This guide explains how to fix the “selecting sides” or blank variation error that occurs when trying to customize or edit a product. This issue typically happens when a product contains an extra variation with no color or size assigned, which causes the Designer Tool to load incorrectly.
Steps to Fix the Error
- Go to the Core Product in WooCommerce.
- You can find the product’s ID in the SKU or the URL. The Parent Product ID is what you’ll need for this process.
- Open a Variation Manager in a new tab.
- Paste the Parent Product ID into the URL to load the correct product.
- Once loaded, scroll through all product variations.
- Check if one of the color variations has lost its additional images or is missing attributes.
- Scroll all the way to the bottom, you may find an extra variation with no color and no size.
- Select that blank variation and delete it.
- After deleting, test the product again:
- Try selecting a color and size (for example, color + large) and click Customize.
- If the product loads correctly, the issue has been fixed.
- The problem occurs because the system defaults to the first variation, which may have been the blank one.
Why This Happens
This usually happens when a product’s variation setup becomes unsynced for example, a color loses its assigned image or a new variation is added incorrectly.
When the system encounters a blank or incomplete variation, it defaults to it first, causing the “selecting sides” or blank variation error.
Prevention Tip
When adding new products or variations, always double-check that every variation has a color, size, and image assigned.
If products are created through the Add Product workflow, this issue rarely occurs, as the system correctly orders and links the variations.
Watch this video for a quick walkthrough.