--- schema_version: "1" id: 8fdcdd2c517698d23daa0ec5bf1c4c849dcde3373cfb7e8591e5f3843599432d title: Define Attributes in Product Designer collection: admin version: current locale: en-us portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/ind/264-0-0/comms_define_attributes_in_the_product_designer.md canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ind.comms_define_attributes_in_the_product_designer.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 source_site: help.salesforce.com content_type: documentation content_hash: 694e8e33da1f2da07b450b23467fff3a4930c3a6a73eb75911dc09f323cbda7e description: A product attribute is a characteristic that defines a particular product and affects a consumer's purchase decisions. Attributes can include product characteristics such as make, color, bandwidth, and storage. products: - Communications - Media - Energy and Utilities release: "264" --- # Define Attributes in Product Designer A product attribute is a characteristic that defines a particular product and affects a consumer's purchase decisions. Attributes can include product characteristics such as make, color, bandwidth, and storage. Before You Begin - Create an attribute category that the new attribute is to be assigned to. See [Create Attribute Categories in the Product Designer](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ind.comms_create_attribute_categories_in_the_product_designer.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "Use attribute categories to group product attributes. They also appear as headings at runtime in Industries Cart’s Filter and Configuration windows."). - If needed, create picklists that the new attribute can use. See [Create Picklists and Picklist Items in the Product Designer](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ind.comms_create_picklists_and_picklist_items_in_the_product_designer.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "A picklist is an ordered list of values that customers can choose from when buying a product. If an attribute includes predefined values, a picklist represents all available values for that attribute. You can reuse picklists across attributes assigned at the object type level or the product level."). This information is for the Vlocity Product Designer. For the Vlocity Product Console, see [Create Attributes in the Product Console](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ind.comms_create_attributes_in_the_product_console.htm&type=5&language=en_US). You can use attributes in several ways: - Configure product specifications, allowing users to specify product colors, sizes, and other options. - Change product pricing using attribute-based pricing rules. - In Order Management, map commercial products (the products that customers see) to technical products that communicate with backend systems to fulfill the products that are purchased. ![example](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-ind-comms_media_energy_managed-264-0-0-production-enus/ff4079f6-a384-475c-b863-578bbbb0ef9b/images/icon_note.png) example Example: Smart Devices Attributes In modeling the smart devices, Monique creates common attributes for the Smartphones and Wearables attribute categories. She associates the attributes with the Base Product object in her product catalog so that they’re inherited by all child objects, including the Smartphone and Smart Wearable objects. - Smart Devices attribute category — Color, OS, Brand, Storage, Connectivity, Size - Wearables attribute category — Band Type ![example](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-ind-comms_media_energy_managed-264-0-0-production-enus/ff4079f6-a384-475c-b863-578bbbb0ef9b/images/icon_note.png) example Example: Commodity Attributes In modeling commodities, Monique creates attributes for the Commodity Commercial Offers and Commodity Cost Components attribute categories. She associates the attributes with the Base Commodity object in her product catalog so that they’re inherited by all child objects, including the Commodity Offer and Commodity Component objects. - Commodity Commercial Offers attribute category — Customer Category, Meter Type, Pricing Scheme, Payment Method, Service Type, Exit Fees, Tariff End Date, Tariff Type - Commodity Cost Components attribute category — Distribution Region, Estimated Annual Consumption 1. From the Vlocity Product Designer, click the ![The down angle icon for the app navigation menu](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-ind-comms_media_energy_managed-264-0-0-production-enus/ff4079f6-a384-475c-b863-578bbbb0ef9b/resources-product/images/epc_nav_menu_icon_upc.png) button, and select **Vlocity Attributes**. The Vlocity Attributes page opens with a list of attributes. ![The Vlocity Attributes item highlighted in the Product Designer menu.](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-ind-comms_media_energy_managed-264-0-0-production-enus/ff4079f6-a384-475c-b863-578bbbb0ef9b/resources-product/images/epc_attributes_menu_upc.png) 2. Click **New**. The New Vlocity Attribute Category dialog box opens. ![Example of the New Vlocity Attribute Category dialog](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-ind-comms_media_energy_managed-264-0-0-production-enus/ff4079f6-a384-475c-b863-578bbbb0ef9b/resources-product/images/epc_new_attribute_upc.png) 3. Enter the following information.

Field

Description

Name

Names are used to identify attributes in searches.

This name is shown at runtime in Industries Carts filter and configuration windows.

Value Type

Select the data type for the attribute, such as None, Currency, Percent, Text, Number, Checkbox, Date, Datetime, Picklist, or Multi Picklist.

For attributes of type date, the attribute value must be entered in the standard date format "yyyy-MM-dd HH:mm:ss" in the local time zone.

Code

A unique code for the attribute that is shown only during design-time. Salesforce recommends ATT_<alphanumeric-value> for the naming convention for attributes.

Example: ATT_BANDWIDTH.

Default Value

Enter a value for value types such as Text or Number. If the attribute uses a picklist, this value isn’t used.

Description

Descriptions help users identify the purpose of the attribute. This description is used only during design-time.

Picklist

Select the name of the picklist to use with this attribute (if the values are to be selected from a picklist).

Active

Indicate that the attribute is in use.

Display Sequence

Enter a unique number to indicate the sequence in which the attribute is displayed in the attribute category and on the detail page when configuring in Industries Cart.

Use a sequence of 10, 20, 30 so that you can add to the sequence at a later time.

Attribute Category

Attributes are organized into predefined categories.

Select or create a category.

  • Click inside the field and search Vlocity Attribute Categories to select one.

  • From the list, click New Vlocity Attribute Category to add a category.

Filterable

If enabled, use the attribute to filter products in the cart.
Configurable The attribute can be configured during run-time in the cart if this field is enabled.

Encrypted

For use with technical products, select Encrypted for an attribute to ensure privacy for personal data, such as Personally Identifiable Information (PII).

See Encrypted and Not Assetizable Attributes.

Exclude From Basket Cache

If enabled, the attribute is excluded from searches of the basket cache for the same bundled product. The attribute isn’t part of the response cache when the Digital Commerce ConfigureOffer API is called. For example, you can set the IMEI or serial number attribute to be excluded from the cache. The benefit is that you can find more matches when you searching the basket cache, while excluded attributes don’t have the same values.

Use this property for attributes whose values are unique for each account.

The CPQ engine doesn’t calculate the price and rules. The assumption is that if the attribute isn’t cached, the customer has no price and rules on that attribute.

Attributes with the setting enabled aren’t available for rules that check the attributes in the cache. For example, attribute-based configuration and qualification rules wouldn’t be able to use an attribute that is excluded from the cache because it wouldn’t be present.  Also, in Vlocity Rules with Product Relationships, Modify Attribute relationships shouldn’t be defined that are based on attributes excluded from the cache.

Note
Note

The CPQ Cart APIs don’t process this setting. Only the Digital Commerce APIs process it.
4. Click **Save**. 5. Under Applicable Objects, review the object types assigned to the attribute. The default object type is Product (Product2 Object). All objects based on Product2 Object have the new attribute. You might also select one of your base object types. 6. If you change the assigned objects, click **Save**. [Create Object Types in the Product Designer](https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=ind.comms_create_object_types_in_the_product_designer.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5 "An object type that you create serves as a template that stores the configuration of attributes, fields, and layouts. Object subtypes (or child object types) or associated products inherit the configuration of the base object's layout, fields, and attributes. You can modify this configuration for each object type. But you must modify it before you create object subtypes so that they inherit the newly modified configuration.")