---
title: >-
  InventoryItem.variant field deprecated in favor of InventoryItem.variants
  connection - Shopify developer changelog
description: >-
  Shopify’s developer changelog documents all changes to Shopify’s platform.
  Find the latest news and learn about new platform opportunities.
source_url:
  html: 'https://shopify.dev/changelog/posts/inventory-item-variant-field-deprecation'
  md: >-
    https://shopify.dev/changelog/posts/inventory-item-variant-field-deprecation.md
metadata:
  effectiveApiVersion: 2026-01
  affectedApi:
    - displayName: Admin GraphQL API
      handle: admin-graphql
  primaryTag:
    displayName: API
    handle: api
  secondaryTag:
    displayName: Deprecation announcement
    handle: deprecation-announcement
  indicatesActionRequired: false
  createdAt: '2025-12-01T14:53:22-05:00'
  postedAt: '2025-12-02T12:00:00-05:00'
  updatedAt: '2025-12-12T13:03:00-05:00'
  effectiveAt: '2025-12-02T12:00:00-05:00'
---

December 2, 2025

# InventoryItem.variant field deprecated in favor of InventoryItem.variants connection

DateDecember 2, 2025

Version[2026-01](https://shopify.dev/changelog?api_version=2026-01)

Flags[Deprecation announcement](https://shopify.dev/changelog?filter=deprecation-announcement)

SurfacesAPI

Affected APIs[Admin GraphQL API](https://shopify.dev/changelog?api_type=admin-graphql)

The `InventoryItem.variant` field has been deprecated and will be removed in a future API version. Use the new `InventoryItem.variants` connection instead.

To learn more, see [`InventoryItem` object](https://shopify.dev/docs/api/admin-graphql/latest/objects/InventoryItem) or [`inventoryItem` query](https://shopify.dev/docs/api/admin-graphql/latest/queries/inventoryItem) in the GraphQL Admin API reference.

### Why we're making this change

The new `variants` connection allows for retrieving `ProductVariants` through a paginated connection, rather than a single variant object. This update prepares the API to support multiple variants sharing a single inventory item in the future.

Initially the `variants` connection will return a single node. However, we recommend updating your integrations to handle `variants` as a connection to accommodate future changes.

### What you need to do

Modify your GraphQL queries by replacing `variant` with `variants`. Since `variants` is a connection, ensure you request `edges` and `nodes`. Although the deprecated `variant` field remains functional in all supported API versions, including `2026-01` , it will eventually be removed. Updating your queries now will ensure they remain compatible with future API versions.

**Before (deprecated):**

```graphql
{
  inventoryItem(id: "gid://shopify/InventoryItem/123") {
    variant {
      id
      sku
    }
  }
}
```

**After (recommended):**

```graphql
{
  inventoryItem(id: "gid://shopify/InventoryItem/123") {
    variants(first: 10) {
      edges {
        node {
          id
          sku
        }
      }
    }
  }
}
```