For years, metafields have been the go-to solution for adding custom data to products, collections, and pages in Shopify. But as merchants’ needs have grown more complex, the limitations of simple key-value metafields have become apparent.
Enter Shopify Metaobjects, a powerful feature that represents the next evolution of custom data on the platform. Metaobjects allow you to create your own custom objects with multiple fields, defining structured, reusable, and dynamic content that can be managed directly in the Shopify Admin.
If you’re still relying solely on metafields, you’re missing out on a more powerful and flexible way to build content-rich experiences. Let’s explore what metaobjects are and walk through a practical example of how to use them to create a dynamic “Product Timeline” feature.
What Are Metaobjects (and How Are They Different from Metafields)?
Think of a metafield as a single piece of custom data attached to a resource (e.g., a product’s “care instructions”).
A metaobject, on the other hand, is a custom data structure. It’s like creating your own mini-database entry with a defined set of fields. For example, you could create a “Designer” metaobject with fields for a name, a biography, and a portrait image.
Key Differences:
- Structure: Metafields are simple key-value pairs. Metaobjects are structured objects with multiple, typed fields.
- Reusability: A single metaobject entry (like a specific designer’s profile) can be referenced by multiple products.
- Manageability: Metaobjects are managed as standalone entries in the “Content” section of the Shopify Admin, making them easier to find and update.
Practical Example: Building a “Product Timeline”
Let’s say you want to display a unique timeline of manufacturing steps for each product. This is a perfect use case for a metaobject.
Step 1: Define the Metaobject
First, you’ll define the structure of your metaobject in your Shopify Admin under Settings > Custom Data > Metaobjects.
Let’s create a metaobject called “Product Timeline” with the following fields:
heading(Single line text)phase_1_title(Single line text)phase_1_details(Rich text)phase_2_title(Single line text)phase_2_details(Rich text)phase_3_title(Single line text)phase_3_details(Rich text)
Step 2: Create a Metaobject Entry
Now, under Content > Metaobjects, you can create a new “Product Timeline” entry. You’ll fill out the fields with the specific timeline information for one of your products.
Step 3: Reference the Metaobject from a Product
Next, you need to link this timeline entry to a product. To do this, create a new Product Metafield with the type “Metaobject” and select your “Product Timeline” definition as the reference.
Now, on your product page in the admin, you can select the specific timeline entry you just created.
Step 4: Render the Metaobject Data in Your Theme
The final step is to display this data in your theme’s Liquid code. You can create a new section called product-timeline.liquid and use dynamic sources in the theme editor to connect the section’s settings to the metaobject data.
First, define the section’s schema:
{% schema %}
{
"name": "Timeline",
"settings": [
{
"type": "text",
"id": "heading",
"label": "Heading"
}
],
"blocks": [
{
"type": "timeline-step",
"name": "Timeline Step",
"settings": [
{
"type": "text",
"id": "title",
"label": "Title"
},
{
"type": "richtext",
"id": "details",
"label": "Details"
}
]
}
]
}
{% endschema %}In the theme editor, when you add this section to your product page, you can click the “Connect dynamic source” icon for each setting and link it to the corresponding field in your “Product Timeline” metaobject reference.
For the heading, you would select: Product > Metafield: Product Timeline > Heading.
For the blocks, you would connect the title and details to the phase_1_title, phase_1_details, and so on.
Why This is a Game-Changer
This approach is far superior to using dozens of individual metafields:
- Structured Content: Your data is organized logically, making it easier for merchants to manage.
- DRY Principle: The same timeline entry could be reused across multiple products if needed.
- Empowerment: Merchants with moderate technical proficiency can create and manage this structured data themselves, without needing a developer to edit Liquid code.
Final Thoughts: A More Structured Future for Content
Metaobjects are a powerful tool that gives merchants and developers the flexibility to build truly custom, content-rich storefronts. They bridge the gap between simple metafields and a full-blown external CMS, providing a native, efficient, and user-friendly way to manage structured content.
If you’re not already using them, it’s time to start exploring what’s possible.
❓ What custom content structures have you built with metaobjects?