Global attributes and their values are defined here: attributes on one side, the selected attribute's values on the other.
Defined here, used on the product
Creating an attribute on this page changes no product. It only makes the attribute available to be attached in the product editor.
More importantly: a product becomes variable when you tick an attribute as a variation axis on that product. Merely attaching one adds display information and nothing else.
The attribute types
- Select — a list of values you define here. The common case.
- Colour — like select, but each value carries a colour and renders as a swatch in the storefront.
- Text — a free value written on the product itself.
- Number — a value the buyer types on the product page (page count, for example). It has no predefined values and is never a variation axis; what the buyer enters is recorded with the order.
The number type is available only for the global attributes on this page, not for a product's own custom attributes.
Conditional attributes
On the product you can say an attribute only appears when another has a particular value — and even restrict which of its values are offered (size 20×20 allowing only two frame types, say).
The conditions must not overlap: one value cannot trigger two different rules at once, or the product will not save.
Deleting an attribute reaches everywhere
Deleting an attribute or one of its values removes it from every product using it. If it was a variation axis, the variations built on it become unselectable.