# createCharacteristic

mutation · in the family [Characteristic](/reference/characteristic/)

## What it does

Create a new product characteristic — a typed attribute products carry (material, care, age rating) at your organization.

Create a Characteristic in the caller's org group; requires the unrestricted capability. Canned templates are copied via copyCannedCharacteristic instead.

## Who may call it

Capability area: **Catalog structure** — Creating and retiring catalog families and whole items.

- Owner
- Manager
- An API key whose scope allows `api:createCharacteristic`

## Arguments

| Name | Type | Required | Notes |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `input` | [NewCharacteristicInput](/types/NewCharacteristicInput/) `NewCharacteristicInput!` | yes | No further notes. |

## Returns

[Characteristic](/types/Characteristic/) `Characteristic!` — A characteristic — a master-list entry for VALIDATED product values (serial-number, warranty period, …): value type + validation grammar + optional unit; distinct from Tags (unstructured labels), Categories (navigation), and Options (variant-driving). Canned + custom: system-shipped IMMUTABLE templates are copied via copyCannedCharacteristic; group-defined customs are created directly — references (the Manufacturer format map; the spine) always point at group-owned constructs, never templates. TWO_STATE — no inactive (a master-list entry is usable or gone).

## Example request

```graphql
mutation ExampleCreateCharacteristic($input: NewCharacteristicInput!) {
  createCharacteristic(input: $input) {
    id
    sysId
    type
    caption
    status
    parentId
    rootId
    createdAt
    updatedAt
    revisionNum
    revision
    valueType
    unit
    code
  }
}
```

Variables:

```json
{
  "input": {
    "caption": "Blue jeans",
    "valueType": "string"
  }
}
```

Send it with the envelope naming the version: `"extensions": {"at": {"version": {"name":"genesis","number":0}}}`.

## Example response

```json
{
  "data": {
    "createCharacteristic": {
      "id": "01900000-0000-7000-8000-37386ae00000",
      "sysId": "CH-EXMP-0000-000F",
      "type": "Characteristic",
      "caption": "Blue jeans",
      "status": "active",
      "parentId": "01900000-0000-7000-8000-065235280000",
      "rootId": "01900000-0000-7000-8000-a093dd800000",
      "createdAt": "2027-01-31T00:00:00.000Z",
      "updatedAt": "2027-01-31T00:00:00.000Z",
      "revisionNum": 1,
      "revision": "01900000-0000-7000-8000-b7960e180000",
      "valueType": "string",
      "unit": "<unit>",
      "code": "BJ-001"
    }
  },
  "extensions": {
    "at": {
      "callId": "01EXAMPLE-CALL-ID",
      "version": {
        "requested": {
          "name": "genesis",
          "number": 0
        },
        "serviced": {
          "name": "genesis",
          "number": 0
        }
      }
    }
  }
}
```

## Errors this call can answer

- `VALIDATION/INVALID` — Something in the request is not valid. ([VALIDATION](/errors/VALIDATION/))
- `AUTHN/REQUIRED` — Sign in to do this. ([AUTHN](/errors/AUTHN/))
- `AUTHZ/FORBIDDEN` — Your role does not allow this action. ([AUTHZ](/errors/AUTHZ/))
- `RATE_LIMIT/THROTTLED` — Too many requests in a short time. ([RATE_LIMIT](/errors/RATE_LIMIT/))
- `CONFLICT/*` — The record’s state, or a change made in the meantime, does not allow this; the codes are on the CONFLICT page. ([CONFLICT](/errors/CONFLICT/))
- `VALIDATION/VERSION_REQUIRED` — The request did not say which app version it came from. ([VALIDATION](/errors/VALIDATION/))

## Dry run

Add `dryRun: true` to the request envelope (`extensions.at`) to rehearse this call: every check runs, the write is rehearsed against the current records and nothing is stored; the answer is the refusal a real call would give, or the record it would create. Every response to a rehearsal carries `dryRun: true`, so a rehearsed record is never mistaken for a saved one.

## Used in

- [Shape the catalog’s vocabulary — seasons, tags, characteristics, units](/use-cases/shape-the-catalog-vocabulary/)