How to add Custom Attributes in WooCommerce Products

Adding custom attributes to WooCommerce products is a powerful way to enhance your online store's functionality and provide a personalized shopping experience for your customers. Whether you're selling clothing, electronics, or handmade crafts, custom attributes allow you to display essential details like size, color, material, or any unique product specification directly on your product pages. This helps customers make informed purchasing decisions while streamlining the buying process.

In this blog, we'll walk you through the process of adding custom attributes to WooCommerce products, step by step. From understanding what attributes are and how they function in WooCommerce to creating and assigning them to individual or variable products, we’ve got you covered. Additionally, we’ll explore how attributes can improve product filtering, search functionality, and SEO, enhancing both user experience and your store's discoverability.

So, let’s dive into the world of WooCommerce custom attributes.

What is Attributes in WooCommerce Products?

Attributes in WooCommerce are specific product characteristics that help define and organize the items in your store. They serve as metadata that describes a product’s features, such as size, color, brand, material, or any other custom specification relevant to your niche. These attributes play a crucial role in categorizing products and improving the overall shopping experience.

For example, in a clothing store, you might use attributes like "Size" (Small, Medium, Large) and "Color" (Red, Blue, Green). Similarly, a tech store might define attributes like "Storage Capacity" (128GB, 256GB) or "Processor Type" (Intel i7, AMD Ryzen). Attributes not only display detailed product information on product pages but also allow you to create variations, enabling customers to select options that match their preferences.

WooCommerce lets you add global attributes applicable across multiple products or custom attributes specific to individual items. These attributes also play a pivotal role in organizing your store, especially when combined with product categories and tags.

Benefits of Attributes: Enhancing Filtering, Search Functionality, and SEO

Here are the key benefits of incorporating attributes in WooCommerce products:

Improved Product Filtering: Attributes enhance the filtering experience by allowing customers to narrow down their search using specific criteria. For instance, a customer looking for black sneakers in size 10 can easily find them using filtering options like "Color" and "Size." This streamlined navigation reduces frustration, improves customer satisfaction, and increases the likelihood of conversion. Also you can display Woocommerce featured products, to boost your sales.
Indexed by Woocommerce: When attributes are properly set, they are indexed by WooCommerce and often integrated with search plugins. This ensures that when a customer searches for a term like "blue cotton shirts," the search engine pulls up the most relevant products based on their attributes. The precision in search results saves time and increases engagement.
Boosted SEO Performance: Attributes contribute to better SEO by creating keyword-rich metadata for product pages. For example, attributes like "Material: 100% Organic Cotton" or "Brand: XYZ" can act as search signals, improving the visibility of your products in search engine results. Additionally, WooCommerce generates unique URLs for attribute-based pages, such as /shop/color/blue/, which can rank on search engines for long-tail keywords.
Enhanced Customer Trust: Displaying detailed attributes makes your store appear more professional and transparent. Customers are more likely to trust a store that provides comprehensive product details, as it minimizes ambiguity and ensures they know exactly what they are purchasing.
Easier Inventory Management: For store owners, attributes simplify inventory management. You can group similar products under shared attributes, making it easier to track stock levels and variations. For instance, managing inventory for different sizes of the same product becomes a breeze when attributes are properly configured.

By leveraging WooCommerce attributes, you not only optimize your store’s usability but also elevate its functionality, making it easier for customers to find what they need while helping your business rank higher in search results.

Steps to add Custom Attributes in WooCommerce Products

Step 1: Accessing the WooCommerce Settings

To begin adding custom attributes in WooCommerce, you first need to navigate to the WooCommerce settings. Follow these steps:

Login to Your WordPress Dashboard: Ensure that you have logged into your WordPress site with an administrator account to access the full range of settings.
Navigate to WooCommerce Settings: On the left sidebar, hover over the WooCommerce menu item and click on Settings.
Go to the Products Tab: In the settings page, you’ll see a tab labeled Products. Click on it to open the product settings.
Access the Attributes Section: Under the Products tab, click on Attributes. This is where you can manage both global and custom product attributes.

Step 2: Creating Global Attributes

Global attributes are attributes that can be used across multiple products. They are especially useful for common product features like size, color, material, or brand, and are defined once and then applied to any relevant product.

Here’s how you can create global attributes in WooCommerce:

Add a New Attribute: In the Attributes section, you will see an option to add a new attribute. To do this, click the Add New button.
Set the Name and Slug: When creating a new attribute, the first step is to define the name of the attribute. This is typically a descriptive term such as Size, Color, Material, etc. After naming the attribute, the slug (URL-friendly version of the attribute name) will be automatically generated. You can change the slug if needed, but typically, it will default to a simple version of the name.
Configure the Attribute Settings: Under the settings, you will find different configuration options. These include:

Enable Archives: This setting determines if an archive page should be created for the attribute. Enabling this will allow the attribute to have its own page, where customers can filter products by this attribute. Also you can create Product filter in Woocommerce using different plugins also.
Type of Attribute: This option allows you to define how the attribute will appear for customers. For example, you can choose between Text, Select (Dropdown), Color, Image, or others.
Visible on the Product Page: This option allows you to decide whether the attribute will be visible to the customer on the product page.

Add Terms (Values) to the Attribute: For each attribute, you can define multiple terms (values). For instance, if you are adding a "Size" attribute, the terms might include "Small," "Medium," and "Large." To add terms, click the Configure Terms button.
Save Changes: After configuring your global attribute, click Save Attributes to save the attribute for future use.

Step 3: Adding Global Attributes to Products

Once your global attributes have been created, you can start adding them to products. This process can be done when creating a new product or editing an existing one.

Open the Product Edit Page: Navigate to Products in the left sidebar and click All Products. Then, select the product to which you want to add the global attribute. If you are creating a new product, click Add New.
Go to the Product Data Section: In the product editor, scroll down to the Product Data section. Here, you will see various tabs such as General, Inventory, Shipping, and more.
Select the Attributes Tab: Click on the Attributes tab within the Product Data section. This is where you can add attributes to the product.
Under the Attributes tab, select the attribute you created earlier from the dropdown menu under Custom product attribute. For example, if you created a "Size" attribute globally, select Size from the list of available global attributes.
Assign Terms to the Product: After selecting the attribute, you will be prompted to select the corresponding terms (values) for the product. For example, for a shirt product, you may select "Small" and "Medium" from the Size attribute.
Enable “Used for Variations” (if applicable): If the attribute is used to create variations (like product sizes or colors), ensure you check the box labeled Used for variations. This will allow you to set up different variations (like different prices for each size or color) for the product.
Save Changes: After adding the attribute terms, click Save Attributes and then Update or Publish the product to save the changes.

Step 4: Creating Custom Attributes for Individual Products

Sometimes, you may want to add custom attributes that are specific to a particular product. These attributes will not be reused across other products and are unique to the selected product.

Follow these steps to create custom attributes:

Open the Product Edit Page: Just like with global attributes, go to the product you want to edit by navigating to Products > All Products, and then select the product.
Go to the Product Data Section: Scroll down to the Product Data section.
Select the Attributes Tab: Click the Attributes tab.
Add Custom Attribute: To add a custom attribute, click Add New Attribute. You’ll then be prompted to define the name and values of the attribute. For example, you might want to add an attribute called "Warranty" and provide the value as "2 years."
Configure the Attribute Display Options: After adding the attribute name and value, decide whether you want to display this custom attribute on the product page. Additionally, you can choose whether this attribute will be visible in the product’s variation dropdown (if applicable).
Save Custom Attribute: Click Save Attributes to add the custom attribute to the product.

Step 5: Using Custom Attributes for Variations

For variable products (those with different sizes, colors, or other attributes), you can use attributes to create variations, allowing customers to choose from a variety of options. Here's how to set this up:

Set Product Type to Variable: In the Product Data section, ensure that the Product Type is set to Variable Product.
Go to the Attributes Tab: Under the Attributes tab, select the global attributes you want to use for variations. Ensure the Used for variations box is checked.
Go to the Variations Tab: After adding your attributes, click on the Variations tab.
Create Variations: You will now see an option to create variations from the attributes you’ve set. You can either manually create variations or automatically generate them. For example, if you have “Size” and “Color” attributes, you can create variations such as “Small – Red,” “Medium – Blue,” etc.
Set Prices and Other Details for Each Variation: After creating the variations, set prices, stock levels, and images for each variation. For example, a medium red shirt may have a different price and stock quantity than a large blue shirt.
Save Changes: Once you’ve configured all variations, click Save Changes and then Publish the product.

If you need a detailed guide on how to create Woocommerce Product types then you can visit our blog and get a full guide.

Step 6: Using Attributes for Product Filtering and SEO

Now that you’ve added custom attributes to your products, you can leverage them for filtering and SEO purposes.

1. Product Filtering

Enable Filtering Options: Make sure that attributes like “Size,” “Color,” and “Material” are enabled for filtering in the shop. This is done in the Attributes section, where you can check the box labeled Enable Archives for each attribute.
Use Filtering Plugins: Consider using a WooCommerce product filter plugin to allow users to filter products based on custom attributes on the front end of your store.

2. SEO:

Optimize Attribute Pages: By enabling Enable Archives, WooCommerce creates unique archive pages for each attribute term. For example, a page like /shop/color/red/ can rank for searches like “red t-shirts.” This helps improve your site's SEO by targeting long-tail keywords.
Add Keywords to Attribute Terms: When adding terms for each attribute, consider including relevant keywords that potential customers may use when searching for products. There are many things by which you can improve your SEO, some of which we have listed on our blog "WordPress SEO Optimization Tips" go and checkout now!

Step 7: Testing and Managing Product Attributes

Once you’ve added custom attributes in WooCommerce products, it’s essential to thoroughly test them to ensure they enhance the customer experience and streamline the purchasing process. Here's how to go about it:

Test Product Filters: After setting up your product attributes, the first step is to verify that the filtering system works as intended. Visit your store and check if customers can filter products by attributes like size, color, or material. Ensure each filter option correctly narrows down the product selection and displays accurate results. For example, if a customer selects "Red" under color, only red-colored products should appear. This step is crucial for confirming that your attributes are integrated into the filtering system and functioning as expected.
Check Product Pages: Next, review the individual product pages. Ensure the attributes you added such as size, color, or brand are visible to customers and clearly presented. For variable products, verify that the correct options are displayed and selectable. The attributes should be helpful, providing key information for customers to make an informed purchase decision. If there’s any confusion about the attributes, consider making adjustments to improve clarity.
Manage Attributes: Over time, you may need to update or refine your product attributes. The Product Attributes section in WooCommerce allows you to edit existing attributes, add new terms, or remove outdated ones. For example, if new colors or sizes are introduced, simply add them to the appropriate attribute. Managing attributes ensures your store stays relevant and offers customers the most up-to-date product options.

By testing and managing your attributes effectively, you can optimize the functionality of your WooCommerce store and improve the overall customer experience.

Conclusion

Adding custom attributes in WooCommerce products can significantly enhance the shopping experience for your customers while also improving your store’s visibility on search engines. We’ve explored what attributes in WooCommerce are, their benefits in enhancing product filtering, search functionality, and SEO, and the steps to add both global and individual custom attributes. Whether you’re creating attributes for size, color, or material, this process ensures that your customers can easily find the products that meet their needs.

For stores looking to implement these features seamlessly, themes like VW Themes Clothing Store WordPress Theme and other eCommerce WordPress theme come with built-in support for custom attributes, ensuring an optimized and efficient shopping experience. By utilizing these attributes correctly, you can increase customer satisfaction, improve site navigation, and ultimately boost your sales.

Start implementing custom attributes today to take your WooCommerce store to the next level!

Back to blog