Item Attributes
Attributes let you define variable characteristics of an item, such as Color or Size, together with a list of options for each one (for example Red, Blue, Green). By assigning up to two attributes to an item, you generate combinations (variants) that you can track with their own barcode within the same item card, without creating a separate item for every color or size.
What is it and what is it for?
An attribute is a list of options (for example, the "Color" attribute with the options Red, Blue and Green) that you later select on an item's card. Each item can have up to two attributes (for example Color and Size), and every combination of options becomes an item variant with its own barcode, stock quantity per location and, if applicable, its own lot or serial number.
This screen manages the catalog of attributes and their options; it does not assign attributes to a specific item. That assignment happens on the item's own card (attributes/barcodes tab), where you choose which attributes the item uses and create the combinations you need.
Screens in this area
| Screen | What it does |
|---|---|
| Attribute list | Shows every defined attribute, sorted by name, with quick access to its detail card and, if you have the permission, to edit or delete it (by checking each row). |
| Create / Edit | A simple form with the attribute's Name (for example "Color") and its Notes. Options are not captured here: they are added from the detail card once the attribute has been created. |
| Details | The read-only card of the attribute, with the Option List already created and the New Attribute Option link to add more (for example, adding "Yellow" to an existing "Color" attribute). |
How to create an attribute step by step
- Open the list and click New. You need the "add" level of the Items and Services permission, and your company must have the Advanced Inventory module enabled.
- Enter the attribute's name. Use a short, descriptive name for the characteristic you want to control, such as "Color", "Size" or "Material". The name is required and cannot repeat another attribute's name.
- Add notes if you need them and save the attribute.
- Open its Details and create the options. Use the New Attribute Option link to register each possible value (for example Red, Blue and Green for the "Color" attribute), with its name and, optionally, a short code.
- Use it on your items. From an item's card, select it as the item's first or second attribute and choose the option combinations you want to manage as variants.
Key fields
| Field | What it is for |
|---|---|
| Name (of the attribute) | Identifies the characteristic you want to control (Color, Size, Material...). It is required and unique across all attributes. |
| Notes | Free-form remarks about the attribute, visible only inside its own card. |
| Option List | The attribute's possible values (for example, Red/Blue/Green). Managed from the attribute's Details card. |
| Name (of the option) | The specific value you will see when building item variants. It is required. |
| Code (of the option) | An optional short code to identify the option, useful for integrations or reports. |
| Inactive (of the option) | Hides the option from new combinations without deleting the ones that already use it. |
Validations when saving
- Attribute name required and within the maximum allowed length.
- Unique attribute name. You cannot create two attributes with the same name.
- An attribute cannot be deleted if any of its options is used on sales document lines (invoices, quotes, orders) or on quote-request proposals, or if any item has it assigned as its first or second attribute.
- An individual option cannot be deleted if it is used on sales document lines, quote-request proposals or bills of materials (BOM); the system tells you where it appears.
Availability, permissions and conditions
- This feature requires the Advanced Inventory module, available as an add-on module of the Enterprise edition. If your company does not have it enabled, the screen shows a "not available for your edition" notice.
- Access is controlled with the "Items and Services" permission of the user group, with separate levels for browsing, adding, editing and deleting.
- Attributes and their options are shared across all of the company's subsidiaries; they are not filtered by subsidiary.
Tips and common mistakes
You will not be able to delete an attribute or option already used on a document. If it appears on invoices, quotes, orders or bills of materials, the system blocks the deletion and shows you where it is used. Instead, mark the option as Inactive to stop offering it on new combinations.
Plan your attributes before loading your catalog. Since an item only supports two attributes, decide upfront which two characteristics you actually need to vary (for example Color and Size), so you don't have to reorganize variants you already created.
Options are created from the attribute's own card, not from the creation form. Save the attribute with its name first, then open its Details to add each option.