Product Families and Variations Configuration Guide
This guide explains how to configure Product Families and structure Variations to build a solid and scalable data model in THRON.
To manage the product data model you must be an Administrator or have the "Can manage product data modeling" permission. You must also have already created the attributes in the dedicated section.
In THRON, a Product Family defines the information structure of groups of similar products. It works like a template that establishes which attributes are available, how they are organized, and whether the product can have variations.
Product-Family Relationship: Each product belongs to a single family.
Inheritance: The product will have the fields present in the product sheet and the variations based on the Family.
Family Configuration
Creating a New Family
Go to Platform Settings → Products → Families.
Click New Family.
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Enter the Family code:
Must be unique in the system.
Length between 2 and 50 characters.
Only supported characters are allowed; others are blocked on input.
Click Create and configure to open the detail page.
Property and Attribute Management
Labels: In the Properties section, set the display name of the family for each active language and click Save changes.
Adding Attributes: In the Attributes section, click Add attributes. You can search by keyword or filter by Attribute Group.
Identifier: The identifier attribute is automatically included in all families and does not appear in the selection list.
WARNING
Removing Attributes: Removing an attribute from a family can make values no longer visible or editable on existing products. Always verify the consequences before proceeding.
Variations Management
Variations define a hierarchy to manage complex products.
Hierarchy Structure
MASTER: The highest level representing the logical product (e.g. "T-shirt model X"). It contains information common to all variants, such as generic description or institutional media.
VARIATION GROUP: Available on 2 variation levels. Groups variants that share the first axis (e.g. "Blue Color") to avoid data duplication.
VARIANT: This is the lowest level, corresponding to the actually sellable configuration (e.g. "Blue Color, Size M"). Specific SKUs and variable attributes are managed here.
Variation Axes Constraints
Use only Simple Select attributes.
Axis attributes must be non-localized.
An attribute used in Level 1 cannot be used in Level 2.
System Limits and Validations
| Element | Limit |
|---|---|
| Number of Families | Up to 100 |
| Attributes per Family | Up to 500 (excluding identifier) |
| Variations per Family | Up to 5 |
| Variation Axes | Maximum 2 levels (axes) |
| Attributes per Axis | Up to 5 per axis |
| Family Code | 2-50 characters (allowed characters only) |
Automatic Validation Logic
Duplicate or incorrect code: The system warns if the code already exists or does not comply with the length and format limits.
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Variations Incompatibility: It is not possible to create a variation if the combination of axes already exists or if the maximum limit has been reached.
Usage constraint: A variation can only be modified if it is not yet used by any product. If in use, moving attributes to higher levels with existing data will generate an error.
Best Practice
If the data model is in its early stages, use this recommended minimum configuration:
Identifier (SKU)
Product Name (Short Text)
Product Description (Long Text)
Media Gallery
Finally, we recommend always following these basic rules:
Attribute Reuse: Create attributes once and reuse them across multiple families.
Clustering: Use families for clusters of similar products, avoiding creating one for each single product.
Planning: First define the necessary variations (0, 1 or 2 levels) and plan which attributes should be at Master or Variant level.