In 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 Fp(·),q(·)sfalse(·false),ϕfalse(Rnfalse). These spaces were recently introduced by Yang et al. and cover the Triebel–Lizorkin spaces with variable exponents Fp(·),q(·)s(·)false(Rnfalse) as well as the classical Triebel–Lizorkin spaces Fp,qsfalse(Rnfalse), even the case when p=∞. Moreover, covered by this scale are also the Triebel–Lizorkin‐type spaces Fp,qs,τfalse(Rnfalse) with constant exponents which, in turn cover the Triebel–Lizorkin–Morrey spaces. As an application we obtain a pointwise multiplier assertion for those spaces.