Attributes overview

Attributes define the information that can be stored against products and variants in Hub.

An attribute might represent information such as composition, abrasion, colour, width, certification or any other property used to describe your products.

Attributes provide the structure behind your catalogue data. Each attribute has its own data type and configuration, and can contain values that are used across products and variants.

Why are attributes important?

Attributes make product information structured, consistent and reusable.

Rather than storing information as unstructured text, attributes allow the same type of information to be managed consistently across your catalogue.

This makes it easier to:

• keep product and variant information consistent
• search, sort and filter catalogue data
• manage which information is available for use throughout Hub
• control which information is included in outputs such as PDFs and exports
• identify duplicated or inconsistent values
• standardise how information is presented externally

Managing attributes and their values centrally also makes it easier to maintain data quality as your catalogue grows and changes.

Attributes and values

An attribute defines the type of information being stored.

For example, you might have an attribute called Colour.

An attribute value is the information assigned to that attribute. Values associated with Colour might include Red, Blue and Green.

Hub keeps track of the values associated with each attribute. This allows you to review and manage those values centrally, helping prevent duplicated or inconsistent information across the catalogue.

Attribute data types

Every attribute has a data type. The data type determines what kind of information can be stored in the attribute and which filtering options are available when working with that information in Hub.

Text / String

Text attributes are used for information made up of letters, numbers or other characters.

Common uses:

• Product or collection names
• Descriptions
• Material or construction information
• Categories and classifications

Available filter conditions:

• Is - Exact match
• Is not - Excludes an exact match
• Contains - Contains the specified text
• Starts with - Begins with the specified text
• Ends with - Ends with the specified text
• Is empty - Has no value

Integer

Integer attributes are used for whole numbers without decimal places.

Common uses:

• Number of variants
• Abrasion cycles
• Quantities
• Lead times expressed as whole numbers

Available filter conditions:

• Is - Exact match
• Is not - Excludes an exact match
• Greater than - Greater than the specified number
• Less than - Less than the specified number
• Between - Falls within a specified range
• Is empty - Has no value

Float

Float attributes are used for numerical information that may contain decimal places.

Common uses:

• Width
• Weight
• Thickness
• Price
• Other measurements

Available filter conditions:

• Is - Exact match
• Is not - Excludes an exact match
• Greater than - Greater than the specified number
• Less than - Less than the specified number
• Between - Falls within a specified range
• Is empty - Has no value

Date

Date attributes are used for calendar dates.

Common uses:

• Product launch dates
• Expiration dates
• Review dates
• Last updated dates

Available filter conditions:

• On or after - On or after the specified date
• After - After the specified date
• On or before - On or before the specified date
• Before - Before the specified date
• On - Exact date match
• Not on - Excludes the specified date
• Is empty - Has no value

Boolean

Boolean attributes are used for information with two possible states: true or false.

Common uses:

• Bleach cleanable
• Fire rated
• Certified
• Suitable for outdoor use
• Recyclable

Available filter conditions:

• Is - Matches True or False
• Is not - Excludes the selected value
• Is empty - Has no value

Multiple choice

Multiple choice attributes allow more than one value to be associated with the same attribute.

Common uses:

• Colours
• Applications
• Certifications
• Market sectors
• Suitable environments

Available filter conditions:

• Is - Exact match
• Is not - Excludes an exact match
• Contains - Contains the specified value
• Starts with - Begins with the specified text
• Ends with - Ends with the specified text
• Is empty - Has no value

Single choice

Single choice attributes allow one value to be selected from a predefined list of values.

Common uses:

• Product category
• Construction type
• Finish type
• Primary application

Available filter conditions:

• Is - Exact match
• Is not - Excludes an exact match
• Contains - Contains the specified value
• Starts with - Begins with the specified text
• Ends with - Ends with the specified text
• Is empty - Has no value

URL

URL attributes are used to store links to web pages or other online resources.

Common uses:

• Product pages
• Certification pages
• External technical information
• Supplier or partner resources

Available filter conditions:

• Is - Exact match
• Is not - Excludes an exact match
• Contains - Contains the specified text
• Starts with - Begins with the specified text
• Ends with - Ends with the specified text
• Is empty - Has no value

Live attributes

The Live setting controls whether an attribute is available for active use within the catalogue.

When an attribute is Live, it can appear in the relevant areas of Hub and can be selected when adding or editing product and variant information.

When an attribute is not Live, it remains in Hub but is not available for normal selection and use across the catalogue.

This is useful when an attribute is no longer required but should not be removed from the system entirely.

Public attributes

The Public setting controls whether an attribute can be included in external outputs.

When an attribute is Public, its information can be shown in outputs such as:

• product PDFs
• data exports

When an attribute is not Public, the information can still be managed internally in Hub but is not included in those external outputs.

Public therefore refers to how the attribute is used in outputs. It does not mean that the attribute is automatically visible publicly on a website.

An attribute can be independently set as Live or Public, depending on how the information should be used.