Attribute types
Choosing the right type makes values look great on your store and unlocks features like unit conversion and variant updates. Here is every type, and when to use it.
Common settings
Every attribute has these settings, whatever its type:
The label customers see, e.g. “Battery life”. Required. Keep it short and descriptive.
Optional explanation displayed when customers hover or tap the information icon. Useful for jargon: an “ISO range” attribute could explain how ISO affects image quality.
Optional image displayed next to the name, to make tables more visual and easier to scan. A 120 × 120 px .png or .svg is recommended. Icons are selected with Shopify’s image picker, so you can reuse an image already uploaded to your store.
When turned off, the attribute only appears in specification tables, not in comparison tables. Use it to keep comparisons focused on what really helps customers decide. You can change it at any time.
For values managed in the app, the key identifies where the value is stored (as a metafield). It is generated from the name, and can be edited while you create the attribute: 2 to 64 characters, with letters, numbers, hyphens and underscores only, unique within the table. It can’t be changed afterwards. Most merchants never need to change it.
Product information
These attributes read information that already exists on your products. Nothing to enter — values update automatically when you edit the product in Shopify.
| Type | Shows | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Product option | The values of an option such as Size, Color or Material | See product option below |
| Product type | The product type | |
| Product category | The name of the Shopify product category | Translated automatically |
| Vendor | The product vendor | |
| Description | The product description | |
| Price | The product price | See price below |
| SKU | The SKU of the selected variant | Updates with the variant |
| Barcode | The barcode of the selected variant | Updates with the variant |
| Rating | The average rating and review count | Requires a compatible review app |
| Collections | The collections the product belongs to, with links | |
| Weight | The shipping weight of the selected variant | Updates with the variant, supports unit conversion |
Product option
Enter the Option name exactly as it is written in your products (for example “Color”). Then choose what to show:
- Show all option values on tables — e.g. “S, M, L, XL”.
- Show selected variant value on tables — only the value of the variant the customer selected. It updates when the variant changes.
When the option uses Shopify’s native color swatches, colors are displayed as swatches, with the color name available on hover.
Price
- Show product price — when prices vary across variants, “From $xx” is displayed.
- Show selected variant price — the price updates when the variant changes.
Turn on Show compare-at price to also display the compare-at price (if any) before the price.
Rating
The rating is read from Judge.me, Stamped, Yotpo, Loox and Kudosi (Ali Reviews), as well as other review apps that save ratings in Shopify’s standard product rating metafield. Browse compatible review apps.
Yotpo users need a Yotpo plan that supports rich snippets. Kudosi users need its most recent widget.
Values managed in the app
Use these types for information that doesn’t exist on your products yet. You enter the values in the app, in the Products page.
Text
| Type | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Single-line text | Short values: “Aluminium”, “USB-C”. If you created a metafield definition with predefined choices for this attribute, the app shows those choices. |
| Multi-line text | Longer values, like care instructions. |
Measurement
| Type | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Dimension | Lengths, widths, screen sizes… Supports unit conversion. |
| Weight | A weight different from the shipping weight (for the shipping weight, use the Weight product information type). Supports unit conversion. |
| Volume | Capacities: “1.5 L”. |
Number
| Type | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Integer | Whole numbers: number of seats, HDMI ports… |
| Decimal | Numbers with decimals: aperture, thickness… |
Other
| Type | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Color | A color swatch. |
| True or false | Yes/no features (“Waterproof”). Displayed with checkmark and cross icons that you can customize. |
| Date | Release dates, model years. |
| Money | An amount different from the product price (for the product price, use the Price type). |
| Link | A link with a custom label and URL, like “Assembly video”. |
| File | A downloadable file such as a PDF user guide. Learn more. |
| Scale | A value on a scale displayed as a meter bar — perfect for comfort, durability or breathability. |
Scale settings
Set the Minimum value and Maximum value of the scale (0 to 5 by default). For an accurate bar, set the minimum to 0: on a 0–3 scale, a value of 1 fills one third of the bar, while on a 1–3 scale it leaves the bar empty. In the table editor, you can change the bar colors and show the text value (e.g. “3/5”) next to it.
Product or variant scope
For values managed in the app, choose whether the value is:
- global to the product — one value for the whole product (default), or
- different for each variant — you enter one value per variant, and tables update when the customer selects another variant.
Learn more about per-variant attributes.
List values
Values managed in the app hold a single value. To show a list (for example several “Available colors”), create a list metafield definition in Shopify and connect it with a Metafield reference attribute.
Reference
| Type | Use it for |
|---|---|
| Metafield reference | Show the value of an existing product, variant or category metafield. |
| Metaobject | Show a metaobject (with an optional thumbnail), like a “Material” entry with its picture. |
Both are explained in Metafields & metaobjects.
Which type should I choose?
- The information already exists on the product → Product information type.
- The information already exists in a metafield or metaobject → Reference type.
- The information is new → the most specific managed type: prefer Dimension over Single-line text for “12 cm”, so the value can be converted and formatted properly.