Attributes and Views

Attributes

Attributes allow you to specify product characteristics; examples include:

• heel height of a shoe
• the color of a t-shirt
• the resolution of a camera
• the format and author of a book
• the processor speed and memory of a computer
• the fabric of a shirt

Each attribute typically has multiple possible values; for example, the "material" attribute could have values like "silk", "cotton", "linen", and "cashmere".

When you assign an attribute to a product, you must specify one or more values chosen from that attribute. For example, one shirt could have the "material" attribute with value "silk", while another shirt could have the same attribute with values "cotton" and "linen".

What attributes are used for

Adding attributes to a product allows you to:

1. show them on the product page to provide more information to customers
2. create site filters to optimize product search
3. publish pages of products that share the same attribute
4. apply promotions to products that have a certain attribute
5. set them as product variants to differentiate into different SKUs

a. show attributes on the product page

Attributes added to a product are shown on the site on the product page. Normally all product attributes are shown, but sometimes you want to show only some attributes because some are used only for promotions.

b. create filters to optimize product search

For Open2b versions that include filter navigation, you can create new filters on attributes in addition to filters for departments, manufacturers, and prices.

Filters, especially when well designed, help customers find products more easily and quickly. A filter on a specific attribute lets you narrow products to only those with certain characteristics, such as shoes that are only "red" with a "high" heel.

c. publish pages of products that share the same attribute

A page that groups products sharing the same attribute can be a valuable service for customers looking for products that are very different yet share some elements. For example, an attribute like "Christmas dinners" could allow you to display all relevant products on a dedicated page optimized for SEO, even if they belong to different departments, e.g., glasses, napkins, rosettes, etc. Attributes are an alternative to the hierarchical, "vertical" categorization provided by department management.

d. apply promotions to products with a certain attribute

In addition to applying promotions to products, departments, and manufacturers, you can also apply them to attributes. For example, you can promote all linen or silk shirts.

You can also create attributes specifically for promotions. For example, a "promo" attribute with values "spring" and "summer" could be added to the products to be promoted. By assigning a view to products, you can avoid showing these attributes on the product page.

e. set an attribute as a product variant

An attribute characterizes a product, and its values are product properties. For example, a phone might have a "capacity" (attribute) of "128GB" (attribute value).

When you set an attribute as a product variant, its values become the options for the product's SKUs. For example, if you set "capacity" as a variant for a phone, some SKUs may have a capacity of "32GB", others "128GB", and others "256GB".

When an attribute is set as a product variant, it is automatically shown in the admin under Attributes on the product tab. Its values will be exactly the options for the product's SKUs.

Attribute views

Attribute views are used solely to control which attributes are displayed on the product page on the site, and in what order:

• With a view: only the attributes in the view, in the order listed, will be shown on the product page. Other attributes in the product tab are for internal use or to support other tools, such as filters.
• Without a view: all product attributes will be shown on the product page in alphabetical order.

You can create as many views as you want and then assign them to individual products.