diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 5df4cea..b4bef11 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ jobs:
           # Generate schema.json from model.py
           # Note: generate command outputs to stdout, so we redirect to a file
           pixi run generate > schema.json
+          pixi run genvariant > variant_schema.json
       - name: Test recipe schema
         run: |
           pixi run test
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 4c331db..adcdfc3 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ This repository contains the [JSON Schema](./schema.json) for the new `recipe.ya
 - https://github.com/conda-incubator/ceps/pull/56
 - https://github.com/conda-incubator/ceps/pull/57 (not yet implemented)
 
+And [Variant Schema](./variant_schema.json) for the `variant_config.yaml` files.
+
 ## How to use 
 
 There is a fully JSON Schema 1.0 compliant [schema.json](./schema.json) at the root of this repository. 
@@ -20,6 +22,12 @@ Using the YAML extension for VSCode all you need to do is add:
 
 to the top of your recipe file and you should have autocompletion and validation!
 
+Similarly for that `variant_schema.json` add,
+
+```yaml
+# yaml-language-server: $schema=https://raw.githubusercontent.com/prefix-dev/recipe-format/main/variant_schema.json
+```
+
 ## Contributing
 
 The project is using [`pixi`](https://github.com/prefix-dev/pixi) to be able to quickly format, validate and generate the schema.
@@ -30,6 +38,7 @@ Note: When submitting changes to `model.py` make sure to run following commands
 pixi run fmt
 pixi run lint
 pixi run generate > schema.json
+pixi run genvariant > variant_schema.json
 pixi run test 
 ```
 
diff --git a/examples/mamba/variant_config.yaml b/examples/mamba/variant_config.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..6b30849
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/mamba/variant_config.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,6 @@
+# yaml-language-server: $schema=../../variant_schema.json
+
+python:
+  - "3.11.* *cpython"
+  # - "3.12.* *cpython"
+  # - "3.9.* *cpython"
diff --git a/examples/variant_config.yaml b/examples/variant_config.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..96565de
--- /dev/null
+++ b/examples/variant_config.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,79 @@
+# yaml-language-server: $schema=../variant_schema.json
+
+zip_keys:
+  - if: not win 
+    then:
+      - c_compiler_version
+      - cxx_compiler_version
+      - fortran_compiler_version
+      - docker_image
+  -
+    - cudnn
+    - cuda_compiler_version
+  -
+    - python
+    - numpy
+    - python_impl
+  -
+    - arrow_cpp
+    - libarrow
+
+pin_run_as_build:
+  # boost is special, see https://github.com/conda-forge/boost-cpp-feedstock/pull/82
+  boost:
+    max_pin: x.x.x
+  boost-cpp:
+    max_pin: x.x.x
+  # TODO: add run_exports to the following feedstocks
+  flann:
+    max_pin: x.x.x
+  graphviz:
+    max_pin: x
+  libsvm:
+    max_pin: x
+  netcdf-cxx4:
+    max_pin: x.x
+  occt:
+    max_pin: x.x
+  poppler:
+    max_pin: x.x
+  r-base:
+    max_pin: x.x
+    min_pin: x.x
+  vlfeat:
+    max_pin: x.x.x
+
+# Pinning packages
+
+# blas
+libblas:
+  - 3.9 *netlib
+libcblas:
+  - 3.9 *netlib
+liblapack:
+  - 3.9 *netlib
+liblapacke:
+  - 3.9 *netlib
+blas_impl:
+  - openblas
+  - mkl          # [x86 or x86_64]
+  - blis         # [x86 or x86_64]
+
+# this output was dropped as of libabseil 20230125
+abseil_cpp:
+  - '20220623.0'
+alsa_lib:
+  - 1.2.8
+arb:
+  - '2.23'
+arpack:
+  - '3.7'
+# keep in sync with libarrow
+arrow_cpp:
+  - 11.0.0
+  - 10.0.1
+  - 9.0.0
+  - 8.0.1
+assimp:
+  - 5.2.5
+aws-sdk-cpp: "4.5"
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/pixi.toml b/pixi.toml
index e503dae..119657c 100644
--- a/pixi.toml
+++ b/pixi.toml
@@ -8,8 +8,9 @@ platforms = ["win-64", "linux-64", "osx-64", "osx-arm64"]
 
 [tasks]
 generate = "python model.py"
-fmt = "ruff format model.py"
-lint = "ruff model.py --fix"
+genvariant = "python variant_model.py"
+fmt = "ruff format model.py variant_model.py"
+lint = "ruff model.py variant_model.py --fix"
 test = "pytest"
 
 [dependencies]
diff --git a/test/test_recipe.py b/test/test_recipe.py
index 4e482ce..32ed9a5 100644
--- a/test/test_recipe.py
+++ b/test/test_recipe.py
@@ -27,3 +27,28 @@ def recipe_schema():
 
 def test_recipe_schema(recipe_schema, recipe):
     validate(instance=recipe, schema=recipe_schema)
+
+
+@pytest.fixture(
+    scope="module",
+    params=[
+        "examples/mamba",
+        "examples",
+    ],
+)
+def variantconfig(request) -> str:
+    recipe_name = request.param
+    with open(f"./{recipe_name}/variant_config.yaml") as f:
+        recipe = f.read()
+    recipe_yml = yaml.safe_load(recipe)
+    return recipe_yml
+
+@pytest.fixture()
+def variant_schema():
+    with open("variant_schema.json", "r") as f:
+        schema = json.load(f)
+    return schema
+
+
+def test_variant_schema(variantconfig, variant_schema):
+    validate(instance=variantconfig, schema=variant_schema)
diff --git a/variant_model.py b/variant_model.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4fd59e2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/variant_model.py
@@ -0,0 +1,64 @@
+import json
+from typing import Generic, TypeVar, Union
+
+from pydantic import BaseModel, Field, TypeAdapter
+
+T = TypeVar("T")
+ConditionalList = Union[T, "IfStatement[T]", list[Union[T, "IfStatement[T]"]]]
+
+
+class IfStatement(BaseModel, Generic[T]):
+    expr: str = Field(..., alias="if")
+    then: T | list[T]
+    otherwise: T | list[T] | None = Field(None, alias="else")
+
+
+class MinPin(BaseModel):
+    min_pin: str | None = Field(
+        default=None, description="Defaults to x.x.x.x.x for pin, change to make less specific"
+    )
+
+
+class MaxPin(BaseModel):
+    max_pin: str | None = Field(
+        default=None, description="Defaults to x for pin, change to make more specific"
+    )
+
+
+class BothPin(BaseModel):
+    min_pin: str | None = Field(
+        default=None, description="Defaults to x.x.x.x.x for pin, change to make less specific"
+    )
+    max_pin: str | None = Field(
+        default=None, description="Defaults to x for pin, change to make more specific"
+    )
+
+
+class VariantConfig(BaseModel, extra="allow"):
+    """Usage docs: https://prefix-dev.github.io/rattler-build/variants
+
+    Schema for variant configuration file for specifying recipe variants
+    for automating builds.
+    """
+
+    zip_keys: ConditionalList[ConditionalList[str]] = Field(
+        default=None,
+        description="Zip keys have variant key that has multiple entries which is expanded to a build matrix for variants.",
+    )
+    pin_run_as_build: dict[str, MaxPin | MinPin | BothPin] = Field(
+        default=None, description="Pinning package versions for variant"
+    )
+    model_config = {
+        "json_schema_extra": {
+            "additionalProperties": {
+                "anyOf": [
+                    {"type": "string"},
+                    {"items": {"type": "string"}, "type": "array"},
+                ]
+            },
+        },
+    }
+
+
+if __name__ == "__main__":
+    print(json.dumps(TypeAdapter(VariantConfig).json_schema(), indent=2))
diff --git a/variant_schema.json b/variant_schema.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b2da2dc
--- /dev/null
+++ b/variant_schema.json
@@ -0,0 +1,201 @@
+{
+  "$defs": {
+    "BothPin": {
+      "properties": {
+        "min_pin": {
+          "anyOf": [
+            {
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            {
+              "type": "null"
+            }
+          ],
+          "default": null,
+          "description": "Defaults to x.x.x.x.x for pin, change to make less specific",
+          "title": "Min Pin"
+        },
+        "max_pin": {
+          "anyOf": [
+            {
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            {
+              "type": "null"
+            }
+          ],
+          "default": null,
+          "description": "Defaults to x for pin, change to make more specific",
+          "title": "Max Pin"
+        }
+      },
+      "title": "BothPin",
+      "type": "object"
+    },
+    "IfStatement": {
+      "properties": {
+        "if": {
+          "title": "If",
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "then": {
+          "anyOf": [
+            {},
+            {
+              "items": {},
+              "type": "array"
+            }
+          ],
+          "title": "Then"
+        },
+        "else": {
+          "anyOf": [
+            {},
+            {
+              "items": {},
+              "type": "array"
+            },
+            {
+              "type": "null"
+            }
+          ],
+          "default": null,
+          "title": "Else"
+        }
+      },
+      "required": [
+        "if",
+        "then"
+      ],
+      "title": "IfStatement",
+      "type": "object"
+    },
+    "MaxPin": {
+      "properties": {
+        "max_pin": {
+          "anyOf": [
+            {
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            {
+              "type": "null"
+            }
+          ],
+          "default": null,
+          "description": "Defaults to x for pin, change to make more specific",
+          "title": "Max Pin"
+        }
+      },
+      "title": "MaxPin",
+      "type": "object"
+    },
+    "MinPin": {
+      "properties": {
+        "min_pin": {
+          "anyOf": [
+            {
+              "type": "string"
+            },
+            {
+              "type": "null"
+            }
+          ],
+          "default": null,
+          "description": "Defaults to x.x.x.x.x for pin, change to make less specific",
+          "title": "Min Pin"
+        }
+      },
+      "title": "MinPin",
+      "type": "object"
+    }
+  },
+  "additionalProperties": {
+    "anyOf": [
+      {
+        "type": "string"
+      },
+      {
+        "items": {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        "type": "array"
+      }
+    ]
+  },
+  "description": "Usage docs: https://prefix-dev.github.io/rattler-build/variants\n\nSchema for variant configuration file for specifying recipe variants\nfor automating builds.",
+  "properties": {
+    "zip_keys": {
+      "anyOf": [
+        {
+          "type": "string"
+        },
+        {
+          "$ref": "#/$defs/IfStatement"
+        },
+        {
+          "items": {
+            "anyOf": [
+              {
+                "type": "string"
+              },
+              {
+                "$ref": "#/$defs/IfStatement"
+              }
+            ]
+          },
+          "type": "array"
+        },
+        {
+          "items": {
+            "anyOf": [
+              {
+                "type": "string"
+              },
+              {
+                "$ref": "#/$defs/IfStatement"
+              },
+              {
+                "items": {
+                  "anyOf": [
+                    {
+                      "type": "string"
+                    },
+                    {
+                      "$ref": "#/$defs/IfStatement"
+                    }
+                  ]
+                },
+                "type": "array"
+              }
+            ]
+          },
+          "type": "array"
+        }
+      ],
+      "default": null,
+      "description": "Zip keys have variant key that has multiple entries which is expanded to a build matrix for variants.",
+      "title": "Zip Keys"
+    },
+    "pin_run_as_build": {
+      "additionalProperties": {
+        "anyOf": [
+          {
+            "$ref": "#/$defs/MaxPin"
+          },
+          {
+            "$ref": "#/$defs/MinPin"
+          },
+          {
+            "$ref": "#/$defs/BothPin"
+          }
+        ]
+      },
+      "default": null,
+      "description": "Pinning package versions for variant",
+      "title": "Pin Run As Build",
+      "type": "object"
+    }
+  },
+  "title": "VariantConfig",
+  "type": "object"
+}