Metafields and metaobjects

Before you start

Metafields add your own data to existing store records. Shopify supports them on products and variants, customers, orders and draft orders, and collections¹. Each metafield has a definition: a name, a type, a namespace and key (for example custom.color), and optional validation rules².

Metaobjects hold structured content made of several fields, such as an FAQ, a product highlight or a profile. Use one when your data is best shown as multiple fields. A metaobject has a definition (its fields) and entries (the content)³. A metafield can point to a metaobject, so one entry can be reused on many products⁴.

Example: a candle shop adds a "Burn time" metafield to every product, and a "Scent profile" metaobject with a name, top notes and an image. Each candle picks its scent profile from a list.

Staff need permission for the resource, such as View and Create and edit under Products¹. To show values on your store, your theme must support metafields; check its documentation⁵. Shopify does not say which plans include metafields or metaobjects.

Shopify's pages name the settings page in two ways: Settings > Metafields and metaobjects and Settings > Custom data^4,3. Use whichever your admin shows.

Steps

1. Open the metafield settings. From your Shopify admin, go to Settings > Metafields and metaobjects and select the resource, such as Products⁴. You can also open a product and click Add definition in its Metafields section².
2. Create a metafield definition. Click Add definition and enter a Name, such as "Burn time". If Shopify suggests a matching standard definition, you can pick it instead². Click Select type and choose a type, such as Single line text or File > Image².
3. Set validation and access. If a Validation section appears, set rules such as a character limit or a minimum and maximum². Select Storefronts only if a custom storefront needs the value. For product and variant metafields, select Smart collections if you want to build collections from it. Click Save².
4. Fill in values on your products. Open a product and go to its Metafields section. Click the metafield, enter the value and click Save⁶. If you don't see the metafield, click View all⁶.
5. Build a metaobject definition. Go to Content > Metaobjects and click Add definition. Enter a Name, then click Add field for each field, give it a Field label and click Select field type⁷. Click the asterisk beside a label to make that field required. Click Save⁷.
6. Choose where the metaobject appears. Before saving, check the Access section: Storefronts is selected by default; deselect it to turn off storefront access. To publish each entry as its own page, select Web pages under Features⁷.
7. Add entries. Go to Content > Metaobjects, click your definition, then Add entry. Complete the fields and click Save⁸. New entries are Active by default. Draft entries can't be published to your store⁸.
8. Link the metaobject to products. In Settings > Metafields and metaobjects, select Products and click Add definition. Click Select type, choose Metaobject, pick One value or List of values, select Storefronts and click Save⁴.
9. Pick an entry on each product. Open a product. In Metafields, click the new definition, click Select entry and choose one. Click Create new if the entry doesn't exist yet⁴.
10. Show the data on your store. Open the theme editor and add a section or block that supports dynamic sources, such as Product info⁵. In a setting, click the Connect dynamic source icon, search for the metafield and select it⁵. A single template can hold up to 20 metafields⁵.

Check your work

• Open a product in the admin and confirm each metafield shows a value in the Metafields section⁶.
• Preview a product page from the theme editor and confirm the value or metaobject content appears where you connected it⁵.
• Go to Content > Metaobjects, open your definition and confirm every entry you need is Active⁸.

Common problems

• "The metafield isn't on the product page." Adding a value doesn't show it on the store. Connect it in the theme editor, and check that your theme supports metafields⁵.
• "I can't find the dynamic source option." The section or block doesn't support dynamic sources. Use one that does, such as Product info⁵.
• "The value won't save." It breaks a validation rule on the definition. Change the value or edit the rule².
• "My entry doesn't appear on the store." Draft entries can't be published. Set the entry to Active⁸.
• "I deleted a metaobject and lost content." Deleting a metaobject deletes all its entries and can't be undone. Before deleting, check it isn't connected to your live theme⁷.
• "I need to show a list of related products." Product reference lists need a custom section or a theme that uses product list settings⁵.

Further reading

• Metaobjects³
• Displaying metafields on your online store⁵