Part 1: Creating Attributes
Part 2: Creating Attributes Sets
Part 3: Creating Configurable Products
What do attributes do for me?
Attributes can be used to provide consumer choices: colors, sizes, logo etc.
Attributes can be used by consumers to filter products on your web site: material, origin, fuel (think graphite or aluminum; France,California; gas or electric)
Steps - Create the Attribute
Store Operations >> Catalog >> Attributes >> Manage Attributes >> New Attributes
Enter a Name for this attribute in the Frontend Label Field.
Enter a field type:
Text Field - A one-line input field that a user can enter text into. For example, an Attribute for Model type.
Text Area - Similar to a Text Field but offers the option to input more content in paragraph format versus on a single line.
Date - A date (for example, release date for CDs).
Yes/No - A check box that can be either selected or cleared.
Dropdown - A drop-down list with pre-selected values that you can define in Manage Label/Option tab.
Multiple Select - Similar to Dropdown input type but enables you to select more than one option.
Price - Used by Magento additional prices not recognized in Fused.
*Adding Options to Dropdown Lists
Enter the option name position (0 is first through whatever number you want) and whether the option is the default. For example you could have Team Jerseys that came:
These will display Authentic,Replica,Historic in that order and no default was chosen forcing the user to select a value or have it be blank.
You can reorder at any time.
Save when you are done.
Steps - Create the Attribute Set
- Store Operations >> Catalog >> Attributes >> Manage Attribute Sets >> New Attribute Set
- Give the set a name and pick an existing attribute set to base yours from - this selects all the attributes in the base set and then you can add any custom attributes you like to the new set. It's best to stay organised and not end up with a lot of attribute sets - try and make only as many as you need to cover the variations in your inventory e.g. you may need special fields for bikes, or skis or wine or dress suits, wedding gowns, electronics, gold clubs, and so forth. Other goods like most clothing or most footwear probably don't need any special fields.
Add your new fields to the attribute under the group where you want them to appear and save. You can add them to most existing groups or create a new group using Add New under Groups.
You can edit your attribute set at any time even after your create products.
Use the Set to Create a Product
IMPORTANT*
Right after creating or after editing the attribute set, it will need some time (sometimes some minutes) to become available for creating products.
- To make your new attribute sets appear in a product record simply create a product and choose your attribute set.
That's it your new fields are on your product record!
Other Ways of Doing This
Attribute sets can be created in Magento and imported to Fused.
Limits to Changing an Attribute Set
You cannot change an attribute set you create in Magento from MicroBiz Retail Management - you can change it in Magento and MicroBiz will be updated.
You cannot change the default base attribute sets (Inventory and non-Inventory).