Managing Product Attributes

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Overview
Prerequisites
Common Use Cases
Understanding Attribute Types
Add a Product Attribute
Configure Attribute Settings
Manage Locale-Specific Values
Manage Attribute Values
Delete a Product Attribute
Limitations and Important Notes
Best Practices

Overview

Product Attributes define the information associated with products in Znode. They serve as the foundation of the product data model and help Administrators manage product details that are displayed to customers, used in search, product comparisons, configurable products, and Storefront filtering. New products inherit attributes from the assigned Attribute Family.

Administrators can use default attributes provided by Znode or create custom attributes to meet specific business requirements.

Prerequisites

Access to the Znode Admin Console.
Permissions to manage Product Information Management (PIM) data.
Required Attribute Groups have been created to add custom attributes.

Common Use Cases

Product Attributes can be used to:

Store product specifications and descriptions.
Create selectable product options such as colors, sizes, and brands.
Support configurable products.
Enable product comparison functionality.
Improve product searchability.
Configure Storefront facets and filters.
Manage locale-specific attribute values for different regions.

Understanding Attribute Types

When creating an attribute, Attribute Type must be selected. The selected type determines what data users can enter and how Znode processes the information.

Attribute Type	Purpose
Date	Creates a date field with optional minimum and maximum dates.
Label	Creates a text-based value used for filtering and supports multiple values.
Text	Accepts text input and supports validation rules, regular expressions, unique values, and personalization options.
Multi Select	Allows users to select multiple values from a list.
Yes/No	Displays a Yes/No toggle option.
Simple Select	Allows selection of a single value from a predefined list and can be used for configurable products and facets.
Number	Accepts numeric values with configurable limits and formatting rules.
File	Supports document and media file uploads with configurable size and extension restrictions.
Image	Supports image uploads with configurable size, extension, and multi-upload options.
Text Area	Provides a larger text field with character limits and optional WYSIWYG editing.
Link	Associates related products with a product.

Add a Product Attribute

Use this procedure to create a new custom Product Attribute.

Steps

Navigate to PIM > Product Attributes > Attributes.
Select Add/Edit Attributes.
Select an Attribute Type.
Enter a unique Code for the attribute.
Specify whether the attribute is:
- Required
- Localizable
- Personalizable
- Displayed on the Product Grid page
Configure any applicable attribute-specific settings:
- Validation Rule
- Regular Expression
- Minimum Date
- Maximum Date
- Maximum Characters
- Unique Value requirements
Select the appropriate Attribute Group.
Configure optional settings:
- Is Comparable
- Is Used In Search
- Default Value
- Help Description
- Display Order
Save the attribute.

Expected Result

The new Product Attribute becomes available within the selected Attribute Group and can be assigned to products through the product management process.

Configure Attribute Settings

Setting	Description
Attribute Type	Defines the data format accepted by the attribute.
Code	Unique alphanumeric identifier for the attribute.
Required	Determines whether a value must be provided.
Is Personalizable	Supports personalized values where applicable and are the ones that can be associated to the products by managing them under the personalization tab. Such attributes cannot be associated to any group.
Allowed Extensions	Allowed Extension (or Allowed File Extension) refers to the specific file types that a system, application, website, or upload control permits users to upload, import, or process. The supported file extensions are: .Bin, .Csv, .Doc, .Docx, .Dwg, .File, .Gz, .Pdf, .Ppt, .Rfa, .Tar, .Ttf, .Txt, .Xls, .Xlsx, .Zip
Allow Multiple Files	Allow Multiple Files is a setting that determines whether a user can upload or select more than one file in a single operation. When Allow Multiple Files = Yes/True, users can select and upload multiple files at once. When Allow Multiple Files = No/False, users can select and upload only one file at a time.
Is Localizable	Allows localized values for different languages and regions.
Is Shown on Grid	Displays the attribute as a column within applicable listing pages.
Validation Rule	Restricts accepted values using predefined validation options.
Regular Expression	Supports custom validation patterns.
Min Date	Earliest allowable date value for Date attributes.
Max Date	Latest allowable date value for Date attributes.
Max Characters	Limits the number of characters accepted.
Unique Value	Requires values to remain unique across records.
Attribute Group	Assigns the attribute to an attribute group.
Is Comparable	Enables use in product comparison functionality.
Is Used in Search	Includes the attribute in platform search operations.
Default Value	Sets a predefined value when the attribute is used.
Help Description	Displays instructional text for Administrators during data entry.
Display Order	Determines attribute position within its attribute group.

Manage Locale-Specific Values

Localization allows different attribute values to be shown to customers based on their region or locale.

Steps

Open the desired Product Attribute.
Navigate to the Locale/Values section.
Select the locale to update.
Enter the translated or region-specific value.
Save changes.

Expected Result

Customers see the value associated with their selected locale rather than the default value.

Manage Attribute Values

Certain attribute types support maintaining a predefined list of selectable values.

Supported attribute types include:

Label
Text
Multi Select
Simple Select

Add Attribute Values

Navigate to PIM > Product Attributes > Attributes.
Open the Product Attribute to manage values.
Select the Locale/Values tab.
Click Add New Value.
Enter a unique value Code. The Code must be unique within the attribute and is used to identify the value.
Enter the display value in the appropriate field.
If required, select the value type:
- Swatch Image
- Swatch Text
- Text
If applicable, configure the corresponding swatch image, swatch text, or text value.
To make the value the default selection for the attribute, enable the Default Value option for the row.
Click the Save action available on the value row. This saves the individual value record.
Repeat the process for any additional values that need to be added.
After all required values have been added or updated and each value row has been saved, click Save or Save & Close on the Edit Attribute page to commit the changes to the attribute.

Edit Attribute Values

Open the required Product Attribute.
Select the Locale/Values tab.
Locate the value to modify.
Update the required fields.
Click the Save action available on the value row.

Important: When adding or editing an attribute value, the value row must be explicitly saved using the row-level Save action. If a value is added/modified and then click Save or Save & Close on the Edit Attribute page without first saving the value row, the new or updated value will not be persisted.

Expected Result

After the value row is successfully saved, the value becomes available for use by products associated with the attribute. If a value is marked as the default value, it is automatically selected when the attribute is applied according to the attribute's configuration.

Delete Attribute Values

Open the required Product Attribute.
Select the Locale/Values tab.
Locate the value to remove.
Delete the value from the grid.
Save the change as required.

Supported Value Display Types

Swatch Image
Swatch Text
Text

Value Precedence

Znode processes and displays values according to the following hierarchy:

Swatch Image
Swatch Text
Text

This means:

Swatch Image is displayed whenever an image value exists.
Swatch Text is used when no image value exists.
Text is displayed only when neither Swatch Image nor Swatch Text is available.

Delete a Product Attribute

Administrators can remove unused attributes from the system.

Steps

Navigate to PIM > Product Attributes > Attributes.
Locate the attribute to remove.
Select Delete.
Confirm the deletion.

Expected Result

The selected attribute is removed from the system if it is eligible for deletion.

Limitations and Important Notes

System-defined attributes cannot be deleted.
Attributes currently assigned to products cannot be deleted.
Number attributes require configuration of negative values, decimal support, and minimum and maximum values as needed.
File and Image attributes require configuration of permitted file types and upload size limits.
Text Area attributes support configurable character limits and optional WYSIWYG editing.
Multi Select attributes support multiple values and lazy loading of localized values.
For details on how attribute values are stored and how default behavior works when an attribute with a default value is associated with a product, please refer to this article --> https://support.znode.com/support/solutions/articles/43000756872-managing-products#Attribute-Value-Storage-and-Default-Behavior

Best Practices

Use meaningful attribute codes that clearly identify the attribute's purpose.
Group related attributes together using Attribute Groups.
Enable search and comparison settings only when they provide value to customers.
Use localization for customer-facing attributes displayed in multiple regions.
Configure display order thoughtfully to improve product maintenance and Storefront usability.