Attributes
Attributes play a fundamental role in organizing and enriching product data, enabling efficient management and seamless customer experiences.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the step-by-step process of creating attributes in the PIM system. From defining the attributes' properties to configuring their display options, we’ll cover everything you need to know to tailor your product data to your specific needs.
To learn more about Attributes, go to the Key Concepts.
Upon logging in, navigate to the side menu of the NoChannel Commerce Portal, and go to PIM. Initiate the attribute creation process by clicking on the Create Attribute button at the top-right corner.
Once you've initiated the attribute creation process, enter the following essential details:
- Attribute Name: Enter the Attribute Name that describes the attribute you are creating.
- Code Friendly Name: Specify a Code Friendly Name for the attribute, ensuring it is easily identifiable and usable in a programming context. By default, it will be set to the Attribute Name entered.
- Attribute Type: Choose the appropriate Attribute Type from the list of available options, based on the type of data the attribute will be storing.
For detailed information on types of attributes, refer to the Attribute Data Types guide.
After completing the form, you are presented with two choices:
- Create Draft: Click on the Create Draft button to save your attribute as a draft, keeping it unpublished on the portal. This allows you to revisit and edit the attribute details at your convenience before putting it live for user visibility.
- Create & Open: Click on the Create & Open button, and you will be directed to the Attribute Detail page. This is the preferred choice when you intend to make the attribute live and immediately utilize it on the NoChannel Commerce Portal.
- On the Attribute Detail Page, configure attribute details by selecting the scope level for your product:
- Product: If you set the attribute scope level to Product, the attribute will be added as a product characteristic. This means that the attribute will apply to all products within the system.
- Variant: If you set the attribute scope level to Variant, the attribute will be added as a variant characteristic. This means that the attribute will only apply to specific variants of products.
- Overridable: Setting the attribute scope level to Overridable allows the attribute to be overridden for both product and variant. This means that the attribute can be customized at both the product and variant levels, providing flexibility in attribute management.
- Enter the Attribute Name for the attribute. This name should accurately describe the attribute and its purpose.
- Add a Description for your attribute. This description should help others understand its use and relevance.
- Select whether you want this attribute to be available for use in PIM. If yes, select ENABLED from the dropdown; select DISABLED. This setting determines whether the attribute will be accessible for use in product management tasks within the PIM system.
- Set the Priority of your attribute; you can set any positive value for the highest priority (e.g., 100) and any negative value for the lowest priority (e.g., -100). A lower numerical value denotes higher priority, influencing the attribute's visibility on the portal.
- Select the Input Values for the attribute from the dropdown. This selection determines the format in which you'd like the attribute values to be input, such as text, radio button, password, month, etc.
- Text Input Type: If you opt for the Text input type, you have the flexibility to enable or disable the toggle to allow for multiple values. This feature enhances versatility in capturing various data inputs associated with your attribute.
- Optional Field: For Select, Radio, and Multi-select types, the Optional field provides flexibility to specify additional settings, restrictions, or guidelines for using the attribute effectively. This includes options such as default values, minimum and maximum selection limits, validation rules, and conditional logic.
- In the Validation section, toggle the Required slider to mark it as required. Enabling this option ensures that the field becomes mandatory while disabling it makes the field optional.
- In the Portal Display Configuration section, add the following details:
- Display Group: Choose a Display Group where you want to place your attribute. Display groups help organize related attributes on the portal interface.
- For the Store Front, specify how you want the attribute to be displayed. Add a Label and Helper Text accordingly.
In this step, you'll configure the search settings for your attribute based on your specific requirements. Choose from the options below to customize how the attribute is indexed and searched within OpenSearch.
Indexed
Indicate whether the field is searchable within OpenSearch. When you enable "Indexed" for an attribute, it's like adding a card to the catalog for that specific product information (attribute). This allows you to search for products based on that attribute.
For example, if you have a "color" attribute for your products and you set it to "Indexed," you can then search for all products that are "red" or "blue."
Changes to the Index field will affect all products containing this index. As a result, a certain period of downtime may be experienced.
Default Mapping
Set default configurations for attribute indexing and search behavior. Further settings can be configured accordingly.
- Keyword Supported It creates a special sub-field within the index that stores the information exactly as it is entered, without any changes. When you search for a specific term related to the attribute, the system can easily find products that have that exact term because it's stored without any alterations. You can search for any combination of words within the attribute, not just whole phrases. For example, if the attribute is "Description" and you search for "running shoes," it will find products with descriptions mentioning "running" and "shoes," even if they aren't used together.
- Suggestion Supported Enable the field for search-as-you-type functionality, providing suggestions as users type. It is like adding an autocomplete feature to the catalog. As users start typing their search terms related to the attribute, the system suggests relevant products based on what they've typed so far. It is particularly useful for attributes with a large number of options or values. For example, if you have a "Brand" attribute with hundreds of brands, suggestions can help users quickly find the brand they're looking for.
- Misspelling Supported Enable the detection and correction of misspellings of the attribute. When a user misspells a term related to the attribute in their search, the system can still potentially find relevant products. By catching typos, the system can find more products that match the user's true search criteria, leading to better results.
- KNN Vector Supported "KNN" stands for K-Nearest Neighbors. It's a technique where the system finds items that are most similar to the one the user is interested in, based on the KNN vectors. These vectors act like a fingerprint that captures the essence of the attribute value. It allows the system to store additional data (the "vector") that helps it understand the meaning and relationships between different values of the attribute. KNN Vector Supported is most beneficial for attributes with a high degree of variation or where similarity is subjective.
- String Mapping String Mapping allows you to have more control over how text-based attributes are handled within your PIM system's search functionality. Customize how text fields are handled, including options like specifying how they are indexed, searched, and analyzed. Think of your text-based attribute (e.g., product descriptions) as a box of words. String Mapping lets you define how this box is handled for searching.
- Index Analyzer: The Index Analyzer acts like a "word processor" for the box. It determines how the words are processed and stored when they are added to the search index. This can involve things like:
- Lowercasing all words (making "Cat" and "cat" the same)
- Removing punctuation (e.g., turning "red, blue" into "red blue")
- Removing stop words (common words like "the" or "a" that don't add much meaning)
- Search Analyzer: The Search Analyzer acts like a "search translator" for the box. It determines how the user's search terms are processed and understood when searching for data within the attribute. Similar to the Index Analyzer, it can involve tasks like lowercasing or removing stop words. This ensures the system understands the user's intent and searches the box effectively.
- Term Vector: Term Vector is like an additional "information label" you can put on the box. It determines whether and how information about individual words in the text field is stored. This information can be helpful for the system to analyze the text and rank search results based on relevance.
Custom Mapping
Custom Mapping in your PIM system's search configuration is like giving you a programmer's toolkit to configure how specific attributes are indexed and searched. It allows you to go beyond the pre-built options and create highly customized behavior. You can define exactly how the system processes, indexes, and searches the information within that PIM System.
Technical Expertise Required
Writing code for Custom Mapping requires programming knowledge and familiarity with search engine technologies.
Short Window appearing at the bottom-right, shows a preview of how your created attribute will be displayed in the storefront.
After adding all Attribute details, scroll up to either publish or save the attribute as a draft.
- Save as Draft: Click the Save as Draft button to keep your attribute unpublished. This allows flexibility for revisiting and editing the attribute details before making it live.
- Publish: Click the Publish button to make the attribute live on the NoChannel Commerce Portal.
Ensure all details are accurate and tailored to your requirements before publishing the Attribute.
For detailed information on creating and configuring Attribute Groups, go to the Attribute Groups Guide.