Attribute fields are the actual data fields of an article: name, SKU, EAN, price, dimensions, texts, storage area and so on. The fields decide what is available in the article, in the overview, in imports and exports and as columns in the stock overview of the warehouse.

**A field must exist before you can fill it with an import or show it in the catalogue.**

![Screenshot: Attribute fields overview with columns Name, Slug, Type, Group, Position, Status and Portal Mappings](/products/images/attribute-fields-overview.png)

## Before you start

- Your user needs the permission for the attribute management. Ask your administrator if the **Attributes** menu is missing.
- At least one attribute group exists, see [Attribute groups](/products/attribute-groups.md).

## Step by step

### Create a field

1. Go to **Catalogue › Attributes › Fields** (*Katalog › Attribute › Felder*). The list shows name, slug, type, group, position, status and portal mappings. Use **Filter by** (*Filtern nach*) to show one group or **All** (*Alle*), and the search to find a field by name.
2. Click **New attribute** (*Neues Attribut*). The form **Creating an Attribute Field** (*Attributfeld anlegen*) opens.
3. Fill in the form, see the table below.
4. For the types **Dropdown** and **Table**, add the possible values (or columns) one by one.
5. Click **Save** (*Speichern*). You see *"The attribute has been created"*.

![Screenshot: Form "Creating an Attribute Field" with group, name, slug, type and the WMS system slugs list on the right](/products/images/attribute-fields-new.png)

### Edit a field

Click the field in the list. The form **Edit attribute field** (*Attributfeld bearbeiten*) opens. Change the values and click **Save**. You see *"The attribute has been updated"*.

### Delete fields

Tick one or more fields in the list and click **Delete** (*Löschen*). You see *"The attribute has been removed!"* (or the number of removed attributes).

!!!warning Deleting removes data
Deleting a field also removes **its values on all articles** and its marketplace mappings. This cannot be undone.
!!!

![Screenshot: Attribute fields list with two fields ticked and the Delete button](/products/images/attribute-fields-delete.png)

## Fields and options

| Field | Meaning | Required |
|---|---|---|
| **Group** (*Gruppe*) | The attribute group the field belongs to | Yes |
| **Name** | The label shown to users | Yes |
| **Slug** | Technical key. Leave it empty when creating – X-Sitter builds it from the name (*Optional beim anlegen*). Must be unique per company | No |
| **Type** (*Typ*) | **Text**, **Textfield** (*Textfeld*), **HTML Editor**, **Number** (*Nummer*), **Boolean**, **Dropdown**, **Dropdown (multiple)** (*Dropdown (mehrfach)*), **Table** (*Tabelle*), **Date** (*Datum*), **Date + Time** (*Datum + Zeit*) | Yes |
| **Unit** (*Einheit*) | Optional unit, grouped by currency, lengths, area, volume, time, packing (piece, pair, box), weights (mg, g, kg) and power (W, kW, A, V) | No |
| **Help text** (*Hilfstext*) | Explanation shown with the field | No |
| **Position** | Order within the group | No |
| **Status** | **active** / **inactive** | Yes |
| **Read-only** (*Readonly*) | The value cannot be changed in the article | No |
| **Column in the WMS Inventory Overview** (*Spalte in WMS Bestandsübersicht*) | Shows the field as a column in the [Stock overview](/stock/stock-overview.md) | No |
| **Required field when creating an item** (*Pflichtfeld bei Artikel-Anlage*) | Must be filled when an article is created | No |
| **Deletable in product?** (*Im Produkt Löschbar?*) | Whether the attribute can be removed from an article on its edit page | No |
| **Portal Mappings** | For each marketplace, the marketplace attribute this field is linked to | No |

![Screenshot: Drop-down values section of a "Dropdown" field with several options added](/products/images/attribute-fields-dropdown-values.png)

## WMS system slugs

Some slugs have a special meaning for the warehouse. A field with exactly one of these slugs controls warehouse logic. The list is also shown on the right of the **Creating an Attribute Field** page. These fields are not created by default – add them when you need them.

!!!warning
These slugs are system-critical. Using them wrongly can disturb the warehouse logic.
!!!

| Slug | Function |
|---|---|
| `warehouse-area` | Storage area (e.g. A, B, C) |
| `warehouse-area-kom` | Picking area |
| `default-pick-places` | Standard picking places |
| `owner` | Owner / client of the article |
| `warehouse_id` | Internal warehouse ID |
| `units-per-box` | Number of units per box |
| `units-per-pallet` | Units per pallet |
| `pack_type` | Packaging type |
| `best_before_date` | Best-before date – activates the best-before query when putting away, see [Edit an article](/products/edit-article.md) |
| `filler` | Filling material |
| `ean-units-pce` | EAN for a single unit |
| `units-per-pce` | Number of units per PCE |
| `ean-units-box` | EAN for carton/box |
| `alcohol_code` | Excise product code for alcohol |

The slugs `name`, `sku`, `ean` and `price` are used by the article overview and its search.

![Screenshot: The "WMS System Slugs" box on the right side of the field form](/products/images/attribute-fields-wms-slugs.png)

## Good to know

- Drop-down values are stored as option/value pairs. If you leave the value empty, it is taken from the option. Duplicate options are removed.
- You can also add a field directly in an article with **Add Attribute**, see [Edit an article](/products/edit-article.md).

## What to do next

- [Create an article](/products/create-article.md) or [edit an article](/products/edit-article.md)
- Map the fields in [Import templates](/products/import-templates.md) and [Export templates](/products/export-templates.md)
- Change many articles at once with [Bulk processing](/products/bulk-processing.md)

## Troubleshooting

| Message | Cause | Solution |
|---|---|---|
| *The field name is already included in this group* (*Der Feldname ist in dieser Gruppe bereits enthalten*) | The slug already exists in this group | Choose another slug or edit the existing field |