Product attributes, combinations and specifications
GrandNode has two kinds of attributes, and mixing them up is the most common catalog mistake. Product attributes are choices the customer makes when buying - size, colour, engraving text, a gift wrap checkbox. They can change the price, weight and stock. Specification attributes are facts about the product - material, fit, battery life. The customer does not choose them; they are shown in a specification table and used for filtering in categories.
Product attributes
Attributes are defined once under Catalog → Products attributes (Size, Color, Engraving...) and then added to each product that uses them.
Add an attribute to a product
- Open the product and click the Product attributes tab, sub-tab Attributes.
- Click Add new attribute, choose the attribute, a Control type, optionally a Text prompt shown instead of the attribute name, and whether it Is required.
- Save, then edit the row to add its values (for a drop-down, radio list, checkboxes or squares).
| Control type | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Drop-down list, Radio list | One choice from a list (size, grind). |
| Checkboxes, Read-only checkboxes | Several optional extras; read-only shows included extras that cannot be removed. |
| Color squares, Image squares | A visual choice; each value has an RGB colour or a picture. |
| Textbox, Multiline textbox | Free text such as an engraving; set minimum and maximum length in the validation rules. |
| Date picker | A date the customer picks, for example a delivery or event date. |
| File upload | A file the customer sends (a logo to print); limit extensions and size in the validation rules. |
| Hidden | A value set by a plugin or a default, not shown to the customer. |
Attribute values
Each value has a Name, a Price adjustment (added to the product price, for example +5 for XXL), a Weight adjustment, a Cost, Is pre-selected, a Display order, and for squares a colour or picture. A value can also show a different product picture when chosen, or be linked to another product (the value type "associated to product"), which adds that product to the cart with the chosen quantity.
Conditions
The Condition link on an attribute makes it appear only when another attribute has a given value - for example show "Engraving text" only when "Engraving" is ticked.
Attribute combinations
When stock or the SKU differs per variant (the shirt in size M, blue), use the Attribute combinations sub-tab. Mark the attributes that take part with the Combination switch in their settings, then click Generate all possible combinations or add them one by one.
| Field | What it does |
|---|---|
| Stock quantity | Stock for this exact variant. Used when the product's inventory method is Track inventory by product attributes (Inventory tab). |
| Allow out of stock orders | Lets customers order this variant when it is sold out. |
| SKU, MPN, GTIN | Identifiers of the variant; feeds and structured data use them. |
| Overridden price | A fixed price for this variant instead of price plus adjustments. |
Specification attributes
Define them under Catalog → Specification attributes: an attribute (Material) with its options (Cotton, Wool, Linen).
On a product, open Specification attributes and click Add product specification. Choose the attribute type Option to pick one of the defined options (filterable), or a custom text or HTML value for facts that are unique to the product.
- Allow filtering - the option becomes a filter on category, brand and collection pages.
- Show on product page - the value appears in the product's specification table.
Tips and common mistakes
- Do not use a product attribute for a fact the customer does not choose; it adds a pointless required field to the product page. Use a specification.
- If a required attribute has no values, the product cannot be added to the cart.
- Combinations only restrict stock when the inventory method is set to track by attributes.
Related
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