Swapping attribute types

How to change an attribute from one attribute type to another in Plytix

Sometimes you realize that an attribute works better as a different attribute type. The most efficient way of switching an attribute type is to export the attribute and re-import it as a new one. This article will walk you through the steps to do this. 
 
 
*Skip to any section in this article by clicking on the links above 

Exporting the attribute

  1. Click on "Products" in the navigation menu.
  2. Choose "All products" from the dropdown. This will take you to the product overview table.
  3. Select all your products (This ensures all the attribute information stays attached to their respective products when you re-import).
  4. Click "Export" on the menu to the right of the search bar. 

    export-all-products


  5. On the format window, choose to export as a CSV. 
  6. Select the attribute(s) you wish you change.
  7. Click "Export"

    export-attributes

 

ℹ️  Learn more about exporting product information.



Cleaning up the data for import

Now, you might need to clean up the data to ensure it will fit the requirements of the new attribute. 

 

For example: 

I want to change the "Color" attribute from multi-select to dropdown.

The product rows with multiple color options, such as the last two rows below, should be changed to say "Various" or "Multi-Colored" so they can be selected from a dropdown. 


Screenshot 2019-11-01 at 12.35.58

 


Deleting the old attribute

When you create a custom attribute, the system automatically creates an attribute label. This attribute label is the unique identifier of the attribute inside Plytix and cannot be changed by users. If you want the new attribute to have the same label, then must delete the old attribute before you import again. 

To delete an attribute:

  1. Go to "Settings" in the top menu
  2. Select the attribute you want to delete
  3. Click the "Delete" button that appears at the top of the table
  4. Confirm your deletion


deleting-attribute

 

ℹ️ You might need special permissions to delete an attribute

⚠️  Attributes cannot be deleted if they are used in Channels, E-Catalogs, or PDF Templates. You must first remove them from these places. 

 


Importing as a new attribute 

Once you've sanitized your data and deleted the old attribute, you can now import that data back as a new attribute.

To do this:

  1. follow the steps to import product data 
  2. During data matching, click "+ Create new" attribute 
  3. Choose the new attribute type you want to use

choose-new-attribute-type

 


What's Next?

 

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