In WooCommerce, attributes are used to define characteristics or features of a product, such as color, size, or material. These attributes can be set globally for all products or individually for each product. They provide a way to filter and sort products on the shop page.
Variations, on the other hand, are specific product options that are tied to attributes. For example, if a product has an attribute for color and size, variations would represent specific combinations, such as a “Red, Medium” shirt. Variations can have different prices, stock levels, and images, offering more control over product options.