Metafields

A metafield is a custom field on a single resource such as a product, collection, customer, or order. Define the field once, then fill its value on each resource.

Updated: October 14, 2026
Reading time: 3 min

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A metafield is a custom field attached to one resource, such as a product, collection, customer, or order. Use metafields when the built-in fields do not cover the data you need, for example care instructions on a product or an internal note on a customer.

Each metafield comes from a metafield definition, which sets its name, data type, and access. Create the definition first, as Create a Metafield Definition describes, then fill the value on each resource from its Metafields section.

Before you begin

Your role can edit the resource you are adding the value to, such as Edit products for a product or Manage collections for a collection.
A metafield definition already exists for the resource. Create one first if it does not.
Open the product, collection, customer, or order you want to add the value to, then scroll to its Metafields section.

Metafield compared with metaobject

	Metafield	Metaobject
Lives on	One resource (product, collection, customer, order)	Standalone, reusable across resources
Best for	A custom field that belongs to one record	Shared data referenced from many records
Number of values	One value (or a list) per resource	Many entries per definition

Custom Data Overview helps you choose between them.

Where a metafield value can be used

Use	What it does
Theme and storefront	If the definition has Storefront API access on, your theme can show the value, for example care instructions on a product page
Storefront API and apps	Apps and integrations can read the value through the Storefront API when access is on
Admin only	With Storefront API access off, the value stays in the admin for internal use

Steps

1. Open the resource

Open the product, collection, customer, or order you want to add the value to.

2. Go to the Metafields section

Scroll to the Metafields section. The fields from your definitions appear here, each showing its name and data type, with an input to fill.

(opens full size)

Note: On a product, category-based attributes such as Size and Color appear in a separate Category metafields section, provided by the product's category. Your own metafield definitions appear in the Metafields section below it.

3. Enter the value

Fill in the field's input. It matches the field's data type: a Single line text field (like ZZS4Meta or Season above) shows a text box, while other types such as Multi-line text, Integer, Date, or Image show their own matching input.

4. Save

Save the resource. The value is now stored on that resource.

Verify the result

The value shows in the Metafields section when you reopen the resource.
If the definition has Storefront API access on, your theme and the Storefront API can read it.
Products you did not edit keep their own values.

Best practices

Create the definition first so the field has a clear type and access setting.
Match the type to the data, which keeps values consistent across resources.
Keep internal values admin-only by leaving Storefront API access off in the definition.

Common mistakes

No definition. Without one, the field has no type or storefront access set up.
Wrong resource. A product metafield does not appear on customers or orders.
Expecting a value on the storefront when the definition has Storefront API access off.

If something goes wrong

The field is missing on the resource. Check that a definition exists for that resource type.
The value does not show on the theme. Confirm Storefront API access is on in the definition and that the theme reads the field.
Permission denied. Your role cannot edit that resource (for example, Edit products for a product). Ask an owner or admin.

Next steps

Edit a Product