Pet Type
Because "pet" is not a product category — "senior indoor cat" is.
OVERVIEW
The Pet Type field identifies which animal species the product is designed for. It is the most fundamental filter in any pet store catalog — without it, a dog harness and a rabbit hutch live in the same undifferentiated pile. With it, every page, filter, and recommendation becomes instantly smarter.
This field drives top-level navigation, search filtering, and cross-sell logic. It is the backbone of any pet-specific product experience and should be populated on every single product in your catalog.
Business value
Pet owners navigate exclusively within their animal type — dogs, cats, birds, fish, rabbits
AI recommendation engines use pet type as the first filter before any other attribute
Cross-selling (collar → leash → harness) only works when pet type is consistent catalog-wide
Seasonal campaigns ("summer dog gear") require a reliable pet type filter to execute
Multi-pet households expect separate sections — not a mixed soup of species
TECHNICAL SETUP
Where
ACF dashboard → Templates tab → Product scope → Add new field
Label
Pet Type
Name / Key
pet_type
Namespace
accentuate (default — no change needed)
Field type
Shopify >> Single-line text (List) — recommended for new fields
Multi-value
Yes — enable "Allow multiple selections" for products spanning several species
ℹ️ ACF will auto-generate the field name as "pet_type" from the label. The namespace defaults to "accentuate" — leave it unless you have a reason to override.
STEP-BY-STEP WALKTHROUGH
In ACF, open the Templates tab and select the Product scope
Click "Add new field" in the top bar
Set the Label to "Pet Type" — the Name/Key auto-fills as "pet_type"
Leave the Namespace as "accentuate" (default)
On the next screen, select field type: Shopify >> Single-line text (List)
Enable "Allow multiple selections" so one product can belong to Dog + Cat
Click Done, then Save in the right sidebar
Open any product in ACF editor — "Pet Type" should now appear ready to accept values
Shopify admin (optional pinning): To also pin this field in the Shopify admin sidebar: go to Settings → Custom data → Products → Add definition. Use namespace "accentuate" and key "pet_type" with type "Single-line text (List)". This syncs with ACF automatically.
Repeatability: Shopify >> List types are repeatable by definition - no extra configuration needed in ACF for multi-value behavior.
REFERENCE VALUES
Example values — adapt to your catalog
Value
When to use
Dog
Any product designed for canine use — food, accessories, grooming, toys
Cat
Feline-specific products; toys, litter, scratchers, furniture
Bird
Avian products: cages, perches, seed mixes, enrichment toys
Fish
Aquarium products; food, water treatments, tanks, filtration
Rabbit
Small mammal: hay, hutches, accessories, grooming
Hamster / Gerbil
Tiny mammals: cages, bedding, wheels, treats
Guinea Pig
Slightly larger small mammal; similar to rabbit needs
Reptile
Lizards, snakes, turtles: terrariums, heat lamps, substrate
Horse / Equine
Equestrian products: saddles, feed, supplements, grooming
All pets
Genuinely universal products: scales, carriers, some grooming tools
BEST PRACTICES
Populate this field on 100% of products — no product should be left without it
Use singular, capitalized names: "Dog" not "dogs" or "DOGS" — inconsistency breaks filters
For multi-species products, list each applicable species as a separate value
Sync your pet_type vocabulary with your navigation taxonomy for filter consistency
Run a quarterly audit to catch newly added products missing the field
COMMON MISTAKES — AVOID THESE
Using "Pet" as a value — this tells customers nothing; always be species-specific
Putting "Large Dog" here — breed size belongs in the breed_size field, not pet_type
Mixing plural and singular: "Dog" and "Dogs" will produce split filter results
Leaving universal products blank instead of using "All pets"
Using cute marketing names like "Furball Friends" instead of "Cat"
IN CONTEXT — EXAMPLE PRODUCT
🐾 Adjustable Nylon Harness — Size M
Pet type: Dog
Breed size: Medium
Age group: Adult
Activity level: High
Safety notes: Reflective stitching; escape-proof double-lock buckle
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