# Product attribute: definition

> A product attribute is a characteristic that varies between versions of an item, such as colour or size, and that's used to generate combinations sold separately.

- Source canonique : [https://allaux.fr/en/glossaire/attribut-produit](https://allaux.fr/en/glossaire/attribut-produit)
- Langue : EN
- Dernière mise à jour : 2026-09-30

## The building block of products with variants

On PrestaShop 1.7 and later, attributes are defined under Catalog > Attributes & Features, on the Attributes tab: you create an attribute, say "Colour", then attach values to it, such as "Red" or "Blue". These attributes are then combined on a product page, in its Combinations tab, to generate the variants that are actually sellable: "T-shirt, red, size M" and "T-shirt, red, size L" become two distinct variants of the same base product.

For an online seller, structuring attributes properly avoids creating a separate product page for every colour or size, which would bloat the catalogue and dilute the SEO of a single range. It's this system that lets you show a single "Nordika Chair" product, with a colour and size selector, instead of ten separate pages for ten variants of the same model.

## In practice

> A poorly reused attribute (for example two separate "Colour" attributes) complicates catalogue management and can throw off search filters.

## FAQ

### What's the difference between an attribute and a product feature?

An attribute generates a sellable variant with its own stock, like size, while a feature (material, weight) is descriptive information with no variant.

### How many attributes can be combined on the same product?

Technically several, but each extra attribute multiplies the number of combinations generated, which can quickly become hard to manage.

### Does a product need an attribute even without a real variant?

No, a simple product with no variant needs neither an attribute nor a combination: this mechanism is only used when the product exists in several sellable versions.