Overview

Category attributes define specific characteristics of a category or collection, such as images and SEO tags. Category attributes added to higher-level categories are inherited by subcategories. Category attributes are inherited by default, meaning sub-collection nodes automatically adopt attribute values from their parent categories. However, users can override these values as needed, allowing for customization at different hierarchy levels.

Attribute Types

fabric supports the following attribute types for storing category information:

  • Text: A sequence of characters. You may store any combination of text, numbers, or special characters. Text attribute has three subtypes:
    • Small text: For single-line text attributes.
    • Text Area: For multi-line text attributes.
    • HTML: For text area attributes that support HTML.
  • Number Only: An attribute type for values that are always a number.
  • Date: All date-related formats. Bulk import of the date attribute uses the date format selected when the attribute was created. Once selected, the date format can’t be changed. If the format needs to be changed, you must delete the attribute and create it again using the required format.
  • Boolean: A Boolean value (true/false) for a category attribute. While importing attributes from an external system, make sure the true or false values are specified for all Boolean attribute types.

For each attribute type, certain fields are optional, while others are required. Failure to provide required fields will result in an “Unable to create attribute” error message.

The following table shows the attribute types and their properties. This will help you determine the mandatory and optional properties of an attribute type. To ensure data quality, set up one or more validations based on the selected attribute type.

Attribute TypeLocalize this attributeAttribute titleDescriptionUse JavaScript to calculate valueValidationsIs this attribute mandatory?Type of textDate FormatDecimal
TextOptionalRequiredOptionalOptionalOptionalRequiredRequiredN/AN/A
Number OnlyOptionalRequiredOptionalOptionalOptionalRequiredN/AN/AOptional
DateOptionalRequiredOptionalOptionalOptionalRequiredN/ARequiredN/A
BooleanOptionalRequiredOptionalOptionalOptionalRequiredN/AN/AN/A
After creating a category attribute, you cannot modify its attribute type. If you want to use a different attribute type, you must create a new category attribute with the required type.