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Creating and Using Custom Product Attributes

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Ken Hughes
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This article will walk you through the process of creating custom Product Attributes that you can use to assign information to your products.

 

What We'll Cover:

  1. What Are Product Attributes?
  2. Using Attributes for Product Details
  3. Using Attributes to Track Specific Products
  4. Creating and Managing Product Attributes
  5. Populating Product Attributes
  6. Related Articles

 

What are Product Attributes?

Product Attributes are custom fields that you create yourself. Referring back to the three levels of data in Solid Commerce, Product Attributes are product level information.

Being product information, they are available to view and edit from any area of your Solid Commerce account. When uploading Excel files, the custom fields are part of the Products update.

Product Attributes are commonly used to:

  • Provide Item Specifics or Variations to eBay.
  • Make items easier to find in Solid Commerce.
  • Store reference information, such as the name of the person who created the product in Solid Commerce.

 

Using Attributes for Product Details

The most common use for custom Product Attributes is to specify product features, such as color, size, material, or other details.

Even if this information is already in the name of your product, using a Product Attribute allows you to provide that info in the body of your listing. For example, to provide an Item Specific to eBay, or create a variation listing, you need to use a Product Attribute in Solid Commerce. You can also display a custom Product Attribute on a packing slip or in your eBay description.

Not every piece of product information requires the creation of a custom Product Attribute. Some basic fields come stock in your Solid Commerce account. Stock fields include: Manufacturer, Model Number, UPC, Weight, Width, Height, Length, Main Image, and Additional Images.

 

Using Attributes to Track Specific Products

Custom Attributes don't display on your listings unless you want them to. That means you can use a custom Product Attribute to add references or notes to your products for your own internal use.

You can also use a custom attribute to locate batches of products in Solid Commerce. 

EXAMPLE: If you want to remove a batch of products, you can create a custom Product Attribute named Delete. Next, you can populate your new Product Attribute with a value of Yes for all of the products you need to remove. To find your products in Solid Commerce, select the Delete attribute in More Search Options, and search for the value Yes.

For more details about using an attribute to find products, see Deleting or Tagging Batches of Products Using Product Attributes.

 

 

 

Creating and Managing Product Attributes

1) Go to the Products menu -> Manage Product Attributes. 

2) To create a new attribute:

  • In the a Global Product Attributes pop-up, enter the attribute's Name.
  • Select your options:
    • Is Searchable (recommended): allows you to search your Solid Commerce account for this attribute.
    • Is Public (recommended): allows users to see the attribute, and allows it to automatically transfer to additional Solid Commerce accounts if you ever have need to more accounts.
    • Is Default: Use this option if you need the same value assigned to every new product you create. Once the product's created you can still change the value.
      • EXAMPLE: You are listing t-shirts to eBay. Size Type is a required item specific on eBay. You don't sell Big & Tall sizes, only Regular. Instead of providing the value of Regular for every new product you add to Solid Commerce, you can automatically add the Size Type to each new product by entering a Default Value of Regular when you create your Style Type Product Attribute.
  • Click the Add New Attribute button.

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3) To revise a Product Attribute:

  • You can edit the attribute's Name or check or uncheck the Is Searchable, Is Public, or Is Default options. If you are using the Is Default option, you can also edit its Default Value.
  • Click the Update Attribute button next to the attribute's Name.

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4) To delete a Product Attribute—including all of the corresponding attribute values saved to your products: 

  • Select the checkbox on the left of each attribute you want to delete.
  • At the top of the window, click the Delete Attribute button.
  • In the pop-up confirmation box, click OK.

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Populating Product Attributes

 

The steps above set up the attributes so they're available for your products. Here is how you enter values for your attributes:

 

Through the User Interface:

  • Find your product in a Warehouse or Market List.
  • Open the Add / Modify Product window by clicking on the Product Name or pencil icon.
  • At the bottom of the pop-up, select a Product Attribute from the Add Attributes drop-down menu.
  • Enter a Value, and click the Add button.

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  • If you need to enter multiple values for the same attribute, repeat this process for each value you need to save. You will end up with the same attribute listed multiple times. Each instance of the attribute will only have one Value.
    • EXAMPLE: You sell shocks for trucks. You need to provide eBay with a Placement on Vehicle of: Front, Left, and Right. First, select Placement on Vehicle from the Add Attributes drop-down. Then enter Front as the Value. Click the Add button. Then, select Placement on Vehicle from the Add Attributes drop-down again. Enter Left as the Value. Click the Add button. Repeat this process until you have entered all your attribute values.
    • For more information about eBay Item Specifics, please see Adding eBay Item Specifics to Listings Using Pre-Fill Settings or the Manufacturer Part Number (MPN).

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  • The table below the Add Attributes drop-down displays the attribute values assigned to your product.

 

Through a Spreadsheet:

  • Add a column for each Product Attribute.
  • The column header follows this format: product attribute:{attribute name}. Replace {attribute name} with the name of your Product Attribute. Do not include a space after the colon.
  • Enter the value for each product in the cell below the header.
  • It is not a problem to have a Product Attribute column, but leave the value blank for a product. Solid Commerce will leave the attribute blank for that product.

inventory_management_custom_product_attribute_add_value_excel.png 

 

  • If you need to enter multiple values for the same attribute, enter all of the values into one cell of the appropriate column. Enter double colons between each attribute value.

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  • Product Attributes are Product Level fields. If you are only updating attributes with your upload, select a Product update.

 

 

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