Shopify Matafield Guide | FireBear

Today, we are going to explore the world of Shopify metafields – an integral part of the Shopify admin and storefront. You will learn what a Shopify metafield is and what metafield types are available. After that, we proceed to a step-by-step guide on how to add metafields to a product page in Shopify. The last chapter of this article explains how to import metafields to Shopify.   

What is Metafield in Shopify?

So, what is a metafield in Shopify, you will ask? Well, it is a handy addition to a product page that can help you customize the functionality and appearance of your Shopify store.

Shopify metafields let you save specialized information that isn’t common for the Shopify admin. As a result, it is possible to use metafields for the following two purposes: 

1. Internal tracking;
2. Customized information display.

Sounds a bit confusing, isn’t it? Well, we need to be more specific, then. 

Let’s suppose you sell candles. Different candles are associated with varying times of burn. While a default product page doesn’t contain this information, you can use a corresponding metafield of Shopify to display this parameter. 

Also, you can use Shopify metafields for part numbers, color swatches, files for download, etc. The platform lets you add metafields to individual product pages, collections, orders, or other parts of your store, directly from your Shopify admin.

Shopify uses the following parts to define metafields:

• Namespace and key – the combination of namespace and key is a unique identifier for your metafield. Namespace and key should be separated by a “.”, and can only contain letters, numbers, underscores (_), and hyphens (–). Use a namespace to group similar metafields. E.g., namespace products + the keys expiration_date and rating. The namespace and key combination must be unique.
• Value – this part characterizes the type and format of information that’s contained in your metafield. E.g., plain text, URL, or integer. Note that each metafield type is associated with specific values.
• Description – it is an optional component of a Shopify metafield that can help you input the correct values in the admin.
• Validation – it is another optional parameter used to limit the values that your metafield can contain.

Shopify Metafield Types

Now, let’s look at metafield types of Shopify. Different types are suitable for different situations since each type accepts a range of supported values. Below, you will find a table that contains the most common Shopify metafield types along with their supported values, example use cases, and the ability to be used as a metafield list.

How to Add Metafield to Product in Shopify

Adding metafields to products in Shopify involves the following steps :

1. Create a metafield in your store admin;
2. Add the metafield to products;
3. Display the metafield on product pages.

Let’s assume you have a furniture store selling products with different shared parameters (not variants), such as materials, designers, and dimensions. Follow these steps to display them on your product detail page.

I Create Metafield in Shopify Admin

You can prepare a new Shopify metafield in the store admin under Settings -> Custom data as follows:

1. Proceed to the Metafields section;
   
2. Select Products;
3. Click on Add definition.
   
4. Enter a metafield name (i.e., Material), namespace & key, and description;
   
5. Select a Shopify metafiled type (i.e., Single line text);
   
6. Configure other parameters: decide whether it is a one-value definition or a list of values, specify character count, etc.
7. Repeat these steps to create as many new metafields as your case requires.

To save time, you can use the “Limit to preset choices” in the Validations section of the metafield definition. Activate the feature and provide the options for this metafield.

Now, you won’t need to type these values every time you configure a product, selecting them from the drop-down instead.

II Add Metafield to Product

Once you create all the necessary metafields, add them to your products – chairs in our example. Follow these steps to add metafields to a product in Shopify: 

1. Go to your Admin > Products;
   
2. Locate a product for which you want to add metafields;
   
3. Scroll to see available metafields
4. Specify relevant data for this particular product;
   
5. Add as many metafields as your product requires.
6. Repeat these actions for other products.
7. Click Save.

III Display Metafields on Product Page

During this final step, you will learn how to display the information from metafields on a product page in Shopify. Follow these steps:

1. Go to Admin > Online Store > Themes > Customize;
   themes -> customize” width=”1683″ height=”590″ class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-56198″ srcset=”https://whowillcare.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/shopify-matafield-guide-firebear-10.jpg 1683w, https://whowillcare.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/shopify-matafield-guide-firebear-29.jpg 300w, https://whowillcare.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/shopify-matafield-guide-firebear-30.jpg 768w, https://firebearstudio.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/online-store-themes-customize-1024×359.jpg 1024w” sizes=”(max-width: 1683px) 100vw, 1683px”>
2. Select Products > Default product in the top-middle template menu;
   products -> defaulkt products” width=”465″ height=”288″ class=”aligncenter size-full wp-image-56199″ srcset=”https://whowillcare.net/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/shopify-matafield-guide-firebear-11.jpg 465w, https://firebearstudio.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/collection-products-defaulkt-products-300×186.jpg 300w” sizes=”(max-width: 465px) 100vw, 465px”>
3. Add a new block under the Product page;
   
4. Click on the “burger” icon to add metafields content.
   

That’s how you can add the metafields, displaying them in any way you like.

Shopify Metafield Import & Export

Let’s see how to import and export metafields to Shopify. You need the Import & Export Tool by Firebear to enable this process. Next, it is possible to import and export Shopify metafields as a part of a Product CSV. 

Shopify Metafield Import

When it comes to the Shopify metafield import, your update file should have columns with the meatafield data that follow this structure: 

mf_<namespace>.<metafield key>

Next, the following processes are at your service:

• You can use the import to update metafield values in Shopify;
• You can use the import to create a product with metafields;
• You can use the import to clear metafield values. Place metafield values in a quotation mark (“”).
  Note that Shopify cannot delete product metafields in bulk. 

The following table contains examples of Shopify meatafield columns and their values suitable for import:

When your update file is prepared, run a standard product import associated with the Import & Export Tool. 

1. Proceed to Apps -> Firebear Import & Export Tool -> Import;
2. Hit the New Profile button to create a new import profile for Shopify metafields.
   
3. Now, apply basic configurations to initiate the update:
   
   1. Name your new import profile: Shopify Metafield Import.
   2. Choose the entity to import: Products. 
   3. Note that you don’t need to enable Shopify import automation or notifications – these features are optional.
   4. Select a file format: CSV if you’ve used it for storing your metafields data or XLSX, XML, and Google Sheets. In the case of CSV, activate the auto-detect delimiter feature. 
   5. Choose your import source depending on where you store your update. If it’s your computer, choose File from the Import source dropdown, click the paperclip icon, navigate to your file, and select it. You can also import metafields to Shopify via FTP or from Google Drive, Google Sheets, or URL. 
   6. Keep the Stock Increment Strategy toggle disabled to transfer the current product qty specified in your update file.
      
4. You don’t need to do anything with your mapping section if your update is suitable to the Shopify requirements.
   
5. Examine whether your Shopify metafield update is correct on the Preview screen. The Import & Export Tool displays the products you import even before uploading them.
   
6. Click the “Save” button to save your import profile. Next, click the “Import” button to import metafields to Shopify.

Shopify Meatfield Export

As for the Shopify metafield export, it is also a basic product export procedure associated with the Import & Export Tool. Follow these steps to transfer metafields data from your e-commerce website:

1. Create a new export profile: go to Shopify Admin -> Apps -> Firebear Import & Export Tool -> Export and click the New Profile button.
   
2. Follow these steps on the Configure export screen:
   
   1. Specify a name for your profile, for instance, Shopify Metafield Export.
   2. Choose an export entity – Products.
   3. Don’t automate your Shopify metafield export if it is not a regular procedure. 
   4. Skip email notifications because it is not mandatory. 
   5. Choose your file format: CSV, XML, XLSX, or Google Sheets. In the case of CSV, you can also specify a custom delimiter and field enclosure. 
   6. Choose File as your export source to download your metafields from Shopify. Alternatively, you can send your data over FTP, straight to Google Drive, or to a Google Sheets spreadsheet. 
   7. For a server with limited resources, choose a lower bunch size to reduce the load. 
   8. Click “Continue” to proceed to the mapping screen.
      
3. Use the mapping screen to export only the columns essential for your update. Unselect the columns that you don’t need.
   
4. Use filters to transfer only particular products with metafields. Hit the + button to create a new filter. Choose a filtering parameter, such as a vendor, and then specify values to narrow down the selection of products in your export file.
   
5. Click the Save & Close button to save your Shopify metafield export profile and Export to transfer metafields from Shopify.

Conclusion

Understanding metafields in Shopify is a relatively complex task that may take time. Therefore, it is recommended to start with simple items and learn the basics. Once you get a grip, you can create more complex product pages with lots of metafields. You will be amazed at how much manual work they can save. At the same time, it is also possible to import metafields to Shopify to reduce any manual interactions in this area. For further information on the Shopify metafields import and export, contact us and read our Improved Import & Export Tool Manual.

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