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How to Convert Text Attribute to Selection Attribute

Convert an existing text attribute to a selection (dropdown) attribute to enable features like layered navigation and filtering.

Prerequisites​

  • Access to Magento admin panel
  • cobby Excel add-in installed
  • Basic understanding of attribute sets

When to Use This​

Use this process when you need to:

  • Enable filter search for an attribute
  • Connect third-party systems that require selection attributes
  • Standardize product data entry with predefined options

Steps​

1. Create Selection Attribute in Magento​

  1. Navigate to Catalog → Attributes → Manage Attributes in the Magento admin backend
  2. Click Add New Attribute
  3. Configure the new selection attribute with your desired settings
  4. Set the input type to "Dropdown" or "Multiple Select"
  5. Save the attribute

2. Assign Attribute to Attribute Set​

  1. Go to Catalog → Attributes → Manage Attribute Sets
  2. Select the desired attribute set from the list
  3. Drag the new attribute from the "Unassigned Attributes" list on the right
  4. Drop it in the desired position in the attribute tree on the left
  5. Save the attribute set

3. Resync cobby​

  1. In Magento, navigate to System → Configuration
  2. Switch to the Services/cobby tab on the left side
  3. Click Save Configuration to trigger a resync
  4. Wait for the resync to complete

4. Migrate Data in Excel​

  1. Open Excel and load your products via the cobby ribbon
  2. Select the entire column containing the current text values
  3. Copy the content (Ctrl+C)
  4. Paste the values into the new selection attribute column (Ctrl+V)
  5. Click Save Products in the cobby ribbon

cobby will automatically:

  • Create all unique values as selection options in Magento
  • Assign the appropriate options to each product

Important Notes​

  • Magento does not allow changing attribute types directly - you must create a new attribute
  • All unique values from the text field will become selection options
  • Existing products will retain their values during migration
  • This process does not delete the old text attribute - you can remove it later if needed

Troubleshooting​

Problem: New attribute doesn't appear in Excel after resync

Solution: Try clearing the cobby cache and reloading products. If the issue persists, verify the attribute is assigned to the correct attribute set.

Problem: Duplicate values create multiple similar options

Solution: Clean your text data first using the TRIM function to remove extra spaces, then check for variations in spelling or capitalization.