wc_get_attribute_terms: list attribute terms
Lists the values a global attribute offers — the sizes, the colours, the materials.
Arguments
| Argument | Required | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
attribute_id |
Yes | The attribute, from wc_get_product_attributes |
Permissions
mcp:read and woocommerce:catalog:read, plus manage_woocommerce or edit_products.
What it returns
items, each with id, name and slug.
The slug is the one that matters for variation work: it is the value that goes into a variation's attributes map. The name is for humans.
Terms with no products attached are included, so this is the full vocabulary, not just what is currently in use.
An empty list is ambiguous
You get items: [], with no error, when:
- the attribute genuinely has no terms yet;
- the
attribute_iddoes not correspond to any attribute.
The tool does not distinguish them. Confirm the ID against wc_get_product_attributes before concluding an attribute is empty — a mistyped ID looks exactly like a newly created attribute nobody has populated.
Newly created attributes start empty
wc_create_product_attribute creates the attribute, not its values. There is no MCP tool that adds terms to an attribute.
So after creating "Material" you will see an empty list here until someone adds Cotton, Wool and Linen in the WordPress admin. That is a real gap in the toolset, and it is why attribute setup is not something an assistant can complete on its own.
The slugs must match exactly
A variation's attributes map is matched against these slugs. Near-misses do not warn:
largeis notldark-blueis notdarkblue- a label the assistant inferred ("Extra Large") is not a slug
Get the list, use the slugs verbatim, and never let a variation be built from a value that was guessed.
List the terms for attribute 3 and show me the slugs exactly as stored.
Custom attributes are not here
This tool reads the terms of global attributes only. A product using per-product custom attributes has its values stored on the product, and you read those through wc_get_product.
Using it well
Before building variations:
Show me the terms for the Size and Colour attributes with their slugs.
Checking coverage:
Product 219 has 8 variations. Given the terms of its attributes, which combinations are missing?
That question is answerable only with this listing, and it catches the gap customers notice: a combination advertised on the product page that cannot be selected.
Common problems
| Symptom | Cause |
|---|---|
| An empty list | No terms yet, or an attribute_id that does not exist |
pom_ai_mcp_wc_forbidden |
Missing shop capability |
| A variation built from these terms is not selectable | A slug was altered or guessed |
| A term you expected is missing | It belongs to a different attribute, or is a custom value |
| You cannot add a term | Correct; no MCP tool does this — use the admin |
Related
wc_get_product_attributes— get the IDs firstwc_set_product_attributes— attach terms to a productwc_create_variation