric variant values under 3 characters. This is a platform limitation not a bug in your store

[TheScriptFlow_1]

Hey @Vicki_Reale,

This is known as Shopify limitation and you’re not doing anything wrong. Automated Collections require condition values to be at least 3 characters long.

Variant option values like 40, 42, 44 fail validation, which is why Shopify throws Values must be at least 3 characters.

Unfortunate this is hard-coded and applies even though numeric sizes are completely valid in eCommerce.

Here is the best workaround that you can use to fix it.

You don’t need to rename the variants.

• Keep variant sizes as 40, 42, 43, etc.
• Automatically tab products based on the variant sizes.
• Build Collections using those tags.

Example:

• Variant Option = 42
• Flow adds tag: size-42
• Collection Condition: Product tag is size-42

Why this works:

This is works because tag have no minimum character limit, it’s fully automated and Scales perfectly.

Here is the Shopify Flow Logic Shared below:

Trigger: Product variant created or updated
Condition: Variant option "Size" equals 42
Action: Add product tag "size-42"

I hope this helps. If you need any other help then just reach me out. If I’m able to fix your issue then don’t forget to like it.

Thanks

[Easify-Ariel]

Hi @Vicki_Reale

In this case, you don’t necessarily need to edit all of your current variant values to meet this requirement. With Easify Product Options, you can absolutely keep your existing product structure and size variants as they are, while still creating a smooth size selection experience for your customers.

Here’s an example I’ve created so you can see how it works:

• This is the result:

• This is the app setting:

Instead of relying on Shopify collections or variant-based conditions, you can let Easify handle the size selection directly on the product page. This way, sizes like 40, 42, 43, and 44 can be displayed as buttons or swatches, delivering an experience similar to Shopify’s standard variant selector—without being restricted by Shopify’s 3-character limit.

This approach lets you keep your original product data as it is, avoid Shopify’s limitations when working with numeric sizes, and still provide a clear, user-friendly interface for your customers. If you need any help setting this up in Easify, our team is always happy to assist.