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Online Help |
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The Attribute Templates list provides a convenient way to view and edit the attribute templates you have created for your store.
Click Add Template or Edit to create a new attribute template, or make changes to an existing one. For more information see Add or Edit Attribute Templates.
To apply an existing attribute template to a product go to the Edit Product screen for that product and select the Attributes tab. Attribute templates will be available in the drop-down list labeled Type.
Background on Attributes
Each product can have attributes that help define it. A product can have several different attributes each with different options. For example, a ceramic tile might be available in different sizes and various patterns. Size would be one attribute with options for each tile size. Pattern would be another attribute with each pattern being an option.
An attribute could be an inherent quality of the product itself, like the color, size, or material of a jacket or an attribute could be an accessory or special feature that is added onto the basic product, like framing, monogramming, or gift wrapping.
Attributes can also be used to collect information from shoppers, about the products they are ordering. A business offering custom welcome mats would ask the customer to enter the text they want woven into the mat. An attribute can also be used to indicate the customer's acceptance of terms and conditions. If an attribute is required an order would not be accepted until the necessary information was entered.
Attributes versus Attribute Templates
When an attribute only applies to a single product, it makes sense to add the attribute directly to that one product. A store might offer a lawn ornament in a Frog, Turtle, or Duck design and no other products with those three options. Individual product attributes are created when editing the product on the Edit Product/Attributes screen. For details, see Edit Product/Attributes.
For attributes that are used frequently in your store, attribute templates can save significant time and effort. Create them once and apply them to many products. Typical examples of a simple one-attribute template include sizes (Small, Medium, Large), colors, choice of video tape or DVD, a gift wrapping option, or acceptance of a license agreement.
It is always an option to add an attribute directly to any product. However, if you sell similar items it is more efficient to create an Attribute Template and apply the same set of attributes to many products. If you sell a cast decorative frog and it is available in a choice of metal or resin, it makes sense to enter that attribute in association with just that one product. On the other hand, if you sell many kinds of candles all available in a set of 24 scents, you could save time and effort by creating a single attribute template and applying it to each of those product. If your supplier were to change the assortment of fragrances you would only need to change the one attribute template.
Templates can be constructed of sets of attributes that are always used together. A special-order cookie company might offer dozens of gift pack products with different themes, baskets, mugs, teas, and so on. For each of these gift packs the customer would select the number of cookies to include (6, 12, 18, or 24), the shape (star, coyote, cactus, or boot) and select from a list of 15 flavors. They might also be able to choose whether to include a cookie cutter, so the recipient can make more cookies on their own. For the gift card, there should be an area to enter text. Entering all these choices for each of the dozens of gift packs, and making changes later would be tedious and prone to error. For this store a single attribute template could include all the specifications for these gift packs.
Once an Attribute Template is created, it will be available from the Edit Product/Attributes screen in the drop-down list labeled Type.
Options that shoppers see will have the same look whether they were generated by individual product attributes, copied attribute templates, or referenced attribute templates.
A product can have multiple attributes and they can be any combination of product attributes and attribute templates.
Referencing versus Copying an Attribute Template
An attribute template can be used by reference or it can be copied to the product, as a starting point for creating an attribute. When the attribute template is referenced a simple update to the template is immediately applied to all products referencing it. When the template is copied to a product any future changes to the template will not affect the product attributes.