This article explains how to create complex customer products in GelatoConnect using the Connect AI agent. The example taken in this article is Books since it is a multi-part product with 15+ attributes covering paper format, GSM, lamination, page count, binding, and more — defining each attribute manually for every product is time consuming. The Connect agent lets you describe the product in natural language, asks clarifying questions for missing attributes, and creates the customer product for you with the correct base attributes and variants.
💡 This feature is available in the Product Builder - GCW module for any product model that has the Connect agent enabled. It is especially useful for products with a large number of attributes such as books, calendars and multi-part products.
Before you start
Before creating a customer product with the agent, make sure the product model you want to use already exists in the Product Models page. The agent uses the attributes defined in that product model to generate the customer product.
You should also be familiar with the difference between base attributes and variants:
Base attributes have a single fixed value across all units of the customer product. For example, if every book in this product is always A4 size and 120 GSM cover, those are base attributes.
Variants are attributes that can take multiple values. For example, if the same book can be ordered with two different binding types, binding type is a variant. Each combination of variant values becomes a separate orderable item.
📝 An attribute can be a base attribute for one customer product and a variant for another — it depends on how the customer wants to order it. The Connect agent will help you decide based on the values you provide.
Step 1: Open the Connect agent
Go to Product Models and select the product model you want to use. In this example, we are using the Demo Hardcover model.
Open the Customer Products tab inside the product model.
Click Add in the top right of the page. The Connect agent panel opens automatically.
The agent panel shows the list of attributes available on the product model — for a book, this is typically around 15 attributes such as paper format, inner GSM, cover GSM, lamination, page count, binding type and inner cover printing.
Step 2: Describe the product to the agent
Instead of filling in each attribute manually, type a short description of the product you want to create. Include the values that should be fixed (these will become base attributes) and any values that should vary (these will become variants).
Example prompt
For a hardcover book, you can describe the product like this:
I want to create a book with A4 size, 100 GSM for inner, 120 GSM for cover, 120 GSM for end sheet, horizontal orientation, and silk coating.
You do not need to mention every attribute. Anything you leave out, the agent will ask you about in the next step.
💡 If you want to set a base attribute manually before describing the product, you can do that as well. Use the manual fields to lock down a value (for example, A4 paper format) and let the agent handle the rest.
Step 3: Answer the agent's clarifying questions
After you submit your description, the agent processes the input and asks follow-up questions for any attributes that are still missing. For each question, you can either pick from the suggested values or type a free-text answer.
Typical questions for a book include:
Agent question | Example answer |
For hardcover printing, what colors printing do you need? | 4-4 (both sides colour), or front-only / back-only |
For hardcover silk lamination, should the protection be applied? | Protection on both sides |
Do you want printing on the inside or outside of the cover? | Inner cover print: none |
How many pages should the book have? | 60 (or choose Custom to enter your own value) |
For inner pages, what colour printing do you need? | 4-4 |
Do the inner pages need coating or lamination? | Lamination |
Should coating be applied to one side or both sides? | Both sides |
What binding type do you want? | Select one or more values (multiple values create a variant) |
📝 If you select multiple values for an attribute (for example, two binding types), the agent will automatically treat that attribute as a variant. If you select a single value, it will be treated as a base attribute.
If a value you need does not appear in the suggestions, you can type your own answer in the input box. The agent will pick up the new value if it exists in the product model, or flag it if it does not.
Step 4: Review the proposed customer product
Once all questions are answered, the agent presents a summary of the customer product it has prepared. The summary clearly shows:
Which attributes will be created as base attributes (single fixed value).
Which attributes will be created as variants (multiple values).
How many variant combinations will be generated automatically.
In the example used above, only the binding type had multiple values, so it becomes the only variant — every other attribute is set as a base attribute. With two binding values selected, the agent generates two variant combinations.
Click Update Customer Product to apply the agent's proposal. The customer product page is populated with the base attributes and variants exactly as shown in the summary.
Step 5: Add remaining details and create the product
Some attributes (such as the exact number of pages for each variant) may still need to be filled in manually after the agent has set up the structure. Review the customer product page and:
Enter the number of pages or any other free-input value for each variant.
Confirm that base attributes and variants match what the customer is ordering.
Click Create to publish the customer product.
The customer product is now ready to be used for order intake and production