Pet Type
OVERVIEW
Section titled “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. |
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| Repeatability: Shopify >> List types are repeatable by definition - no extra configuration needed in ACF for multi-value behavior. |
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REFERENCE VALUES
Section titled “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
Section titled “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
Section titled “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
Section titled “IN CONTEXT — EXAMPLE PRODUCT”| 🐾 Adjustable Nylon Harness — Size M |
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| Pet type: Dog |
| Breed size: Medium |
| Age group: Adult |
| Activity level: High |
| Safety notes: Reflective stitching; escape-proof double-lock buckle |