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Attributes

Attributes are building blocks of data, capturing structured information about objects in your marketplace. Each attribute specifies the type of data it accepts and whether providing this data is mandatory. For example, you might have a dropdown attribute for material, with the options of wool, cotton, or acrylic.

Attributes are an important for both the sellers and buyers on your marketplace. They allow sellers to capture and present characteristics about their products, while enabling buyers to filter and browse products more efficiently.

Using attribute templates, you can group attributes into sets. When a seller or operator edits a record, the relevant fields from the associated template automatically appear for data entry.

Usage​

Attributes can be used in the following ways:

  • Product attributes
  • Variant attributes
  • Custom fields

Product attributes​

Product attributes define the characteristics of a product. These characteristics apply across all variations of the product. For example, for a life jacket, product attributes might include the manufacturer, intended use (coastal, offshore, or watersports), buoyancy rating, and safety certification.

Marketplace operators can template product attributes using product types.

Variant attributes​

Variant attributes define distinct variations of a product. For example, for a life jacket, variant attributes could include size (small, medium, or large) and color (yellow or blue). Marketplace operators can template variant attributes using product types.

Variant attribute Considerations
  • Variant attributes are always required, regardless of the value required setting on the attribute.
  • Variant attributes currently only support the following input types:
    • Date and DateTime
    • Dropdown
    • Boolean
    • Numeric

Custom fields​

Custom fields extend Nautical beyond the standard fields available for data entry across an entire instance. Unlike metadata, custom fields have the advantage of validated data entry based on the attribute's input type.

Marketplace operators can use custom fields for the following objects:

  • Products
  • Variants
  • Categories
  • Collections
  • Users (both staff members and customers)

Managing custom fields is currently only available through the API. It will be added to the Dashboard in a future release. See the developer guide for instructions using the GraphQL API.

In this section​

Create Attributes Create attributes for each data point you want to capture in your marketplace.

Input Types Understand the different input types available when creating attributes.

Attribute Templates Group attributes into sets using product types and custom field templates.

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