producttype

Product type is an organizational construct used in product information management and e-commerce to define a family of products that share a common data schema and business rules. It specifies the set of attributes required to describe products in that family, along with the allowed value types, units, and validation constraints. Each product instance is assigned a single product type, though a product type may support variations through attribute values such as size, color, or model.

Examples of product types include T-shirt, laptop, and smartphone. A T-shirt type might require attributes like size, color, material, and fit, while a laptop type might require processor, memory, storage, display size, and operating system. The product type determines which fields must be populated, which are optional, and how data should be validated, ensuring consistency across products in the same family.

In data modeling, a product type defines an attribute set that can be extended or specialized. Some systems support inheritance where a new type extends an existing one by adding or overriding attributes. Managing product types involves versioning, localization of attribute names and value lists, and data governance to handle evolution without disrupting existing products.

Applications of product types include enabling data entry validation, delivering consistent catalog presentation, and improving search and filtering accuracy. They also support templating for data collection and drive downstream processes such as pricing, inventory management, and merchandising.

See also: product attribute, attribute set, product category, variant, PIM, SKU, catalog.