Choosing a swatch type
Each attribute has one swatch type, and every product that uses the attribute shows it the same way. Picking the right type is mostly about what a customer needs to see to make a choice.
The four types
| Type | Looks like | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Color | A filled dot or square | Plain colours: black, navy, red. Customers recognise them instantly. |
| Image | A small photo of the product in that option | Patterns, prints, materials and mixed colours that a flat dot can’t show, such as “floral”, “walnut” or “tortoiseshell”. |
| Text | A button with the option name | Sizes, capacities and anything where the name is the information: S, M, L, 250 ml, 1 kg. |
| Select | The normal WooCommerce drop-down | Long lists, such as 30 ring sizes, where buttons would take up too much space. |
A product can mix types. A T-shirt with an image swatch for its print and text buttons for its size is a common setup.
If you aren’t sure between Color and Image, choose Image. A photo of the real product is always accurate, while a colour dot depends on picking the right shade.
Global attributes
Global attributes are the ones you create at Products › Attributes and reuse across products. Their internal name starts with pa_, for example pa_color.
To set the type:
- Go to Products › Attributes.
- Click Edit under the attribute.
- Choose the Type and click Update.
When you add a new attribute on the same screen, the Type field is there too, so you can set it straight away.
Custom attributes on one product
WooCommerce also lets you type attributes directly into a product, under Product data › Attributes › Add new. These custom attributes only exist on that product, so they don’t appear on the Attributes screen.
For these, the plugin adds its own tab to the product editor:
- Open the product and scroll to the Product data box.
- Click the Variation Swatches tab.
- Under Custom Attribute Setting you’ll see each custom attribute with a Type menu: Text, Color or Image.
- Choose a type and click Update to save the product.
If the tab says “Please go to Attributes tab and add attribute first”, the product doesn’t have any attributes yet. Add them on the Attributes tab, save, and come back.
Changing the type later
You can change an attribute’s type at any time. Nothing about your products or variations changes; only the way the options are displayed. If you switch an attribute to Image, make sure each option has at least one photo in the product’s Swatch Images box, or the swatch will be empty.
What about the Multi Order setting?
The Variation Swatches tab also has a Multi Oders Settings section with a Select Attribute menu. It’s used by the premium “buy multiple attributes at once” feature, which lets a customer order several colours in one go. In the free version, leave it set to None.