---
title: How to Add Notes to WooCommerce Product Variations
description: Add a private or public note to each WooCommerce variation and show it in the variation description when customers select it.
url: "https://wpfactory.com/docs/product-notes-variation-notes/"
updated: "2026-09-27"
category: How to
---

# How to Add Notes to WooCommerce Product Variations

To add notes to WooCommerce product variations, enable **Note per variation** at **WPFactory > Product Notes > Private notes** or **Public notes** in [Product Notes Tab & Private Admin Notes for WooCommerce](https://wpfactory.com/item/product-notes-for-woocommerce/). A note field then appears on every variation, and public variation notes can show when a customer selects that variation. This is free.

## Step 1: Turn on variation notes

1. Go to **WPFactory > Product Notes** (also reachable at **WooCommerce > Settings > Product Notes**).
2. Open the **Private notes** or **Public notes** section. The option is separate for each, so enable it in both if you need both kinds.
3. Under **General Options**, tick **Note per variation**.
4. Click **Save changes**.

## Step 2: Add a note to a variation

1. Open a variable product and go to **Product data > Variations**.
2. Expand a variation. Below the standard **Description** field you will see a **Private note** field, a **Note** field (public), or both.
3. Type the note and click **Save changes** in the Variations panel (or update the product).

Each variation has one note field per note type. After saving, hover the field's help icon (or read the line under the editor, if the visual editor is on) to see who last modified it and when.

![Variations panel with an expanded variation showing the Private note and Note fields under Description](https://wpfactory.com/wp-content/uploads/product-notes-variation-notes-1.png)

## Step 3: Show public variation notes to customers

1. In **Public notes > Frontend Options**, tick **Variation description**.
2. Click **Save changes**.

When a customer picks that variation on the product page, its note is added to the variation description area, together with the price and stock details. **Note per variation** must stay enabled for this to work.

## Where variation notes appear

| Place | Uses variation notes? | Free/Pro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Variation description on the product page | Yes, with the Variation description option | Free |
| Cart and checkout | Yes. For a variation in the cart, only that variation's notes are shown, not the parent product's | Free |
| Product tab, product meta, single product page and shop page positions | No. These show the parent product's notes | Free |
| Admin orders, order item meta, admin and customer emails | Yes. The parent product's notes and the variation's notes are both included | Pro |
| Admin search | Yes. A match in a variation note returns its parent product | Pro |

## Editor options for variation notes

In **Backend Options** of each section (free):

- **Visual editor > Variation notes**: uses a simplified editor (text mode with formatting buttons) instead of a plain text field.
- **Textarea style > Variation notes**: CSS for the plain variation field, empty by default. Ignored when the visual editor for variation notes is on.

## FAQ

### Why do variation notes not show on the product page?

Both **Note per variation** and **Variation description** must be enabled in the Public notes section. Private variation notes are only shown to administrators and shop managers.

### Can a variation have several notes, like a product can?

No. Each variation has one note field per note type. Use line breaks inside the field for several points.

### Why does the cart show a different note than the product tab?

For variable products, the cart and checkout use the chosen variation's notes, while the product tab uses the parent product's notes. Add the text to the variation if you want it in the cart.

### Do variation notes appear in order emails?

Yes, with Pro. When **Admin emails** or **Customer emails** is on, the email lists the product's notes followed by the variation's notes. See [how to show product notes in orders and emails](https://wpfactory.com/docs/product-notes-orders-emails/).

### Get more control

Variation notes are free. [Product Notes Tab & Private Admin Notes for WooCommerce](https://wpfactory.com/item/product-notes-for-woocommerce/) Pro carries them into orders, emails and admin search. [See what Pro unlocks](https://wpfactory.com/item/product-notes-for-woocommerce/).

Need a hand? Our team answers every ticket on the [Product Notes support forum](https://wpfactory.com/support/item/product-notes-for-woocommerce/).

Related articles

- [How to Add Private Admin Notes to WooCommerce Products](https://wpfactory.com/docs/product-notes-private-admin-notes/)
- [How to Search, Export and Bulk Edit WooCommerce Product Notes](https://wpfactory.com/docs/product-notes-search-export-bulk-edit/)
- [How to Show Product Notes to Customers in WooCommerce](https://wpfactory.com/docs/product-notes-public-notes-tab/)
- [Product Notes Developer Reference: Shortcode, Functions and Hooks](https://wpfactory.com/docs/product-notes-developer-reference/)
- [Product Notes Troubleshooting](https://wpfactory.com/docs/product-notes-troubleshooting/)