Great ecommerce experiences start with great product data. But for most merchandisers, managing attributes across thousands of SKUs isn’t just tedious—it’s mission-critical. Attributes power everything from search relevance and filters to product recommendations and personalization. If they’re missing, messy, or misaligned, performance suffers.

At CatalogIQ, we score product attributes across nine dimensions of quality—and attribute completeness, consistency, and structure are among the most common failure points. That’s because it’s not just about having the data. It’s about having the right data, in the right format, for the right purpose.

Here’s a strategic breakdown of five core attribute types that every product catalog should address—and why they matter in today’s performance-driven ecommerce landscape.

1. Core Attributes: The Catalog’s Foundation

Definition: These are the essential identifiers that structure your catalog and fuel everything from category placement to site navigation.

Examples: Category, brand, title, product type

Why they matter: Without complete and aligned core attributes, your taxonomy breaks down. Search and filters lose precision. Even simple use cases like SEO and faceted navigation degrade.

2. Physical Attributes: Powering Utility and Fit

Definition: Tangible characteristics that shoppers use to refine options and ensure compatibility or suitability.

Examples: Size, weight, material, color, dimensions

Why they matter: These are some of the most-used filters across ecommerce platforms—and the most overlooked in catalog uploads. Inconsistent values or missing units lead to failed searches and lost conversions.

3. Descriptive Attributes: Enabling Style, Lifestyle, and Relevance

Definition: These attributes capture aesthetic, stylistic, or sensory qualities that help a product resonate with buyers.

Examples: Style, finish, pattern, scent, flavor

Why they matter: Personalization engines, AI search, and shopper segmentation rely on these fields to tailor experiences. Without them, discovery falls flat—especially in visually driven verticals.

4. Functional Attributes: Guiding Considered Purchases

Definition: Performance-related specs that inform decision-making in high-consideration categories.

Examples: Battery life, compatibility, warranty, water resistance, power output

Why they matter: Technical specs help shoppers compare and validate options. Grouping and structuring these consistently builds trust and reduces friction in complex purchases.

5. Customer-Centric Attributes: Signaling Values and Identity

Definition: Attributes that reflect brand ethics, origin, or personalization opportunities aligned with customer identity.

Examples: Eco-friendly, cruelty-free, made in USA, custom engraving

Why they matter: These tags increasingly drive social discovery, brand affinity, and repeat loyalty—especially with Gen Z and values-driven consumers.

Building a Catalog that Performs

Attribute types aren’t just metadata—they’re your product’s marketing surface. At CatalogIQ, we’ve seen time and again how missing or poorly structured attributes tank visibility, distort recommendations, and choke conversion.

The solution? Treat attributes as performance levers. Score them. Enrich them. Govern them with consistency. And structure them in a way that machines—and shoppers—can understand.

The Bottom Line

From taxonomy and filters to personalization and SEO, your product attributes are the connective tissue of modern ecommerce. Fixing them isn’t just cleanup—it’s growth strategy.

Want help turning your attributes into a competitive advantage? Contact Kevin Jackson at kevin.jackson@magnetlabs.ai to schedule a demo of CatalogIQ, MagnetLABS’ innovative catalog quality scoring and enrichment platform.