> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.wisepim.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Attribute Scope Settings

> Choose whether products get their attributes from families, categories or both, set a default family per category, and assign families in bulk.

![WISEPIM Catalog structure settings with Use attributes from set to Families and categories, a When are families useful aside, steps to assign families in Products and the Category default families section](https://mintcdn.com/swiftsyncai/ZhFouQkYEPBbUtsa/images/marketing-screenshots/settings/settings-catalog-structure-light-branded.webp?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=ZhFouQkYEPBbUtsa\&q=85\&s=7cddb59f531d9dd0f30b5b75af7b4a27)

Attribute scope decides which attributes a product shows and asks for. They can come from the product's [family](https://docs.wisepim.com/en/products/product-families.md), from its [categories](https://docs.wisepim.com/en/other-features/managing-categories.md), or from both. The page is titled **Catalog structure settings**: "Choose where product attributes come from. Assigning families to products is a separate step."

**What this page enables:** you can match WISEPIM to how your shop is organized, give categories a default family so products without one still get the right fields, and see how many products have no family yet.

**Where to find it:** go to **Settings** > **Attribute scope** in the Catalog & Data group. It is also the **Settings** tab of [Catalog Structure](https://docs.wisepim.com/en/products/catalog-structure.md), next to **Overview**, **Guided setup** and **Change history**.

> [!NOTE]
>
> Changing the attribute scope or a category's default family needs the owner or admin role. Assigning families to products needs edit access.

## Choose where attributes come from

Under **Which attributes should products use?**, pick a value for **Use attributes from**:

| Option | What a product gets |
| - | - |
| **Families** | The attributes of its family, including attributes inherited from a parent family. |
| **Categories** | The attributes from its categories and their default families. |
| **Families and categories** | The attributes from both its family and its categories. |

A chip shows where the current value comes from: **Saved choice** (someone saved it), **Recommended default** (WISEPIM picked it for your catalog) or **Default**.

Changing the scope only changes which attributes are shown. Existing attribute values stay stored, even when they fall outside the new scope.

**1. Pick an option**

Choose **Families**, **Categories** or **Families and categories**.

**2. Check sample products**

Click **Check sample products**. Each sample shows how many attributes apply under your choice, for example "Blue T-shirt: 12 applicable attributes".

**3. Save**

Click **Save attribute choice**. To go back to WISEPIM's pick, click **Use the recommendation**.

### What WISEPIM recommends

The recommendation is based on your catalog and your connected platform:

| Reason shown | Recommendation |
| - | - |
| "Your connected platform uses attribute sets, so families are a useful starting point." | Families, for platforms such as Magento and Lightspeed. |
| "Most products already have a family." | Families, when at least half your products have one. |
| "Your connected platform organizes products mainly by category." | Categories, for Shopify or WooCommerce shops where fewer than 1 in 10 products have a family. |
| "This catalog uses both families and categories." | Families and categories. |

### When are families useful?

The aside on the right explains: "Use a family when similar products need the same attributes." It also shows how many products have no family. That is fine: "A family is optional. These products can use category attributes instead." Click **Guided catalog setup** to get family suggestions for your products.

## Assign families in Products

Assigning a family is a separate step from choosing the scope. The page walks you through it:

**1. Select products**

Click **Open Products** and select up to 500 products.

**2. Open Bulk edit**

Click **Bulk edit**.

**3. Assign the family**

Choose **Assign product family**, pick the family, check the preview and apply. Existing attribute values stay stored, even when they are outside the new family.

The assignment is recorded as one run in the change history, so you can undo it. See [Catalog Structure](https://docs.wisepim.com/en/products/catalog-structure.md#family-runs).

## Category default families

Open **Category default families** to give a category a family of its own. Products without a family then get that family's attributes through the category. A family assigned to the product always wins.

**1. Save the category's default**

Pick a **Category** and a **Default product family**. Or choose **Use the parent category's default** to inherit it. Click **Save category default**.

**2. Assign it to existing products (optional)**

Click **Preview existing products** to see up to 500 products in this category and its children that have no family. Click **Assign family to these products** to give them the default family.

> [!NOTE]
>
> Saving a default changes the category rule. It doesn't assign a family to products, also not during import. Only the products in the preview get the family, and only when you apply it.

## Keep a record of structural changes

Changes to category defaults, families and attributes are recorded. Click **View change history** to see them and undo what you need. See [Catalog Structure](https://docs.wisepim.com/en/products/catalog-structure.md#change-history).

## Act on what you find

> **Products show attributes that don't belong to them**
>
> You probably use **Families and categories** while your categories carry broad attributes. Switch to **Families** and click **Check sample products** to compare the attribute counts before you save.

> **Most of your products have no family**
>
> If your shop is organized by category, switch to **Categories** and give your main categories a default family. If you prefer families, run **Guided catalog setup** with **Only products without a family** ticked.

> **New imports don't get a family**
>
> That is expected: a category default doesn't assign a family to products. With **Categories** or **Families and categories**, the products still get the default family's attributes through their category. To assign the family itself, use **Preview existing products** or **Bulk edit** > **Assign product family**.

> **You can't save the setting**
>
> Changing the scope needs the owner or admin role. Ask a project owner or admin, see [Team Management](https://docs.wisepim.com/en/teams/team-management.md).

## Related

> **[Catalog Structure](https://docs.wisepim.com/en/products/catalog-structure.md)**
>
> Structure gaps, guided setup and change history.

> **[Product Families](https://docs.wisepim.com/en/products/product-families.md)**
>
> Create families and the attributes they share.

> **[Managing Product Categories](https://docs.wisepim.com/en/other-features/managing-categories.md)**
>
> Build the category tree your defaults hang on.

> **[Managing Product Attributes](https://docs.wisepim.com/en/other-features/managing-attributes.md)**
>
> Create the attributes families and categories use.


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