Magento 2 Get Custom Attribute in Customerdata Cart

• What are Custom Attributes in Customerdata Cart?

• Why Add Custom Attributes to Customer Data Cart?

• How to Get Custom Attribute in Customerdata Cart?

• 5 Best Practices for Adding Custom Attributes in Customerdata Cart

• 5 Real-World Use Cases of Adding Custom Attributes in Customerdata Cart

• FAQs

• Summary

What are Custom Attributes in Customerdata Cart?

The customerdata cart is a JavaScript-accessible data section. It powers dynamic frontend components like the mini cart.

Custom attributes here refer to extra data added to each cart item. These are beyond Magento’s default properties. These can include product-specific details such as brand or special labels like “Backorder.”

Since these attributes are not included by default, developers use plugins. Use the plugins on Magento\Checkout\CustomerData\DefaultItem::getItemData. It injects them into the cart data.

Once added, custom attributes become accessible through JavaScript. It enables richer user experiences without full-page reloads.

The feature helps customize the mini cart display or trigger UI changes. It depends on the product metadata. It makes Magento storefronts more dynamic and informative for users.

Why Add Custom Attributes to Customer Data Cart?

1. Richer Frontend Display

Custom attributes allow you to extend what is visible in the cart UI. It makes the mini cart or side drawer more informative and user-focused.

• Show “Estimated Delivery Date” next to each item.

• Display custom options like “engraving text” or “gift wrap” that aren’t shown by default.

• Add icons or labels like “Pre-Order” or “Limited Edition”.

2. Better Personalization and Engagement

You can use custom attributes to personalize the cart. It also helps make marketing-driven decisions on the go.

• Add a “discount_applied” flag for frontend use.

• Add customer group–specific messages or upsells based on cart contents.

• Use a “custom_label” attribute to show unique tags or CTA buttons.

3. Enable Smarter UI Behavior

Custom cart attributes can drive frontend logic and behavior.

• If is_preorder = true, show a warning before checkout.

• If has_subscription_items = true, hide certain shipping options.

• Show/hide checkout steps or fields based on product type.

4. Enhanced Analytics and Tracking

You may want to pass attribute-level details on to analytics or tag managers on the front end.

• Push custom data to Google Tag Manager's data layer.

• Track the performance of cart items with special labels or campaigns.

• Send custom attributes to A/B testing or personalization tools.

5. Support Complex Business Logic

If your Magento store involves advanced logic, such as B2B or multi-vendor setups. Custom attributes help bridge backend decisions to the frontend experience.

• Include a vendor name or brand ID in the cart data.

• Flag “restricted” items to prevent guest checkout.

• Inject inventory messages like “Only 2 left!” or “Backorder”.

How to Get Custom Attribute in Customerdata Cart?

1. Create catalog_attributes.xml in Vendor/Module/etc/catalog_attributes.xml

<?xml version="1.0"?>

<config xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance" xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="urn:magento:module:Magento_Catalog:etc/catalog_attributes.xsd">

\<group name="quote\_item"\>

    \<attribute name="weight"/\>

\</group\>

</config>

2. Create di.xml in Vendor/Module/etc/di.xml

<?xml version="1.0"?>
<config xmlns:xsi="http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema-instance"
xsi:noNamespaceSchemaLocation="urn:magento:framework:ObjectManager/etc/config.xsd">
<preference for="Magento\Checkout\CustomerData\DefaultItem"
type="Vendor\Module\CustomerData\DefaultItem" />
</config>

3. Create DefaultItem.php in Vendor/Module/CustomerData/DefaultItem.php

<?php
namespace Vendor\Module\CustomerData;

use Magento\Framework\App\ObjectManager;

class DefaultItem extends \Magento\Checkout\CustomerData\DefaultItem
{
protected $imageHelper;
protected $msrpHelper;
protected $urlBuilder;
protected $configurationPool;
protected $checkoutHelper;
private $escaper;

public function \_\_construct(  
    \\Magento\\Catalog\\Helper\\Image $imageHelper,  
    \\Magento\\Msrp\\Helper\\Data $msrpHelper,  
    \\Magento\\Framework\\UrlInterface $urlBuilder,  
    \\Magento\\Catalog\\Helper\\Product\\ConfigurationPool $configurationPool,  
    \\Magento\\Checkout\\Helper\\Data $checkoutHelper,  
    \\Magento\\Framework\\Escaper $escaper \= null  
) {  
    $this-\>configurationPool \= $configurationPool;  
    $this-\>imageHelper \= $imageHelper;  
    $this-\>msrpHelper \= $msrpHelper;  
    $this-\>urlBuilder \= $urlBuilder;  
    $this-\>checkoutHelper \= $checkoutHelper;  
    $this-\>escaper \= $escaper ?: ObjectManager::getInstance()-\>get(\\Magento\\Framework\\Escaper::class);  
}

protected function doGetItemData()  
{  
    $imageHelper \= $this-\>imageHelper-\>init($this-\>getProductForThumbnail(), 'mini\_cart\_product\_thumbnail');  
    $productName \= $this-\>escaper-\>escapeHtml($this-\>item-\>getProduct()-\>getName());

    return \[  
        'options' \=\> $this-\>getOptionList(),  
        'qty' \=\> $this-\>item-\>getQty() \* 1,  
        'item\_id' \=\> $this-\>item-\>getId(),  
        'configure\_url' \=\> $this-\>getConfigureUrl(),  
        'is\_visible\_in\_site\_visibility' \=\> $this-\>item-\>getProduct()-\>isVisibleInSiteVisibility(),  
        'product\_id' \=\> $this-\>item-\>getProduct()-\>getId(),  
        'product\_name' \=\> $productName,  
        'product\_sku' \=\> $this-\>item-\>getProduct()-\>getSku(),  
        'product\_url' \=\> $this-\>getProductUrl(),  
        'product\_has\_url' \=\> $this-\>hasProductUrl(),  
        'product\_price' \=\> $this-\>checkoutHelper-\>formatPrice($this-\>item-\>getCalculationPrice()),  
        'product\_price\_value' \=\> $this-\>item-\>getCalculationPrice(),  
        'weight' \=\> $this-\>item-\>getWeight(), // \<-- Correct way to access weight  
        'product\_image' \=\> \[  
            'src' \=\> $imageHelper-\>getUrl(),  
            'alt' \=\> $imageHelper-\>getLabel(),  
            'width' \=\> $imageHelper-\>getWidth(),  
            'height' \=\> $imageHelper-\>getHeight(),  
        \],  
        'canApplyMsrp' \=\> $this-\>msrpHelper-\>isShowBeforeOrderConfirm($this-\>item-\>getProduct())  
            && $this-\>msrpHelper-\>isMinimalPriceLessMsrp($this-\>item-\>getProduct()),  
    \];  
}  

}

4. Update the miniCart template

File:

app/design/frontend/Vendor/themename/Magento_Checkout/web/template/minicart/item/default.html

Add this block inside .product-item-details where you want to show the weight:

<!-- ko if: weight -->
<div class="product-weight">
<span data-bind="text: 'Weight: ' + weight"></span>
</div>
<!-- /ko -->

5 Best Practices for Adding Custom Attributes in Customerdata Cart

1. Store Custom Data in the Right Place

Where you store the custom attribute determines if it survives checkout. The place also determines if the database saves it. Or whether it is available later for order processing or analytics.

• For user-entered values like engraving text, use quote_item custom attributes.

• For product-level static info like a badge or label, use a product attribute and load it at add-to-cart time.

• Avoid using session or global variables.

• To persist custom data into quote_item, you can use an observer or plugin on addProduct.

2. Avoid Sensitive or Redundant Data

AJAX delivers customer data, and it is visible in the browser. Loading unnecessary or sensitive data slows performance and creates security risks.

• Only send data that:

  1. Display or logic needs it

  2. It is safe to expose on the frontend

  3. It is concise for flags or short labels

• Do not include:

  1. Internal SKU mappings

  2. Backend only price logic

  3. Customer emails or personal info

3. Document and Version Custom Attributes

Reference cart attributes in:

• Checkout logic

• JavaScript UI components

• Analytics & tracking

• Order save logic

A change in structure can break various parts.

• Define your attribute structure in a dev doc.

• Version it if you expect changes.

• Use clear, namespace-qualified keys to avoid collisions.

4. Test Under Real-World Conditions

Magento behaves differently depending on:

• Cache settings

• Login state, guest vs. logged-in

• Browser cache and cookies

Test your custom attribute in:

• Guest checkout

• Logged-in user sessions

• After clearing the browser cache

• With various store views or currencies

Use window.customerData.get('cart') in the browser console to inspect values live.

5. Logging and Debugging Tools

Debugging customerData requires both backend and frontend tools.

• Use Magento\Framework\Logger\Monolog in your plugin or observer to log values.

• Log frontend values in console.log().

• Create a debug template to inspect cart sections if needed.

5 Real-World Use Cases of Adding Custom Attributes in Customerdata Cart

1. Drizly

• Selling age-restricted products risks compliance issues. It is possible if age verification wasn’t enforced at checkout.

• Drizly marks cart items requiring age verification with custom flags. The frontend and backend use the feature to trigger extra verification steps. It helped ensure legal compliance without disrupting the checkout flow.

2. Dollar Shave Club

• It confused customers when subscription products looked the same as one-time purchases. It led to surprise recurring charges and cancellations.

• Dollar Shave Club uses custom subscription flags in the cart data. It labeled subscription items.

• It differentiated them and modified the checkout to avoid confusion.

3. Etsy

• Buyers had trouble identifying which marketplace vendor an item came from. It is when it involves various sellers, causing trust and shipping concerns.

• Etsy adds a vendor name and logo to each cart item via custom attributes. It helps display them in the cart.

• It clarifies origins and builds trust in the multi-vendor marketplace.

4. Starbucks

• Customers were unaware of the loyalty points earned on their orders. It reduced the incentive to engage with the rewards program.

• Starbucks integrates loyalty points data into the cart. It showed “Earn X Stars” messages for each item.

• It motivated customers to increase their spend and engage with the rewards system.

5. Costco

• It confused members with complex pricing structures. Missed seeing member discounts or bulk savings until after checkout also confused them.

• Costco displays custom pricing info and discounts per cart item. It is by adding pricing flags and savings breakdowns to the cart data.

• It helped improve transparency and member satisfaction.

FAQs

1. How do I get a custom customer attribute value in Magento 2?

Use the CustomerRepositoryInterface to load the customer by ID. Then, retrieve the custom attribute value via getCustomAttribute.

2. Why isn't my custom product attribute showing in the cart?

Custom attributes are not loaded by default for quote/cart items. You need to add them to catalog_attributes.xml. Ensure to include the product attribute in the cart section data.

3. Can I add custom customer attributes to the checkout process?

You can add custom customer attributes to the checkout process. It is by extending the relevant data providers. Also, include your attributes in the customer or order data models.

4. How do I make custom attributes visible in both the cart and mini-cart?

Update both the PHP templates for the cart and the Knockout.js templates for the mini-cart. It ensures the data is available in the customerdata section.

5. What's the performance impact of loading extra attributes in the cart?

The impact depends on the attribute type and how it's loaded. Using catalog_attributes.xml has minimal impact. Loading full products for each cart item can slow performance.

Summary

Magento 2 get custom attribute in customerdata cart, enhances UX, and personalizes content. The tutorial explores the benefits of the feature, including:

• Add custom info like delivery dates or subscription tags for a richer cart display.

• Personalize frontend behavior using flags like discount_applied or is_preorder.

• Integrate cart-level data with analytics, tag managers, or marketing tools.

• Support multi-vendor logic, compliance rules, and customer group-based content.

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