How to Create New Attribute Options

Create new dropdown/selection attribute options directly in Excel and automatically sync them to Magento.

Why Use This Method

Creating attribute options in cobby is significantly faster than using Magento admin when:

• Adding many new options at once
• Importing options from supplier data
• Creating options while updating products

Prerequisites

• cobby Excel add-in installed
• Products loaded in Excel
• Selection/dropdown attributes configured in Magento

When to Use This

Use this process when:

• New color, size, or manufacturer values need to be added
• Importing products with new attribute values
• Bulk creating options from external data sources

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Basic Method: Manual Entry

Example Scenario

The color "turquoise" is missing from your Color attribute and needs to be added.

Steps

Step 1: Navigate to Attribute

1. Load products in Excel via the cobby ribbon
2. Find the attribute column where you need to add an option (e.g., "Color")
3. Locate a product that should have the new value

Step 2: Enter New Value

1. Click on the attribute cell for the product
2. Type the new option value (e.g., "turquoise")
3. Press Enter

The value is entered but not yet created in Magento.

Step 3: Save Products

1. Click Save Products in the cobby ribbon
2. Wait for the save operation to complete
3. cobby automatically creates the new option in Magento

Step 4: Handle Translations (Optional)

After saving, you may see a yellow job status with an exclamation mark:

This indicates new attribute options were created and offers to translate them for other store views:

1. Click Yes to open the translation dialog
2. Enter translations for each store view
3. Click Save

If you have multiple new options: Each appears as a tab in the translation window. Click through tabs to translate all options.

Skip translations: Click No or close the dialog. You can add translations later using the cobby task pane.

Step 5: Verify Option Created

1. Check the cobby task pane on the right
2. The new option now appears in the attribute dropdown list
3. The option is available for assignment to other products

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Advanced Method: Using Formulas

Create options automatically based on external data sources.

Example: Import Colors from Supplier Data

Step 1: Create Reference Table

Create a lookup table matching supplier values to your Magento values:

Supplier Color	Magento Color
Azure	Blue
Crimson	Red
Turquoise	Turquoise

Step 2: Use INDEX-MATCH Formula

In the Color attribute column, use a formula to map values:

=INDEX(ColorMap[Magento Color],MATCH([@[Supplier Color]],ColorMap[Supplier Color],0))

This formula:

• Looks up the supplier's color name
• Returns the corresponding Magento color
• Creates the Magento color option if it doesn't exist

Step 3: Apply Formula to All Products

1. Enter the formula in the first product row
2. Double-click the fill handle to apply to all products
3. Review the mapped values

Step 4: Save Products

1. Click Save Products
2. All new unique color values will be created as options
3. Products will be assigned the appropriate colors

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Bulk Creating Multiple Options

From Paste

To add many options at once:

1. Prepare your list of new values in a separate column or file
2. Copy the values
3. Paste into the appropriate attribute cells for products
4. Save products

All unique new values will become options.

From Import Data

When importing products with new attribute values:

1. Load your import template
2. Map supplier attribute columns to Magento attributes
3. Save products
4. cobby automatically creates any new options found in the data

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Important Limitations

What You Can Do:

• Create new attribute options
• Assign options to products
• Create options in bulk

What You Cannot Do:

• Delete options - Must be done in Magento admin
• Rename options - Must be done in Magento admin
• Reorder options - Must be done in Magento admin
• Delete products - Not supported in cobby

To manage existing options:

1. Log into Magento backend
2. Navigate to Stores → Attributes → Product
3. Edit the attribute
4. Modify the options as needed
5. Save changes

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Troubleshooting

Problem: New option not appearing in task pane

Solution: Reload products in Excel. The task pane refreshes when products are loaded.

Problem: Accidentally created options with typos

Solution:

1. In Magento admin, go to Stores → Attributes → Product
2. Edit the attribute and delete incorrect options
3. In Excel, use Find & Replace to update products to use correct option
4. Save products

Problem: Translation dialog doesn't appear

Solution: You may have dismissed it. You can add translations later:

1. Click the option in the cobby task pane
2. Click the pen/edit icon
3. Enter store view values
4. Save

Problem: Formula creates too many similar options

Solution: Your data needs cleaning. Use TRIM to remove spaces, and standardize capitalization:

=PROPER(TRIM([@[Supplier Value]]))

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Best Practices

Plan Your Options

Before bulk creating:

• Review supplier data for variations and typos
• Standardize naming conventions
• Create a mapping table for automated imports

Clean Your Data

Prevent duplicate or messy options:

• Remove leading/trailing spaces with TRIM()
• Standardize capitalization with PROPER() or UPPER()
• Use data validation to enforce standards

Use Reference Tables

For recurring imports:

• Maintain a master list of approved options
• Create Excel lookup tables for mapping
• Use INDEX-MATCH formulas for automated mapping

Document New Options

When creating specialized options:

• Document what each option means
• Note any special handling requirements
• Keep a changelog of option additions

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Related Articles

• How to Maintain Attribute Options (coming soon)
• How to Add Option Translations (coming soon)
• Using INDEX-MATCH Formulas (coming soon)