You use lists of characteristics to display attributes and values in the product catalog, for example, a t-shirt can have the attribute size and the value XXL.

Without lists of characteristics you can not display product attributes in the catalog, even if they are determined for the products in the product master.

You can use characteristics on catalog header level, so characteristics apply to all catalog areas and products. Or, you can assign them at catalog area level, so the characteristics only apply to the specific area and products in that area.

You can also use lists of characteristics to search for products in the catalog. For example, when a customer calls an Interaction Center agent, the agent can find the product the caller is looking for by selecting this attribute in the product catalog search. For example, the agent can search for all shoes, with the colour blue.

You create lists of characteristics using two different options:

Set types

In this case the values for product attributes are read from the product in the product master. You choose this option, if you quickly want to create a catalog and you know the product master attributes and values are correct for your catalog.

You have maintained the attribute size and the value XXL for product A, a t-shirt, in your product master. You include this product in your catalog. To display the attribute and value from the product master, you create a list of characteristics for the catalog based on set types, and assign it to the area T-Shirts in your catalog.

You cannot change attributes in a set type, you can only do so in the product master

Standard characteristics

In this case you create new attributes for the products in your catalog. You define the values for these attributes on product item level in the catalog. The values are read from the catalog, and not from the product in the product master.

A reason for using standard characteristics, would be that you wish to maintain a different attribute value for a product in the catalog, to that maintained for the product in the product master. Instead of changing your product master data for the maintenance of one catalog, you can simply change the values within the catalog, and the product master data remains the same.