=== Variation Swatches and Gallery for WooCommerce ===
Contributors: zqelab, akdevs
Donate link: https://github.com/zqelab
Tags: variation swatches, color swatches, variation gallery, image swatches, woocommerce
Requires PHP: 7.4
Requires at least: 6.4
Tested up to: 6.8
WC requires at least: 8.0
WC tested up to: 10.3
Stable tag: 1.0.7
License: GPLv3 or later
License URI: http://www.gnu.org/licenses/gpl-3.0.html

The only free WooCommerce variation swatches plugin with a built-in Variation Image Gallery AND Stock Count by Variation. Replace boring dropdowns with beautiful Color, Image, Button & Radio swatches.

== Description ==

Say goodbye to boring WooCommerce dropdown menus! **Variation Swatches and Gallery for WooCommerce** transforms your variable product dropdowns into stunning **Color, Image, Button, and Radio swatches** — giving your customers an experience like shopping on Amazon or AliExpress.

🔗 [Live Demo](https://demo.zqe.io/variation-swatches-and-gallery/) | 📖 [Documentation](https://zqe.io/docs/variation-swatches-and-gallery-documentation/) | 🌐 [Plugin Homepage](https://zqe.io/variation-swatches-and-gallery/) | 💬 [Support](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/variation-swatches-and-gallery/)

### 🏆 What Makes This Plugin Different?

Other swatches plugins give you basic color and image swatches. We go further — with **two features that are usually premium-only**, included for **free**:

1. **Variation Image Gallery** — Upload unlimited images per variation. When a customer selects "Red / Large", they see a complete photo gallery of that exact combination. Other plugins charge $49+ for this feature alone!

2. **Stock Count by Variation** — Show customers exactly how many items are left for each specific variation (e.g., "Red / Medium: Only 5 left!"). This creates buying urgency (FOMO) and helps customers make faster decisions. **No other free swatches plugin offers this.**

[See Both Features in Action →](https://demo.zqe.io/variation-swatches-and-gallery/)

---

### 🎨 4 Beautiful Swatch Types

👉 **Color Swatches**
Display vibrant color circles or squares that customers can select at a glance. Perfect for clothing, accessories, home decor, and any product with color variants.
[Live Demo & Documentation →](https://demo.zqe.io/variation-swatches-and-gallery/)

👉 **Image Swatches**
Show product photos, patterns, fabrics, or textures as selectable thumbnail swatches. Great for products where seeing the material or design matters before buying.
[Live Demo & Documentation →](https://demo.zqe.io/variation-swatches-and-gallery/)

👉 **Button / Label Swatches**
Clean, clickable text buttons for sizes (S, M, L, XL), styles, or any text-based option. The most popular swatch type for size selectors. Auto-converts from dropdowns on install!
[Live Demo & Documentation →](https://demo.zqe.io/variation-swatches-and-gallery/)

👉 **Radio Swatches**
Classic radio-style selectors for simple binary or limited choices. Ideal for yes/no options, gift wrapping toggles, or small option sets.
[Live Demo & Documentation →](https://demo.zqe.io/variation-swatches-and-gallery/)

---

### 🆓 All Free Features

Our free version is more powerful than many paid alternatives:

👉 **Auto-Convert Dropdowns to Swatches**
Install and activate — all variation dropdowns instantly become button swatches. Zero configuration required.

👉 **Variation Image Gallery (FREE!)**
Upload unlimited gallery images for each specific variation. Customers see the exact photos for their selected color/size combination. A feature usually found only in premium plugins!
[Live Demo →](https://demo.zqe.io/variation-swatches-and-gallery/)

👉 **Stock Count by Variation (EXCLUSIVE)**
Display the exact stock quantity for each variation. "Red / M: 12 in stock" — creates urgency, reduces hesitation, increases conversions. Not available in any other free swatches plugin.
[Live Demo →](https://demo.zqe.io/variation-swatches-and-gallery/)

👉 **Smart Out-of-Stock Handling**
Three options for unavailable variations: **Blur** them out, show a **Cross** sign, or **Hide** them completely. Prevent customer frustration with clear visual cues.
[Live Demo →](https://demo.zqe.io/variation-swatches-and-gallery/)

👉 **Customizable Swatch Shapes**
Choose between **Circle**, **Rounded**, or **Square** swatch styles to match your store's design and branding.

👉 **Hover Tooltips**
Enable sleek tooltips that appear on hover, showing attribute labels. Position them **Top** or **Bottom** to fit your layout.

👉 **Ajax Variation Threshold**
Custom threshold setting for stores with hundreds of product variations. Ensures smooth, fast performance without slowing down your product pages.

👉 **Layout Control**
Choose between **Inline** or **Block** display styles. Show the selected attribute name beside the label. Add a "Clear" button to reset selections with one click.

👉 **Automated Defaults**
Set Button or Image as the global default swatch type. No need to configure every product individually.

---

### 🏆 What Our Users Say

> ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ *"This plugin solved my client requirements. I had an issue and the author supported me very quickly. Great plugin, excellent support!"*
> — [designunique](https://wordpress.org/support/topic/great-plugin-fulfill-my-requirements-excellent-support/), Verified WordPress.org Review

---

### 🚀 Premium Features

Upgrade to **[Variation Swatches and Gallery Pro](https://zqe.io/variation-swatches-and-gallery/)** to unlock advanced shop management and styling tools:

[Live Demo](https://demo.zqe.io/variation-swatches-and-gallery/) | [Upgrade to Pro](https://zqe.io/variation-swatches-and-gallery/) | [Documentation](https://zqe.io/docs/variation-swatches-and-gallery-documentation/)

👉 **Archive / Shop Page Swatches**
Let customers select variations (colors, sizes) directly from the shop, category, and archive pages — without visiting each product page. Fewer clicks = more sales.
[Live Demo →](https://demo.zqe.io/variation-swatches-and-gallery/)

👉 **Per-Product Settings Override**
Need different swatch shapes, styles, or types for specific products? Override global settings on a per-product basis for complete control.

👉 **Advanced State Styling**
Full control over **Normal**, **Hover**, and **Selected** states — including custom colors, borders, and box shadows. Make your swatches look exactly how you want.

👉 **Image & Text Tooltips**
Display product images or custom text inside tooltips on hover. A much richer browsing experience than text-only tooltips.

👉 **Custom Tooltip Styling**
Match tooltip colors and appearance to your brand identity. Full control over tooltip background, text color, and borders.

👉 **Priority Support**
Get fast, dedicated support directly from the developers who built the plugin.

👉 [Get Pro Version →](https://zqe.io/variation-swatches-and-gallery/)

---

### 🔌 Compatibility

This plugin is built to work everywhere:

* ✅ Any standard **WooCommerce theme** (Flatsome, OceanWP, Divi, Astra, Storefront, Woodmart, Porto, flavor, flavor Theme and more)
* ✅ Popular **Quick View** plugins
* ✅ **WooCommerce HPOS** (High-Performance Order Storage)
* ✅ **Elementor**, **Gutenberg / WooCommerce Blocks**, and other page builders
* ✅ **WPML** and **Polylang** multilingual plugins
* ✅ **Dokan** Multivendor Marketplace
* ✅ **CartFlows** and **WooCommerce Product Bundles**
* ✅ Tested with **WordPress 6.4+** through 6.8
* ✅ Tested with **WooCommerce 8.0+** through 10.3
* ✅ PHP 7.4+ compatible

---

### 📊 Free vs Pro Comparison

| Feature | Free | Pro |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Color, Image, Button, Radio Swatches | ✅ | ✅ |
| Variation Image Gallery (Unlimited) | ✅ FREE! | ✅ |
| Stock Count by Variation | ✅ EXCLUSIVE | ✅ |
| Out-of-Stock Handling (Blur/Cross/Hide) | ✅ | ✅ |
| Customizable Swatch Shapes | ✅ | ✅ |
| Hover Tooltips | ✅ | ✅ |
| Ajax Variation Threshold | ✅ | ✅ |
| Clear Selection Button | ✅ | ✅ |
| Inline & Block Display | ✅ | ✅ |
| Shop / Archive Page Swatches | ❌ | ✅ |
| Per-Product Override Settings | ❌ | ✅ |
| Advanced State Styling | ❌ | ✅ |
| Image & Text Tooltips | ❌ | ✅ |
| Custom Tooltip Styling | ❌ | ✅ |
| Priority Support | ❌ | ✅ |

---

### 👨‍💻 Support & Documentation

Need help getting started? We've got you covered:

* 📖 [Complete Documentation](https://zqe.io/docs/variation-swatches-and-gallery-documentation/) — Step-by-step guides for every feature
* 🎮 [Live Demo Store](https://demo.zqe.io/variation-swatches-and-gallery/) — Try every feature before installing
* 💬 [WordPress Support Forum](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/variation-swatches-and-gallery/) — Free community support
* 🎫 [Priority Support](https://zqe.io/) — For Pro users

== Installation ==

### From WordPress Dashboard (Recommended)
1. Go to **Plugins > Add New**.
2. Search for **"Variation Swatches and Gallery for WooCommerce"**.
3. Click **Install Now** and then **Activate**.
4. Done! All variation dropdowns are now auto-converted to button swatches.

### Manual Installation
1. Download the ZIP file from the WordPress plugin repository.
2. Upload the `variation-swatches-and-gallery` folder to the `/wp-content/plugins/` directory.
3. Activate the plugin through the **Plugins** menu in WordPress.

### After Activation — Quick Setup (2 minutes)
1. Navigate to **Products > Attributes**.
2. Edit an existing attribute (e.g., Color).
3. Change the **"Type"** from **Select** to **Color** (or Image).
4. Click **Update** to save.
5. Edit the individual attribute terms and assign a color or upload an image for each.
6. Visit your product page — your beautiful swatches are live!

Need help? Check our [step-by-step documentation →](https://zqe.io/docs/variation-swatches-and-gallery-documentation/)

== Frequently Asked Questions ==

= Why are my products still showing dropdowns instead of swatches? =

After installing the plugin, all dropdowns automatically become **Button swatches**. To display Color or Image swatches, you need one extra step: Go to **Products > Attributes**, edit your attribute (e.g., Color), and change the "Type" from Select to Color or Image. Then edit individual terms to assign colors or images. [See our setup guide →](https://zqe.io/docs/variation-swatches-and-gallery-documentation/)

= How does the Stock Count by Variation feature work? =

When enabled, customers see the exact stock quantity for their selected variation — for example, "Red / Large: 5 in stock" or "Blue / Medium: Only 2 left!". This creates urgency (FOMO) and helps customers make faster purchasing decisions. This feature is **completely free** and exclusive to our plugin.

= Is it compatible with my theme? =

Yes! The plugin is designed to work with any standard WooCommerce theme including **Flatsome, OceanWP, Divi, Astra, Storefront**, and more. It follows WooCommerce hooks and templates, so it integrates seamlessly. If you encounter any layout conflict, our support team is ready to help.

= Does it support Quick View plugins? =

Yes. The swatches and gallery logic are fully compatible with most popular WooCommerce Quick View extensions out of the box.

= How is the Variation Image Gallery different from the main product gallery? =

The main WooCommerce gallery shows the same images regardless of which variation is selected. With our **Variation Image Gallery**, you can upload unique images for each variation (e.g., different angles of the red shirt vs. the blue shirt). When a customer selects a variation, the gallery automatically swaps to show those specific images — like shopping on Amazon.

= Can I show swatches on the shop / catalog page? =

The Free version displays swatches on the **Single Product page**. To display swatches on the **Shop, Category, and Archive** pages, upgrade to the [Pro version](https://zqe.io/variation-swatches-and-gallery/).

= How many variations can it handle? =

The plugin includes a **Custom Ajax Variation Threshold** setting specifically designed for stores with a large number of product variations. You can adjust this threshold to ensure smooth, fast performance even with hundreds of variations.

= What happens to out-of-stock variations? =

Three options: **Blur** out-of-stock swatches, display a **Cross** sign over them, or **Hide** them completely. Customers always see clearly which options are available and which aren't.

= Does it work with WooCommerce High-Performance Order Storage (HPOS)? =

Yes! The plugin is fully compatible with WooCommerce's HPOS feature.

= Where can I get support? =

For free plugin support, visit our [WordPress support forum](https://wordpress.org/support/plugin/variation-swatches-and-gallery/). Pro users get priority support through [our website](https://zqe.io/).

== Screenshots ==

1. Swatch Type selection in Attribute settings.
2. Beautiful Color Swatch interface on the frontend.
3. Image Swatch examples for patterns and textures.
4. Comprehensive settings panel for design customization.
5. Variation Image Gallery — multiple images per variation.
6. Stock Count by Variation — shows exact stock per selection.
7. Out-of-stock variation handling (blur, cross, hide).
8. Button and Radio swatch display.
9. Tooltip display on hover.
10. Shop page swatches (Pro feature).

== Changelog ==

= 1.0.7 - 23 March 2026 =
* Improved: Removed debug logging from production frontend code for cleaner browser console output.
* Improved: Updated plugin description for better clarity in WP Admin Plugins list.
* Improved: Expanded compatibility list — added Woodmart, Porto, WPML, Polylang, Dokan, CartFlows, and WooCommerce Product Bundles.
* Improved: Optimized readme tags for better WordPress.org search discoverability.
* Tested: Verified compatibility with WordPress 6.8 and WooCommerce 10.3.

= 1.0.6 - 28 January 2025 =
* SDK Update and performance optimizations.

= 1.0.5 - 18 December 2024 =
* Fixed: Replaced deprecated methods with `get_default_attributes` for WC 3.0+ compatibility.
* Fixed: Added safety check for `WVSG_DEBUG` constant.

= 1.0.4 - 15 November 2024 =
* Improved: Minor performance and stability improvements.

= 1.0.3 - 10 August 2024 =
* Improved: Compatibility improvements for newer WooCommerce versions.

= 1.0.2 - 5 March 2024 =
* Improved: General code cleanup and stability fixes.

= 1.0.1 - 15 June 2023 =
* Improved: Minor bug fixes and compatibility updates.

= 1.0.0 - 25 December 2022 =
* Initial release.

== Upgrade Notice ==

= 1.0.7 =
Removed debug logging, expanded compatibility, and improved search discoverability. Recommended for all users.
