Overview

Metafields, or as they might be referred to in other contexts, "metaobjects”, are a native feature in Shopify. It is comparable to custom fields in other applications. You can enter, store,and edit extra information about your products, variants, customers, collections, orders, blogs, and shop. This extra information, including variant details, usually managed via code, Shopify's API, or Shopify's templating language, Liquid, can then be read and used to enhance the display of these items on your business storefront by adding a deeper layer of customization. One example of this might be the creation of a unique informational block or a section for products using metafields, effectively displaying additional product information. To illustrate with examples, these additional details might include specifics like materials used, country of origin, or even care instructions.

If you are a store owner reading this document, note that it is primarily intended to be used by Shopify designers and developers for the purpose of adding to the dynamic features of Shopify. This involves following specific instructions for creating and managing metafields. Unless you have some knowledge of the templating system used by Shopify or are comfortable editing a code section, metafields are not something you have to learn, enter and create yourself. It can be particularly useful when you're looking to migrate extra product data, including additional variant information, from another platform to Shopify. It is best to speak to a Shopify developer or designer about it. In our Metafields Master application, we have implemented a PRO feature where you can bulk import/export the metafields, essentially the definitions and values you have created in our Metafields application. Metafields Master Pro is a Shopify application that is a paid version of Metafields Master and allows you to import, export and edit metafields from Excel files.

Import Metafields

File formats

ID: This is a mandatory field in the import sheet. It represents the Shopify ID of the products/blogs/articles/collections etc. The ID value in the sheet must be the same as the one you find in the Shopify URL.

namespace: A namespace is used to group different metafields logically. It is a mandatory field on the import sheet.

key: It is the name of the Metafield. It is used to identify the Metafields that you have created in the application. It is also a mandatory field in the import sheet.

value: The content of the metafield. In most cases, the value is what will be on display on the storefront or used by the app. It is also a mandatory field in the import sheet.

type: Currently, there are 11 unique types of Metafields categories that users will have to select from in our dynamic application. Choose the type as per your requirement/preference. It is also a mandatory field in the import sheet. (Type examples: string, integer, Rich Text, Image, Multiple Images, File, Email, URL, Phone, Colour Picker, and Date Picker)

description: Describing the intended use of the metafield in this field is a helpful step to make it easier for the current user (owner or developer) to remember/understand the use of the metafield one has created in the application. It is an optional field on the import sheet.

owner resource: This is one of the most important fields in the application, through which the application can identify for which resource the metafields have been created. The application will use this field to identify the resource and assign the imported metafield accordingly. (Resource example: Shop, Collection, Product, Blog, Order, Customer, and Page)

Important fields of import sheet.

id: This is a mandatory field in the import sheet. It represents the Shopify id of the products/blogs/articles/collections etc. The id value in the sheet must be same as the one which you find in the Shopify URL.

namespace: Namespace is used to group different metafields together in a logical way. It is a mandatory field in the import sheet.

key: It is the name of the Metafield. It is use to identify the Metafields that you have created in the application. It is also a mandatory field in the import sheet.

value: The content of the metafield. In most cases, the value is what will be displayed on the storefront or used by the app. It is also a mandatory field in the import sheet.

type: Currently there are 11 unique types of Metafields category users will have to select from in our application. Choose the type as per your requirement/preference. It is also a mandatory field in the import sheet. (Type example: string, integer, Rich Text, Image, Multiple Images, File, Email, URL, Phone, Colour Picker and Date Picker)

description: Describing the intended use to the metafield in this field so that it would be easier for current user (owner/ developer) to remember/understand the use of the metafield one has created in the application. It is an optional field in the import sheet.

owner resource: This one of the most important field in the application through which application can identify that for which resource the metafields have been created for. Application will use this field to identify the resource and assign the imported metafield accordingly. (Resource example: Shop, Collection, Product, Blog, Order, Customer and Page)

Export Metafields

Click the 'export' option in the top menu, then select 'export metafields'. The Store admin will receive a notification at their email address. If they want notifications sent to a different address, they can enter it in the Email field of the pop-up. To finalize, click 'Submit' to export the Metafields and their definitions.