Deleted Product Variants in Subscriptions

If you’ve deleted a product or variant in Shopify and can no longer see the subscribers tied to it in Awtomic, don’t worry—the subscription records are still there and Awtomic is still able to create orders with that deleted variant. When a variant is removed from your Shopify store, the reference disappears from Awtomic’s product-based filters, but the customers and their subscription lines remain intact - in other words it doesn't impact existing subscriptions with the deleted product.

This guide explains how to locate those subscribers and what your options are for updating or communicating with them.

Why Deleted Variants Disappear From Filters

When Shopify deletes a product or variant:

• Awtomic keeps all subscription lines associated with that item.
• You’ll see those lines marked as “Missing” inside each subscription’s detail view.
• The deleted variant won’t appear in product filters, so you can’t surface those subscribers from the product tab.

How to Identify Subscribers With Deleted Variants

The most reliable way to surface these customers is through a CSV export.

1. Go to Subscriptions → Export in Awtomic.
2. Download an export of your active subscriptions.
3. Filter the CSV by:
   • The old variant ID (if you still have it)
   • The SKU used by the deleted variant
   • The product or variant title (making sure to distinguish if the same name exists elsewhere)

This will give you a complete list of all subscribers who were tied to that now-deleted variant.

How to Update or Replace Missing Variants

Awtomic includes a built-in tool for handling missing or deleted products:

Bulk Update: Replace Missing Products

1. Go to Subscriptions → Bulk Updates → Create Bulk Update
2. Choose “Replace Missing Products”
3. You’ll see a list of variants that customers are still subscribed to even though they no longer exist in Shopify
4. Select an existing variant to replace the missing ones

This is helpful if you’ve retired a product and want to migrate customers to a new version.

How to Email Customers on Deleted Variants

If you need to notify affected subscribers:

• Use the filtered export to pull their email addresses
• Import that list into your ESP or CRM
• Send your communication as needed (e.g., cancellation notice, swap option, or updated product info)

Summary

• Deleted Shopify variants do not remove subscription records in Awtomic.
• You can identify affected customers through a subscriptions export.
• Missing variants are clearly labeled inside individual subscription details.
• A bulk update tool exists to replace missing products when needed.

If you have any questions along the way, feel free to reach out—we’re happy to help.