Product Types

Product types act as templates for the products you sell. One of the first steps when creating a product is to choose the product type that acts as a template for the product.

Products inherit settings from the product type, including the attribute set, default weight, default tax code, and whether its a physical or digital product. A product can belong to only one product type. You can change the product type after creating the product.

Typically, you must create the appropriate product types before you can add a product. You can make product types optional if you want a more flexible structure.

Permission requirements

Managing product types is typically reserved for marketplace operators. You must also have the "Manage product types and attributes" permission assigned through your permission group.

Add a product type

1. Go to Catalog -> Product types.

2. Select Create type.

3. Enter the following information:

   Field	Description
   Name	Enter a name for your product type.
   Tax code	Enter a default tax code for all products of this type. You can override the tax code when creating products. If you leave this blank, the tax code defaults to O9999999 - Temporary Unmapped Other SKU - taxable default.
   Is this product shippable?	Select this box if these are physical products that require shipping. Leave this blank for digital or service products.
   Weight	Enter a default weight for products of this type, which is important for calculating shipping rates. You can override the weight when creating products. This field appears when you select "Is this product shippable?"
   Can prices be overridden for this product type?	Select this box to allow price customization for products of this type in draft or quote orders.

4. Select Save.
   After saving, you can assign attributes to the product type.

Assign attributes

The attribute defines the input type and whether a value is required. When you add or remove attributes from a product type, this change applies to all products using that product type.

When you add an attribute, it appears on all existing products of that type. You can update each product individually to set this value. Conversely, removing an attribute or its value from a product type also removes it from all products that use that type.

Before you start

You must first create an attribute before you can add it to a product type.

Assign product attributes

Product attributes define characteristics that apply to the product and all variants.

Steps

1. From a product type, open the Attributes tab.
2. Under Product attributes, select Assign attributes.
3. Select one or more attributes, then select Assign attributes.

Assign variant attributes

Variant attributes define the different options in which a product is sold.

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

Steps

1. From a product type, open the Attributes tab.
2. Under Variant Attributes, select Assign attributes.
3. Select one or more attributes, then select Assign attributes.

Changing a product's type

You can change a product's product type, but this action has significant implications due to the different attributes each type holds. The outcome depends on your marketplace's attribute template strategy:

• With a strict template strategy (default), changing a product's type will remove any attributes not present in the new type, retaining only those attributes and values defined in the new product type.

• With a flexible template strategy, changing the product type won't result in lost attributes. The product gains attributes from the new type and keeps its existing attributes and values, though they can be deleted if needed.

Delete a product type

danger

When product types are required (the default setting), deleting a product type also deletes all associated products. If product types are optional, deleting one only removes its reference from products, leaving them without a specified type.

1. Go to Catalog -> Product types.
2. Select one or more product types.
3. Select the trash can icon.
4. In the confirmation dialog, confirm the delete action.

Make product types optional

Product types are required by default, but you can make their usage in your marketplace optional by changing the "Require product types" setting.

When product types are optional, you can create products directly without first creating the product type. This offers more flexibility in setting up products in your catalog.

You can modify your product type strategy within your marketplace configuration settings, or contact your Nautical Program Manager to make the necessary configuration changes.

Attributes with Optional Product Types

When making product types optional, consider your attribute template strategy. You may wish to implement a flexible strategy for attributes, to allow you to add attributes to products without an associated product type.