The power of metafields in Shopify
In this blog, Connie, our front-end developer, takes you into the world of Shopify Metafields.
If you've just switched from Lightspeed to Shopify and are using the Syncer Framework, you might notice some things work a little differently than you're used to. While Lightspeed offered limited fields like 'data01, data02, data03' to store additional product information, Shopify offers a much more powerful and flexible solution: Metafields . Think of metafields as an extended and versatile version of these old fields. While Lightspeed limited you to a limited number of data fields, Shopify allows you to create unlimited metafields and connect them to various parts of your online store. This makes your store more dynamic and efficient, without the need for apps or complex code.
What are Metafields?
Metafields are additional fields you can add to products, collections, pages, customers, orders, blogs, variants, and more . They allow you to store structured data and display it intelligently in your webshop. This reduces manual adjustments and allows you to manage your content dynamically.
What can you do with it?
Store additional product information, such as material or usage instructions.
Collection pages featuring dynamic banners and custom texts.
Display customer-specific content based on collected data.
The best part? You can manage and integrate them directly in Shopify with just a few clicks! Plus, you can use metafield content in any section of the Syncer Framework, eliminating the need to rely on the information you put in the product description.
How do you set up Metafields?
Setting up metafields is super easy and can be done directly in the Shopify admin. Below is a step-by-step explanation of how to add a metafield to your products:
In Shopify, go to Settings > Custom Data and choose Products .
Click Add Metafield and give it a logical name, for example 'Material' or 'Washing Instructions'.
Select the appropriate type (for example, 'Text' for text fields or 'Image' for media).
Go to a product page and fill in the new metafield fields.
Open your Theme settings , click on the text field where you want to display the information and use the 'Connect dynamic resource' button to link the metafield.
From now on, the information will be shown automatically, without having to manually edit each description!
5 useful applications of Metafields
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Additional product information Add unique features to your products, such as ingredients for food products or material specifications for clothing.
Dynamic banners per collection Give each collection page a unique feel with a personalized banner or header text.
Custom SEO Texts Manage SEO-friendly titles and meta descriptions directly via metafields, without having to adjust the standard product description.
Unique product badges or labels Use metafields to provide products with unique labels such as 'Sustainable', 'Handmade' or 'Limited Edition', without having to adjust product titles.
Customer-specific content Use metafields to dynamically display specific text or offers based on customer data, such as loyalty status or purchase history.
And what are Metaobjects?
Metafields are powerful, but Shopify has taken things one step further: Metaobjects . These allow you to create complete data sets, such as size guides or a team overview, and display them throughout your online store. But we'll save that for a future blog post!
By cleverly using Metafields, you can make your webshop more dynamic, professional, and easier to manage. Have questions about how to implement this within the Syncer Framework? Let us know, we're happy to help!
