Edit a Magento Configurable Product

Magento does not allow you to edit a configurable product once it has been created in order to add a new attribute to the product.  This is quite annoying since ‘stuff comes up’ where this may need to be necessary.  Maybe you need to add color now when you only had size and shape before.  Well there is a simple work around.  

1. Backup your database.  We are going to edit the values in the database directly with phpMyAdmin or you other favorite db editor.  Before doing any edits be sure you have a safe copy tucked away.

2. Find the table ‘catalog_product_super_attribute’ 

    a. You are going to add your new values to this table for each product you need to change

    b. product_id – view your product list and find each product id.  This is not the sku but the Magento created ID for each product

    c. attribute_id – go to Catalog -> Attribute -> Manage Attributes. You’ll see the attribute ID at the end of the URL (e.g. example.com/admin/catalog_product_attribute/edit/attribute_id/12).

3. Insert the record into the table with the above info.  This is very easy to do with phpMyadmin. 

Now go back to your Magento admin and the new attribute should be in the configurable list.