Comprehensive Shopify Metafields Guide: a Complete Walkthrough in 2026
By James
December 27 2025
18 min to read
Imagine your Shopify store is a house. Shopify gives you the essential rooms: kitchen, bedroom, bathroom, living room. You can live in it just fine.
But what if you want a walk-in wardrobe, a wine fridge, or a secret storage room only you know about? That’s what Shopify Metafields are: extra spaces where you can store information Shopify doesn’t include by default.
Metafields in Shopify used to be a developer-only feature, but today they’re one of the easiest ways to customize your store — and you don’t need to write a single line of code.
In 2026, metafields and metaobjects let you store rich, custom data for products, collections, customers, and more. You can show better product details, build smarter filters, and shape a catalog that truly fits your business.
Whether you run a growing D2C brand or a complex B2B store, Shopify metafields help you make Shopify your own.
In this guide, you’ll learn what metafields are, how they work, and how to start using them with practical examples and step-by-step instructions — all inside Shopify Admin, no technical skills required.
But what if you want a walk-in wardrobe, a wine fridge, or a secret storage room only you know about? That’s what Shopify Metafields are: extra spaces where you can store information Shopify doesn’t include by default.
Metafields in Shopify used to be a developer-only feature, but today they’re one of the easiest ways to customize your store — and you don’t need to write a single line of code.
In 2026, metafields and metaobjects let you store rich, custom data for products, collections, customers, and more. You can show better product details, build smarter filters, and shape a catalog that truly fits your business.
Whether you run a growing D2C brand or a complex B2B store, Shopify metafields help you make Shopify your own.
In this guide, you’ll learn what metafields are, how they work, and how to start using them with practical examples and step-by-step instructions — all inside Shopify Admin, no technical skills required.
Table of contents:
- What are Metafields in Shopify?
- Difference Between Metafields in Shopify and Shopify 2.0
- Custom Metafields
- How to Create Metafields in Shopify
- How to Add Metafields in Shopify
- How to Edit Metafields on Shopify
- How to Bulk Add or Edit Metafields
- How to Display Metafields in Shopify
- Shopify Metafields API and GraphQL
- How Can Searchanise Help You?
- Final Words
What are Metafields in Shopify?
What is a metafield in Shopify? It’s like extra storage pockets for your Shopify store. Shopify provides the main product fields, but sometimes you need a dedicated section for fabric details, ingredient lists, warranty info, and more. That’s what metafields are — extra spaces to store and show information your customers care about.
Shoppers often want more than basic product info. They might look for:
Metafields in Shopify let you add these details without cluttering your standard product fields. They help you present clear, helpful information so customers feel confident when they buy.
Shoppers often want more than basic product info. They might look for:
- Ingredients in a skincare product
- A size chart for clothing
- Care instructions or compatibility notes
- Warranty or guarantee details
Metafields in Shopify let you add these details without cluttering your standard product fields. They help you present clear, helpful information so customers feel confident when they buy.
Why Metafields Matter
You can add Shopify metafields to almost anything in Shopify - products, collections, customers, orders, blog posts, and more. With Online Store 2.0, you can display this extra info on your storefront using the theme editor, no coding needed.
Metafields help you create richer product pages, smarter search filters, and even automated workflows that save you time.
Metafields help you create richer product pages, smarter search filters, and even automated workflows that save you time.
Metafields vs. Metaobjects
Metafields and metaobjects are similar in one way: they both let you store extra information in Shopify. But they’re used for different purposes.
Metafields
Metafields in Shopify are like adding a single extra detail to an item in your store. For example, you might add metafield to product Shopify that says:
Fabric composition: 100% Cotton
Metafields
Metafields in Shopify are like adding a single extra detail to an item in your store. For example, you might add metafield to product Shopify that says:
Fabric composition: 100% Cotton
That detail sits right on it — like a custom sticky note.
Are metafields only for one specific product?
No. When you create a metafield, you’re creating a reusable field that any product can use—like a blank form you can fill in only where needed.
Note about Category Metafields:
Shopify also offers category metafields with recommended attributes (like sleeve length or neckline for shirts). They help standardize data for filtering and marketplaces, but they don’t replace Shopify custom metafields. You’ll still use Shopify custom metafields for unique store details such as special ingredients, custom badges, warranty info, or internal tags.
Metaobjects
Metaobjects are more like creating a complete, reusable profile that you can use again and again. They can contain multiple fields. For example, a Brand metaobject might include:
Are metafields only for one specific product?
No. When you create a metafield, you’re creating a reusable field that any product can use—like a blank form you can fill in only where needed.
Note about Category Metafields:
Shopify also offers category metafields with recommended attributes (like sleeve length or neckline for shirts). They help standardize data for filtering and marketplaces, but they don’t replace Shopify custom metafields. You’ll still use Shopify custom metafields for unique store details such as special ingredients, custom badges, warranty info, or internal tags.
Metaobjects
Metaobjects are more like creating a complete, reusable profile that you can use again and again. They can contain multiple fields. For example, a Brand metaobject might include:
- Logo
- Description
- Country of origin
- Name
Instead of entering that information on every product, you create the Brand metaobject once and then connect it to all brand products.
Please note that you can’t directly convert an existing text metafield into a metaobject reference. Why? Shopify sees them as two different types of data. So if you want to switch, you’ll need to:
Quick side-by-side summary:
Please note that you can’t directly convert an existing text metafield into a metaobject reference. Why? Shopify sees them as two different types of data. So if you want to switch, you’ll need to:
- Create a new metaobject
- Add entries (records) to it
- Create a new metaobject reference metafield
- Connect products to those entries (manually or via CSV/Matrixify)
Quick side-by-side summary:
💡 Pro tip: Most successful stores in 2026 use both. A common setup is:
This gives you a clean, organized catalog and reduces repetitive work.
- Metafields for per-product details like material, launch date, size guide link
- Metaobjects for shared collections of data like brand profiles, designers, ingredients, and sustainability details.
This gives you a clean, organized catalog and reduces repetitive work.
Metafield Fundamentals
Now that you know what Shopify metafields are and why they’re useful, let’s look at how they actually work behind the scenes. Understanding the basics will help you set them up correctly and avoid messy data later. Don’t worry, we’ll keep this simple and practical.
Metafield Components
Every Shopify metafield has a few parts that tell Shopify what information it stores and how it should behave.
A metafield includes:
In short, metafields extend Shopify’s data so you can store more structured details than the default fields allow, and display them however you want on your storefront.
A metafield includes:
- Namespace & key – Its unique name (example: custom.material)
- Type – The kind of data it holds (text, number, yes/no, reference, etc.)
- Description – A short note on how to use it
- Validations – Validation rules to ensure clean data (limits, URL format, etc.)
- Categories & options – Where the metafield is used and shown in Admin (optional but useful)
In short, metafields extend Shopify’s data so you can store more structured details than the default fields allow, and display them however you want on your storefront.
Shopify Metafield Types
Metafields in Shopify come in different types depending on what you need to store. Here are some of the most common ones:
You can display these metafield values on:
Simply use Dynamic Sources in your theme editor or add metafields to the product details in the Admin panel.
- Single-line text / Multi-line text – Model numbers, short descriptions, materials, short notes.
- Rich text – Care instructions, longer product details, formatted paragraphs.
- Measurement – Dimensions, weight, length, volume.
- List – Multiple values, such as multiple materials or ingredients.
- Number / Boolean – Ratings, limits, or yes/no data (e.g., "Is it waterproof?").
- File / Image – Size chart PDFs, product icons, downloadable guides.
- Reference – Links to another Shopify resource (product, collection, metaobject, page, etc.).
You can display these metafield values on:
- Product pages
- Collection pages
- Blog posts or pages
- Even in the cart and checkout (in some cases)
Simply use Dynamic Sources in your theme editor or add metafields to the product details in the Admin panel.
OS 2.0 Changes
Before Online Store 2.0, metafields were much harder to use. You had two options:
It worked, but it wasn’t very beginner-friendly.
That changed with Shopify OS 2.0. You can:
In short, metafields went from a developer-only feature to an everyday tool that every store owner can use.
- Edit Liquid code yourself, or hire a developer
- Install a third-party app just to manage metafields
It worked, but it wasn’t very beginner-friendly.
That changed with Shopify OS 2.0. You can:
- Create, edit, and delete metafields directly in the Shopify Admin
- Display metafields using Dynamic Sources in the theme editor
- Use metafields across products, collections, and more without any apps
- Save on development costs and reduce reliance on multiple apps
In short, metafields went from a developer-only feature to an everyday tool that every store owner can use.
Metafields by Resource Type
Metafields aren’t limited to products; Shopify lets you use them almost everywhere. That means you can store extra information not just for what you sell, but also who you sell to, how you fulfill orders, and even the content you publish.
Product & Variants Metafields
Product Metafields
Shopify product metafields let you add extra details to individual product listings. This is one of the most common ways store owners use metafields because it helps them show information that doesn't fit into Shopify’s default product fields.
For example, if you sell electronics, you might create a metafield called Certifications to display all required certificates. This helps customers feel more confident about what they’re buying and can support compliance or transparency goals.
Shopify product metafields let you add extra details to individual product listings. This is one of the most common ways store owners use metafields because it helps them show information that doesn't fit into Shopify’s default product fields.
For example, if you sell electronics, you might create a metafield called Certifications to display all required certificates. This helps customers feel more confident about what they’re buying and can support compliance or transparency goals.
Variant Metafields
Shopify variant metafields work the same way, but they attach to a specific variant of a product. This is especially helpful when different options have different specs.
Let’s say you sell clothing. Instead of showing one generic size chart for the entire product, you can create a variant Shopify metafield called Size Measurements and add different values for each size variant, like chest width. That way, customers see the exact measurements for the specific size they’re selecting — less confusion and fewer returns.
Shopify variant metafields work the same way, but they attach to a specific variant of a product. This is especially helpful when different options have different specs.
Let’s say you sell clothing. Instead of showing one generic size chart for the entire product, you can create a variant Shopify metafield called Size Measurements and add different values for each size variant, like chest width. That way, customers see the exact measurements for the specific size they’re selecting — less confusion and fewer returns.
Collection Metafields
Collection metafields in Shopify let you add extra information to groups of products, not just individual items. This comes in handy when you want to highlight something that all products in a collection have in common.
You might use collection metafields for things like:
You can then display this information on your collection page using Shopify’s Theme Editor with Dynamic Sources.
If you sell coffee, you could create a metafield called “Collection Description” and use it to tell a fuller story about your “Single Origin Beans” or “Signature Espresso Blends.” It gives shoppers more context and helps them connect with the products on a deeper level.
You might use collection metafields for things like:
- Season (Spring/Summer, Fall/Winter)
- Lookbook Year (2025 Capsule Collection)
- Style Tips (How to wear this collection)
- Featured Banner Image (a special hero image for the collection page)
You can then display this information on your collection page using Shopify’s Theme Editor with Dynamic Sources.
If you sell coffee, you could create a metafield called “Collection Description” and use it to tell a fuller story about your “Single Origin Beans” or “Signature Espresso Blends.” It gives shoppers more context and helps them connect with the products on a deeper level.
Customers & Orders Metafields
Customers Metafields
Some customer metafields in Shopify are perfectly safe to use without needing extra consent, as long as they don’t store personal or sensitive information. A great example is customer group classification, which helps you tailor the shopping experience while keeping privacy intact.
For instance, you might create a metafield called Loyalty Tier to display a label such as:
Some customer metafields in Shopify are perfectly safe to use without needing extra consent, as long as they don’t store personal or sensitive information. A great example is customer group classification, which helps you tailor the shopping experience while keeping privacy intact.
For instance, you might create a metafield called Loyalty Tier to display a label such as:
- Bronze
- Silver
- Gold
- VIP
You can show it on the Account page in your Shopify store, so returning customers immediately see their tier and feel recognized.
Order Metafields
Order Shopify metafields help you attach more context to each purchase. This can improve fulfillment, gifting, and post-purchase communication.
For instance, you might add a Gift Message metafield so customers can include a personal note when sending a present. It’s a small detail, but it helps make the experience feel more thoughtful and memorable.
Order Metafields
Order Shopify metafields help you attach more context to each purchase. This can improve fulfillment, gifting, and post-purchase communication.
For instance, you might add a Gift Message metafield so customers can include a personal note when sending a present. It’s a small detail, but it helps make the experience feel more thoughtful and memorable.
Draft Order Metafields
Draft order metafields in Shopify are great when you need to collect extra information for custom quotes, special orders, or invoicing before the order becomes official. They let you keep track of details that aren’t part of a standard checkout.
For example, you might add a metafield called Product Customization where you note specific customer requests, such as:
This is especially useful for businesses that do made-to-order, personalized, or B2B sales. It helps your team understand exactly what the customer wants before turning the draft into a final order.
Draft order metafields in Shopify are great when you need to collect extra information for custom quotes, special orders, or invoicing before the order becomes official. They let you keep track of details that aren’t part of a standard checkout.
For example, you might add a metafield called Product Customization where you note specific customer requests, such as:
- Different engraving text
- Custom color or material
- Special packaging instructions
This is especially useful for businesses that do made-to-order, personalized, or B2B sales. It helps your team understand exactly what the customer wants before turning the draft into a final order.
B2B: Companies, Locations, Markets Metafields
Companies Metafields
Company metafields in Shopify let you add custom data to a company’s profile—perfect for B2B workflows that require more than just a name and address.
For example, you might create a Company Size metafield to group your B2B customers, such as:
Company metafields in Shopify let you add custom data to a company’s profile—perfect for B2B workflows that require more than just a name and address.
For example, you might create a Company Size metafield to group your B2B customers, such as:
- Small (1–10 employees)
- Medium (11–100 employees)
- Enterprise (100+ employees)
Company Locations Metafields
Some companies have multiple branches, warehouses, or purchasing locations. Company location metafields let you store information for each of those locations.
For example, a metafield like Operating Hours lets you note when each location accepts deliveries or pick-ups.
Some companies have multiple branches, warehouses, or purchasing locations. Company location metafields let you store information for each of those locations.
For example, a metafield like Operating Hours lets you note when each location accepts deliveries or pick-ups.
Locations Metafields
These Shopify metafields apply to your own retail or fulfillment locations (not B2B locations).
For example, a Parking Availability metafield can help customers know whether on-site parking is available at each store—super useful for retail stores, curbside pickup, or showroom visits.
These Shopify metafields apply to your own retail or fulfillment locations (not B2B locations).
For example, a Parking Availability metafield can help customers know whether on-site parking is available at each store—super useful for retail stores, curbside pickup, or showroom visits.
Markets Metafields
Markets metafields let you store additional information for different selling markets, such as region-specific policies or internal notes for your team.
For example, you might add a Notes metafield for things like:
This helps your team manage multi-region operations without scattered docs or spreadsheets.
Markets metafields let you store additional information for different selling markets, such as region-specific policies or internal notes for your team.
For example, you might add a Notes metafield for things like:
- Currency or tax considerations
- Shipping restrictions
- Local supplier info
- Seasonal buying patterns
This helps your team manage multi-region operations without scattered docs or spreadsheets.
Page, Blog, and Blog Post Metafields
Page Metafields
Page metafields in Shopify let you add extra information to regular pages on your site, such as About, FAQ, or Shipping Policy pages.
Take a look at this example. You might add a Page Author metafield to show who wrote the content. This is great for educational, brand story, or resource pages and gives your site a more professional, transparent feel.
Page metafields in Shopify let you add extra information to regular pages on your site, such as About, FAQ, or Shipping Policy pages.
Take a look at this example. You might add a Page Author metafield to show who wrote the content. This is great for educational, brand story, or resource pages and gives your site a more professional, transparent feel.
Blog Metafields
Blog metafields apply to a blog as a whole, not to individual posts. They’re useful for organizing and improving blog listing pages.
Introduce a Content Focus metafield to highlight the type of content most prominently displayed on the blog.
Blog metafields apply to a blog as a whole, not to individual posts. They’re useful for organizing and improving blog listing pages.
Introduce a Content Focus metafield to highlight the type of content most prominently displayed on the blog.
Blog Pages Metafields
Blog post metafields add helpful extra details to each individual article.
Consider adding the Reviewed By metafield to reassure your readers, particularly if you operate within the health or beauty industry, that the blog article has undergone meticulous proofreading by a qualified specialist.
Blog post metafields add helpful extra details to each individual article.
Consider adding the Reviewed By metafield to reassure your readers, particularly if you operate within the health or beauty industry, that the blog article has undergone meticulous proofreading by a qualified specialist.
Data Modeling with Metaobjects
As your store grows, you may find that some information repeats across many products or pages – brand details, size charts, sustainability notes, ingredient sources, and so on. Instead of typing or pasting the same content over and over, Shopify gives you a smarter way to manage shared data: metaobjects.
When to Choose Metaobjects vs Metafields
Here’s the friendly reminder of their difference:
You’ll want a metaobject when several products or pages need the same information. For example:
Instead of storing this data separately for each product, you store it once as a metaobject and reference it wherever needed. That way, when something changes, you only update it in one place, much faster and way less error-prone.
A good rule of thumb:
- Metafields – a unique detail for a single item
- Metaobjects – a reusable set of details for multiple items
You’ll want a metaobject when several products or pages need the same information. For example:
- A clothing brand with one Size Chart reused across 50 products
- A Brand Profile that includes a logo, description, and country of origin
- A Sustainability Card with reusable certifications and sourcing info
Instead of storing this data separately for each product, you store it once as a metaobject and reference it wherever needed. That way, when something changes, you only update it in one place, much faster and way less error-prone.
A good rule of thumb:
Relationships & References
Metaobjects are created in Shopify Admin through a metaobject definition. Once defined, you can connect them to other parts of your store. For example:
This creates flexible relationships, including:
With enough well-structured metaobjects, your Shopify store starts acting like a mini content database, without needing an external CMS or headless setup.
- A Product can reference a Brand Profile metaobject
- A Collection can reference a Campaign Banner metaobject
- A Blog Post can reference an Author Profile metaobject
This creates flexible relationships, including:
- One-to-many (one brand used by many products)
- Many-to-one (many products linked into one campaign page)
With enough well-structured metaobjects, your Shopify store starts acting like a mini content database, without needing an external CMS or headless setup.
Localized Fields in Metaobjects
Metaobjects also support localized fields, which means you can store translations directly inside the metaobject. This is great for multilingual stores because you can translate:
No extra translation app is required; everything lives inside Shopify and stays organized. Perfect for global brands, EU markets, and stores expanding into new regions.
- Brand profiles
- Ingredient lists
- Sustainability statements
- Size charts
- Any repeatable content block
No extra translation app is required; everything lives inside Shopify and stays organized. Perfect for global brands, EU markets, and stores expanding into new regions.
How to Create Metafields in Shopify Admin
Now that you understand what metafields are and where you can use them, let’s walk through how to create metafields in Shopify.
Step 1: Create a Metafield Definition
A metafield definition tells Shopify what kind of information you want to store. To set one up:
- Go to Settings → Metafields and metaobjects in your Shopify Admin.
- Choose the resource you want to add a metafield to (Product, Collection, Customer, etc.).
- Click Add definition.
- Give it a name.
- Add description (optional).
- Select the type of data (text, number, image, file, reference, etc.).
- Choose categories (optional).
- Configure Options (optional).
Step 2: Add Validations (Optional)
Validations help keep your data clean and consistent. For example, you can require:
This prevents errors like someone entering “ten” into a field meant for numbers.
- A character limit for text
- Minimum/maximum numbers
- URL format for link fields
This prevents errors like someone entering “ten” into a field meant for numbers.
Step 3: Add Values to Items
Now it’s time to fill in your data.
- Open any product (or collection, customer, etc.).
- Scroll to the Metafields section.
- Enter your value in the field you created.
- Click Save.
And just like that, you’ve added custom data to your store without writing a single line of code.
Step 4: Bulk Add or Edit Values
If you have a large catalog, you don’t have to edit Shopify metafields one item at a time. You can:
- Use the Shopify Bulk Editor (spreadsheet-style grid view)
- Import or update metafield values using CSV
- Use the Shopify Metafields API or GraphQL (shopify graphql metafields) for advanced bulk updates
This is perfect for merchants with hundreds or thousands of SKUs.
How to Display Metafields on Your Storefront
Once your metafields are set up, you can show them on your storefront to enhance product pages, collection pages, blog posts, and more. This is perfect for things like size guides, material details, ingredient lists, certifications, and downloadable files. Let’s find out how to add metafields in Shopify.
Option 1: Using the Theme Editor with Dynamic Sources
This is the easiest way and works on all Online Store 2.0 themes.
Steps:
Repeat the same steps for any other Shopify metafield you want to display.
💡 Tip: You can drag blocks to reorganize where metafields appear on the page.
Steps:
- Go to Online Store → Themes → Customize.
- Open a template, such as a Product page or Default product template.
- Add a new block (for example: Text, Rich text, Image, File, etc.).
- Inside that block, click Insert Dynamic Source (the little database icon).
- Pick the metafield you want to display.
- (Optional) Add a label before it, like Material: to make it clear to shoppers.
- Click Save.
Repeat the same steps for any other Shopify metafield you want to display.
💡 Tip: You can drag blocks to reorganize where metafields appear on the page.
Option 2: Adding Liquid code
If your theme doesn’t support Dynamic Sources or you want more control, you can display metafields with a little Liquid code.
Example for Shopify product metafields:
{{ product.metafields.custom.product_specs }}
Steps:
{% if product.metafields.custom.product_specs %}
<p>Specs: {{ product.metafields.custom.product_specs }}</p>
{% endif %}
Example for Shopify product metafields:
{{ product.metafields.custom.product_specs }}
Steps:
- Go to Online Store → Themes → Edit code.
- Open the relevant template or section (for product pages, often main-product.liquid or product.json).
- Paste your metafield where you want it to appear.
- Save, then check the product page.
{% if product.metafields.custom.product_specs %}
<p>Specs: {{ product.metafields.custom.product_specs }}</p>
{% endif %}
Option 3: Working with Images & Files
If your metafield stores a file (like a size guide PDF, warranty document, or product image), you can display it in your theme just like text metafields.
Steps:
Perfect for: size charts, ingredient sheets, instruction manuals, or downloadable assets.
Steps:
- Go to Online Store → Themes → Customize.
- Open your Product page template.
- Add an Image or File block.
- Click Dynamic Source and choose your metafield.
- Save.
Perfect for: size charts, ingredient sheets, instruction manuals, or downloadable assets.
Using Metaobjects Together with Metafields
For more advanced stores, you can combine metafields and metaobjects to create richer product pages.
Examples:
This setup:
Examples:
- A product metafield references a Brand Profile metaobject that contains logo, description, and country.
- A Size Chart metaobject can be attached to multiple Shopify product metafields.
This setup:
- Reduces duplicated content
- Makes updates easier (edit once, update everywhere)
- Keeps data clean and centralized
Managing & Migrating Metafields
As your store grows, you might need to update metafields in bulk, move them between stores, or clean up old data. Here are a few practical ways to manage metafields without creating a mess.
CSV Import/Export
If you need to update a lot of metafields at once—or migrate them to another store—you can use Shopify’s CSV export/import tools.
A few tips to make it smooth:
Perfect for catalog updates, marketplace expansions, or store migrations.
A few tips to make it smooth:
- Make sure your CSV column headers match the exact metafield format:
- Test a small batch before importing everything
- Keep backups in case you need to roll back changes
Perfect for catalog updates, marketplace expansions, or store migrations.
Shopify Bulk Editor Tips
For medium-sized updates, the Bulk Editor is your friend. It works like a spreadsheet directly inside Shopify.
Why it’s useful:
Ideal when updating product specs, size chart assignments, sustainability badges, and similar metafields.
Why it’s useful:
- No need to export or re-import CSVs
- Copy/paste values across many items
- Filter columns so you only edit metafields (not core product data)
Ideal when updating product specs, size chart assignments, sustainability badges, and similar metafields.
App-Based Approaches
If you manage a large catalog or need automation, a Shopify metafield app can save hours of manual work. Some popular options include:
Apps are especially helpful when you need scheduled imports, complex rules, or integrations with external data sources.
- Accentuate Custom Fields – advanced interface and API integration.
- Metafields Guru – bulk edit across resources.
Apps are especially helpful when you need scheduled imports, complex rules, or integrations with external data sources.
Audit Legacy Metafields
If your store has existed for a while, you might have old metafields created by earlier apps, custom scripts, or previous developers.
Before migrating or restructuring, audit them to look for:
Cleaning these up prevents conflicts when creating new metafield definitions.
Before migrating or restructuring, audit them to look for:
- Outdated namespaces like global.custom or namespace_1
- Metafields that no longer display anywhere
- Duplicate metafields storing the same info in different places
Cleaning these up prevents conflicts when creating new metafield definitions.
Rename Safely
If you need to rename a metafield, avoid doing it live in production while it's in use by your theme.
Safer approach:
This helps you avoid broken storefront sections and missing data.
Safer approach:
- Export metafields to CSV
- Update the namespace/key offline
- Re-import the updated CSV
- Update theme references if needed
This helps you avoid broken storefront sections and missing data.
Practical Use Cases & Examples
Metafields in Shopify open up a lot of possibilities for making your product pages more helpful, improving search, and personalizing the buying experience. Here are a few real-world examples of how Shopify stores use metafields today.
Rich Product Specs, Badges, and Size Guides
Metafields are perfect for extra product details that don’t fit into Shopify’s standard fields. For example, you can add metafields for:
You can display these inside a text block, in a bullet list, or in a collapsible tab. This gives customers the information they need and reduces support questions like “Can I machine-wash this?” or “How long is the warranty?”
- Material
- Warranty
- Care Instructions
You can display these inside a text block, in a bullet list, or in a collapsible tab. This gives customers the information they need and reduces support questions like “Can I machine-wash this?” or “How long is the warranty?”
Filters, Faceted Search, and Sort by Metafields
If your store uses a filtering/search app, metafields can power smarter filters and better navigation.
For example, create a boolean metafield named Eco_Friendly. Your filter app can then show a toggle or checkbox:
This improves search relevance and helps shoppers find products that match their values, especially important for 2025’s sustainability-focused buyers.
For example, create a boolean metafield named Eco_Friendly. Your filter app can then show a toggle or checkbox:
- Eco-Friendly Products
This improves search relevance and helps shoppers find products that match their values, especially important for 2025’s sustainability-focused buyers.
SEO Snippets and On-Page Content Blocks
Shopify Metafields can also help boost your SEO and structure your content for search engines and AI-driven search tools.
Example metafields for SEO:
You can place these metafields inside <script> tags, product summaries, or dedicated SEO blocks on your product pages.
Example metafields for SEO:
- seo.keywords — extra keywords for new AI search engines
- seo.highlights — quick product benefits for rich results
- seo.schema — structured JSON-LD data
You can place these metafields inside <script> tags, product summaries, or dedicated SEO blocks on your product pages.
Company & B2B Use Cases
For B2B merchants, metafields become even more valuable. You can store extra business rules and display them when a logged-in customer belongs to a specific company.
Useful B2B metafields include:
Themes can show this data only when the buyer is logged in, creating a personalized B2B purchasing experience inside Shopify, no separate portal required.
Useful B2B metafields include:
- Discount tier (e.g., Bronze, Silver, Gold)
- Assigned sales rep
- Payment terms (e.g., NET15, NET30, NET60)
- Order minimums
Themes can show this data only when the buyer is logged in, creating a personalized B2B purchasing experience inside Shopify, no separate portal required.
How Searchanise Helps
If you’re using Shopify metafields to store all those custom product details (like material, collection, season, brand, sustainability tags), you’ll want your customers to find them, and to easily sort and filter by them. That’s where Searchanise Search & Filter comes in. It takes the extra data you’ve built with metafields and turns it into better search, smarter filters, and improved merchandising for your Shopify store.
Build Filters & Facets from Metafields
With Searchanise, you can turn any metafield value into a filter. For instance, if you add a boolean metafield called eco_friendly, you can create a filter like:
Customers can check it, and the filter shows all products marked “true.” You just enter the metafield’s namespace.key in the “Filters by metafields” field so the app can index it.
It means that your unique product attributes (that standard Shopify Search & Discovery filters don’t cover) become searchable and sortable, ideal for large catalogs or brands with niche specs.
- Eco-Friendly Products
Customers can check it, and the filter shows all products marked “true.” You just enter the metafield’s namespace.key in the “Filters by metafields” field so the app can index it.
It means that your unique product attributes (that standard Shopify Search & Discovery filters don’t cover) become searchable and sortable, ideal for large catalogs or brands with niche specs.
Use Metaobjects Together with Searchanise Filters
If you’re using metaobjects (reusable content blocks) for brand profiles, size charts, designer collections, etc., Searchanise lets you map fields from those metaobjects into your filter setup too. For example:
This means your rich data (the definition inside the metaobject) becomes part of the front-end experience. Searchanise supports filtering by metafields based on metaobjects.
- A Brand metaobject with fields like brand_name, country, founding_year
- Then, in Searchanise, you set up a filter based on brand_name
This means your rich data (the definition inside the metaobject) becomes part of the front-end experience. Searchanise supports filtering by metafields based on metaobjects.
Boost with Synonyms & Merchandising
Searchanise goes beyond basic filters; it gives you tools to boost, synonym-map, and merchandise products based on your metafield content. For example:
You can show metafield values in the Instant Search Widget or the Search Results Widget and manage how they are weighted in search results.
- You have a metafield material with the value “vegan leather”.
- Searchanise can treat “vegan leather” as a synonym for “synthetic leather”, boosting products when shoppers type either term.
- It can also boost a product's search ranking because the metafield contains “vegan leather,” and you want it ranked higher for searches like “vegan materials.”
You can show metafield values in the Instant Search Widget or the Search Results Widget and manage how they are weighted in search results.
Key Takeaways
Shopify metafields help you turn extra product data into a better shopping experience without coding. Use them for product materials, care instructions, warranty details, size charts, brand profiles, SEO content, and more. They keep your store organized, consistent, and easier for customers to shop.
In short:
With Shopify OS 2.0, metafields are faster and more flexible than ever.
To make this data truly useful, you need customers to find it. Searchanise lets you turn metafields into powerful filters and smarter search results.
Try Searchanise Search & Filter and turn your metafield data into real conversion gains.
In short:
- Metafields store custom data beyond Shopify’s default fields.
- Metaobjects let you reuse shared content (like size charts or brand info).
- You can display Shopify metafields using Dynamic Sources, no developer needed.
- Bulk editing is easy through Bulk Editor, CSV, or apps.
- Metafields can power filters and search (great with Searchanise).
- They also support B2B needs like payment terms or sales rep assignments.
With Shopify OS 2.0, metafields are faster and more flexible than ever.
To make this data truly useful, you need customers to find it. Searchanise lets you turn metafields into powerful filters and smarter search results.
Try Searchanise Search & Filter and turn your metafield data into real conversion gains.
James
James is a dedicated writer with a deep passion for business growth, eCommerce, and the latest innovations in technology. With a keen eye for emerging trends, he focuses on creating content that helps businesses navigate and thrive in the digital landscape. When he's not writing insightful articles, James enjoys delving into the world of AI tools.
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