If you have used Shopify metafields to store extra data on products, customers, or orders, metaobjects are the next step. While metafields attach data to existing Shopify resources, metaobjects let you create entirely new content structures that live independently in your store. Think of them as a lightweight custom database you can manage from the Shopify admin and display anywhere in your theme.
What Are Shopify Metaobjects?
Metaobjects are custom data structures you define in Shopify. Each metaobject has a definition (the schema) and entries (the actual content). For example, you could create a "Size Guide" metaobject with fields for product category, measurements table, and fit notes. Then you create entries for each size guide and connect them to products using metafields.
Unlike metafields that always belong to a product, collection, or other resource, metaobjects exist on their own. This makes them ideal for content that is shared across your store or does not naturally belong to a single product.
When to Use Metaobjects vs Metafields
Use metafields when: the data belongs to a specific product, collection, customer, or order. Examples include product specifications, care instructions for a specific item, or a custom field on the customer profile.
Use metaobjects when: the content is reusable, shared, or exists independently. Examples include team member profiles, FAQ entries, ingredient databases, store locations, size guides, or brand stories.
Step 1: Create a Metaobject Definition
Go to Settings > Custom data > Metaobjects in your Shopify admin. Click Add definition.
For this example, we will create a "Team Member" metaobject for an About Us page:
- Name: Team Member
- Fields:
- Full Name (single line text, required)
- Role (single line text)
- Photo (file, image)
- Bio (multi-line text or rich text)
- LinkedIn URL (URL)
Under Access, set the storefront access to "Read" so your theme can display the data. Under Display name, choose the "Full Name" field so entries are easy to identify in the admin.
Step 2: Add Entries
After saving the definition, go to Content > Metaobjects in your admin sidebar. Select your "Team Member" definition and click Add entry. Fill in the fields for each team member. You can add as many entries as you need.
Each entry gets its own handle (URL slug) automatically. If you enable "Web pages" in the definition settings, each entry can also have its own standalone page on your storefront with a URL like /pages/team-member-name.
Step 3: Display Metaobjects in Your Theme
There are three ways to display metaobject content in your Shopify theme:
Option A: Dynamic Sources in the Theme Editor
If your theme supports Online Store 2.0 dynamic sources (most modern themes do), you can connect metaobject fields directly in the theme editor without writing any code. Add a section to your page, click the "Connect dynamic source" icon next to any field, and select your metaobject entry.
Option B: Metaobject Lists via Metafields
To display a list of metaobjects (like all team members on an About page), create a metafield on the page that references your metaobject definition with the "List of entries" option. Then in the theme editor, connect that metafield to a section that loops through the entries.
Option C: Liquid Code
For full control, access metaobjects in Liquid:
{%- for member in page.metafields.custom.team_members.value -%}
<div class="team-card">
<img src="{{ member.photo.value | image_url: width: 400 }}" alt="{{ member.full_name.value }}">
<h3>{{ member.full_name.value }}</h3>
<p>{{ member.role.value }}</p>
<p>{{ member.bio.value }}</p>
</div>
{%- endfor -%}Practical Metaobject Examples
Size Guides
Create a "Size Guide" metaobject with fields for category name, measurements (rich text with a table), and fit type (slim, regular, loose). Link guides to products via a metafield reference. Each product page pulls the correct size guide dynamically.
FAQ Sections
Create an "FAQ" metaobject with question and answer fields. Create entries for each FAQ. Reference them on product pages, collection pages, or standalone FAQ pages. Update answers once, and they change everywhere.
Ingredient or Material Database
For cosmetics, food, or materials-heavy products, create an "Ingredient" metaobject with fields for name, description, source, certifications, and an image. Link ingredients to products. Customers can click through to learn about each ingredient.
Store Locations
Create a "Location" metaobject with address, hours, phone, map embed code, and photos. Build a store locator page that pulls from these entries. When hours change seasonally, update the metaobject entry instead of editing theme code.
Metaobject Web Pages
When you enable "Web pages" on a metaobject definition, Shopify automatically creates a page for each entry. You can assign a theme template to these pages, add SEO metadata, and they become fully indexable pages on your storefront. This is powerful for:
- Team member profile pages
- Detailed ingredient or material pages
- Individual store location pages
- Artist or designer spotlight pages
Tips and Limitations
- Plan requirements: Metaobjects are available on all Shopify plans, but the number of definitions and entries varies by plan
- Entry limits: Basic Shopify allows up to 50,000 metaobject entries across all definitions. Shopify Plus stores get higher limits
- No filtering or sorting: Liquid does not support filtering or sorting metaobject lists natively. If you need filtered displays (like showing only ingredients in a specific category), you will need custom Liquid logic or JavaScript
- SEO benefit: Metaobject web pages are real, indexable pages. Use them to create content that earns organic search traffic (like detailed ingredient pages or location-specific landing pages)
- Performance: Metaobjects load efficiently because they are native to Shopify. No third-party app overhead, no additional API calls, no JavaScript bundles
Metaobjects vs Third-Party Apps
Before metaobjects, merchants used apps like Accentuate Custom Fields or custom-coded solutions to store structured content. Metaobjects replace most of these use cases with a native, free solution that is faster, more reliable, and integrated directly into the Shopify admin and theme editor.
The main scenarios where you would still need an app or custom development are complex relational data structures (metaobjects support basic references but not complex queries), advanced filtering and search across metaobject entries, or bulk import/export of large metaobject datasets.
Getting Started
Metaobjects are one of the most underused features in Shopify. Start with a simple use case like team members or FAQs, get comfortable with the workflow, then expand to more complex content structures. Combined with metafields for product-level data, metaobjects give you a complete custom content system without any apps.
Need help implementing metaobjects or building custom theme sections to display them? DigiXoft provides custom Shopify development services. Contact us for a free consultation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are Shopify metaobjects free?
Yes. Metaobjects are included in all Shopify plans at no extra cost. There are limits on the number of definitions and entries per plan, but these limits are generous enough for most stores.
What is the difference between metafields and metaobjects?
Metafields attach extra data to existing Shopify resources (products, collections, customers, orders). Metaobjects are standalone content entries you define from scratch. Use metafields for product-specific data; use metaobjects for reusable or independent content.
Can I use metaobjects for a blog or CMS?
Yes. With web pages enabled, metaobjects can function as a lightweight CMS. You define your content structure, create entries, and each entry gets its own page. This is simpler than a full headless CMS but sufficient for many content needs.