How to Show Metafields in Storefront Shopify

Table of Contents

1. Introduction
2. Understanding Metafields
3. Creating and Defining Metafields
4. Adding and Managing Metafield Values
5. Displaying Metafields Using the Theme Editor
6. Advanced Methods: Editing Theme Code and Using APIs
7. Conclusion
8. FAQs

Introduction

Have you ever wanted to display additional, customized information about your products directly on your Shopify storefront? Whether you're selling unique artisanal candles and want to display burn times, or you run a grocery store and need to show expiration dates, metafields are the key to unlocking that capability in Shopify. By the end of this blog post, you will master the steps of creating, managing, and displaying metafields seamlessly on your Shopify storefront, enhancing your customer experience and making your store stand out.

We will dive deep into the following aspects:

1. Understanding what metafields are and their importance.
2. Creating and defining metafields.
3. Adding and managing metafield values.
4. Displaying metafields using the Shopify theme editor.
5. Advanced methods including Liquid code and API access.

Let’s get started on how you can make the most out of Shopify metafields!

Understanding Metafields

Metafields in Shopify are customizable fields that allow you to store and display specialized information for your products, collections, customers, orders, and other parts of your store. They are extremely versatile, enabling you to extend your Shopify store beyond the basic attributes provided in the Shopify admin.

Types of Metafields

Metafields support various data types such as:

• Text: For simple text entries.
• Number: To store numeric values.
• Color: Useful for color variants.
• File: For files or images.
• JSON: For more complex, structured data.

Usage Scenarios

Some examples of what you can do with metafields include:

• Displaying additional product specifications (e.g., material, dimensions).
• Showing variant-specific information like color swatches.
• Including care instructions directly on product pages.
• Adding promotional or instructional videos.

Creating and Defining Metafields

To get started with metafields in Shopify, you’ll first need to define them in your Shopify admin panel.

Step 1: Navigate to Metafield Definitions

1. Go to your Shopify Admin.
2. Click on Settings in the bottom left corner.
3. Select Custom data, then Metafields.

Step 2: Add a New Metafield Definition

1. Click Add definition.
2. Choose the type of metafield you want to add (e.g., Products, Variants).
3. Define the Name, Namespace and key, and Type of the metafield.

For instance, if you're creating a metafield for product dimensions, you might set:

• Name: Product Dimensions
• Namespace and Key: product.dimensions
• Type: Single line text

Step 3: Add Validations (Optional)

If you want to restrict the types of values that can be entered (e.g., only allowing positive numbers), you can add validation rules to your metafields.

Adding and Managing Metafield Values

Once your definition is set up, you can start adding values to your metafields:

Adding Values Individually

1. Go to Products and select a product.
2. Scroll down to the metafield section.
3. Enter the necessary values and save.

Bulk Editing Metafields

1. In your Shopify Admin, go to Products.
2. Select multiple products and click Edit products.
3. Add your metafield columns using the column picker.
4. Enter values for multiple products at once and save.

Displaying Metafields Using the Theme Editor

The easiest way to display metafields on your store is through Shopify's theme editor:

Step 1: Open Theme Editor

1. Go to Online Store and click on Themes.
2. Click Customize on your active theme.

Step 2: Add Metafields to Your Theme

1. Navigate to the section where you want to display the metafield.
2. Add a new block or section that supports dynamic content.
3. Click the Dynamic source button (often a database icon).
4. Choose the metafield you want to connect and save.

For example, to display a "Burn Time" metafield on a product page, you would:

• Add a text block in the product template.
• Set the text block to display the value of the "Burn Time" metafield.

Advanced Methods: Editing Theme Code and Using APIs

For more granular control, such as displaying metafields in ways not yet supported by the theme editor, you can use Liquid code or the Shopify APIs.

Using Liquid Code

To integrate metafields directly into your Shopify theme’s code:

1. Go to Online Store > Themes > Actions > Edit code.
2. Locate the relevant template file (e.g., product-template.liquid).
3. Use Liquid syntax to reference metafields:

   {{ product.metafields.namespace.key }}
   

   For example, to display a product's "Burn Time" metafield:

   {{ product.metafields.product.burn_time }}
   

Using the Shopify Storefront API

To retrieve metafields using the Storefront API:

1. Make sure the metafield is visible via the Storefront API by using the metafieldStorefrontVisibilityCreate mutation in the Admin API.
2. Use the Storefront API to query the metafield:

   query {
     product(id: "gid://shopify/Product/123456789") {
       metafield(namespace: "product", key: "burn_time") {
         value
       }
     }
   }
   

Conclusion

Shopify metafields open up a world of possibilities for customizing your store's product information. By mastering how to create, manage, and display metafields, you can provide your customers with detailed, relevant information right where they need it. This not only enhances the shopping experience but can also significantly boost your store's conversion rates.

Take the time to experiment with metafields, and don't hesitate to explore more advanced integrations if your store requires it. With these capabilities at your fingertips, you're well on your way to creating a more sophisticated, user-friendly Shopify storefront.

FAQs

How do you use Shopify metafields?

Metafields allow you to store and display additional information throughout your Shopify store. You can create metafield definitions, add values to them, and connect them to your theme to show on the storefront.

How do metafields affect SEO?

Metafields can improve SEO by adding more relevant, crawlable content to your product pages. Just ensure that the metafields are visible to search engines and that they provide valuable information.

How do I bulk upload metafields in Shopify?

You can bulk upload metafields by selecting multiple products in the Products section of your Shopify Admin, using the bulk edit feature, and then adding the metafield values in the table editor.

What is the limit for Shopify metafields?

You can add up to 200 metafields per resource type, such as products, collections, orders, etc.

What are the benefits of using Shopify metafields?

Benefits include enhanced product information, better SEO, improved customer experience, and the ability to present highly customized data on your storefront.

What does it mean when a metafield doesn’t have a definition?

If a metafield lacks a definition, it won't be usable or displayable in the Shopify admin or storefront. Definitions help label and organize metafields, making them accessible.