Category Attribute Template

In Actualog, a category is more than a folder in a tree.

A product-level category defines what kind of product can be created there and which data is needed to govern that product.

The Category Attribute Template is the set of attribute rules for a category. It explains how products in that category should be described.

You can think of it this way:

  • Category says what the product is.
  • Category Attribute Template says which characteristics describe it.
  • Effective Template is the saved active version of those rules used by products.

Why the template matters

Actualog product data is structured. A product is not only a name and a description. It has governed attribute values: dimensions, materials, performance values, standards, connection types, manufacturer data, and other characteristics that matter for search, comparison, catalogs, and Product Governance.

The Category Attribute Template gives Actualog the rules for that structure.

It helps answer:

  • which attributes belong to this category;
  • which values are required;
  • which attributes distinguish variants;
  • which units should be used for measurable values;
  • which values are allowed for controlled lists;
  • how products should be checked before they become Ready, Approved, or Published.

What the template contains

For each attribute, the category can define rules such as:

  • whether the attribute is required or optional;
  • whether it is a variant axis;
  • how it is ordered;
  • which group it belongs to;
  • whether it is locked;
  • which measurement unit applies;
  • which list values or value filters are allowed.

These rules are category rules. The same library attribute can be used in different categories with different category-level settings.

Inheritance from parent categories

Actualog categories form a taxonomy. Attribute rules can be inherited from parent categories.

A broad parent category can define common attributes. A more specific child category can add the attributes that make the product class precise.

For example:

  • Pipe may define general pipe attributes;
  • Steel pipe may add material and standard rules;
  • Seamless stainless steel pipe may add more specific production or grade characteristics.

This keeps the taxonomy consistent. Common rules are defined once, while specialized categories add only what makes them different.

Universal category rules

Some attribute rules can also come from universal category links.

Universal rules let Actualog reuse shared product-data logic across several category branches. When the Effective Template is resolved, Actualog combines the product-level category, parent categories, and applicable universal rules into one final template.

When a category starts inheriting attributes from a parent category or a Universal Category, some old direct attribute links may become unnecessary.

On the category Attributes tab, the Source column shows where each attribute rule comes from:

  • the current category;
  • a parent category;
  • a Universal Category;
  • a local category-level override.

Use Check inherited links when you want Actualog to compare the current category's direct links with the effective inherited links. The check uses the same source order as Effective Template resolution: the current category first, then parent categories, then Universal Category rules attached along the category chain.

Actualog does not guess. It removes a direct link only when it is an exact duplicate of the inherited rule:

  • the same Attribute;
  • the same Attribute Group;
  • the same required, locked, variant, and filter settings;
  • the same order;
  • the same measure and unit;
  • the same allowed-values filter.

If all settings match, the local direct link is only duplicated structure. Removing it keeps the attribute in the Effective Template because the inherited rule remains.

If anything differs, Actualog treats the direct link as local category behavior and leaves it unchanged. The page explains the difference, for example:

  • the required flag differs;
  • the Attribute Group differs;
  • the display order differs;
  • the measure unit differs;
  • the allowed-values filter differs;
  • the attribute is used by identity or naming rules.

Those rows need a human decision. Edit the category rule deliberately if the local behavior is still needed, or align the settings first and run the check again.

What cleanup changes

Inherited duplicate cleanup changes only category template source links.

It does not change Product values. Product attribute values are stored by Attribute, not by the visual source link that brought the attribute into the template.

After cleanup, Actualog marks affected Effective Templates for review/status refresh. Existing products are synchronized only through the normal Effective Template and Product Synchronization workflow.

See also Updating Effective Templates And Products.

Product-level categories

Only product-level categories contain products.

When a product belongs to a product-level category, Product Governance uses that category's Effective Template to decide whether the product has enough data and whether the data is valid.

The template influences:

  • product creation;
  • imports and data loading;
  • Check data;
  • Product Overview and Product Stewardship status;
  • Product Quality Report;
  • Product Name Template;
  • identity and duplicate detection;
  • variant family grouping;
  • publication readiness.

Required attributes

A required attribute is data that every product in the category is expected to have.

Required attributes are important because they affect product readiness. If a required value is missing, Check data can make the product Incomplete.

Required attributes should be chosen carefully. They should describe information that is truly needed for the product class and normally available for every product in that category.

If an attribute is useful but not always known, it is often better to make it optional and enrich it later.

Variant axes

A variant axis is an attribute that separates one concrete variant from another inside the same product family.

Examples:

  • size;
  • voltage;
  • color;
  • head weight;
  • handle length;
  • connection type.

When a category has variant axes, Actualog can group concrete products into variant families. The family carries the shared identity, while each concrete product carries the values that make it a specific variant.

Variant axes also affect Product Name Templates and identity rules. A group name should describe the family. A variant product name should include the values that distinguish the concrete variant.

From Category Attribute Template to Effective Template

The Category Attribute Template is the editable category rule set.

The Effective Template is the resolved and saved version of those rules for a product-level category.

This distinction is important:

  • category experts can edit category rules;
  • Actualog can build a candidate Effective Template;
  • stewards can compare the candidate with the active version;
  • Actualog can decide whether existing products need Mass Update;
  • Product Governance can audit products against a known template version.

Not every template change requires product processing. Reordering attributes or moving them between groups may only change the template structure. Adding a required attribute, changing variant axes, changing units, or removing an attribute can affect existing products and may require enforcement.

Good template design

A good Category Attribute Template is practical, not maximal.

It should:

  • inherit common attributes from parent categories where possible;
  • add only attributes that matter for this product class;
  • mark attributes required only when they are truly needed;
  • use variant axes only for values that distinguish real variants;
  • keep groups and order clear for stewards and product contributors;
  • use library attributes when a shared definition already exists;
  • be tested against several real products before it is enforced broadly.

Key idea

The Category Attribute Template is the category's product-data rule set.

It turns a category from a label into a governed product class. The Effective Template saves the active version of those rules, and Product Governance uses that version to check, update, approve, publish, and audit products.