AbstractIn this paper we study the maximal function and local means characterizations and the non‐smooth atomic decomposition of the Triebel–Lizorkin type spaces with variable exponents . These spaces were recently introduced by Yang et al. and cover the Triebel–Lizorkin spaces with variable exponents as well as the classical Triebel–Lizorkin spaces , even the case when . Moreover, covered by this scale are also the Triebel–Lizorkin‐type spaces with constant exponents which, in turn cover the Triebel–Lizorkin–Morrey spaces. As an application we obtain a pointwise multiplier assertion for those spaces.