Metaobjects

With the Matrixify app, you can bulk import and export Shopify Metaobject entries from Shopify Admin -> Content -> Metaobjects section.

See what each field/column from our “Metaobjects” template means including possible allowed values and examples.

Fields marked as “Export Only” cannot be imported/set in Shopify but can be exported with Matrixify export.

Excel Sheet Name

Metaobjects

To tell the app that you are importing Metaobjects you need:

If using CSV file then the file name needs to contain the word “metaobjects”, for example, “my-shopify-metaobjects.csv”
If using XLSX file then the sheet/tab name in the file needs to be “Metaobjects”. The file name for the XLSX file does not matter.

Need a quick start?

Download the Metaobjects Demo import file.

Columns Available For Export And Import

Basic Columns

Column Description / Example Value

Column	Description / Example Value
ID	The ID is a Shopify automatically-generated internal ID number to identify the item. It is filled in by Export. Can be used for Import to identify and update existing Metaobject entries. When importing new Metaobjects, leave this column empty. Allowed Values Number Example 2927034435
Handle	The unique handle of the Metaobject. Can be updated and set when importing new Metaobjects. If left empty when adding new Metaobjects then Shopify will assign Handle from the Display Name. Can be used to identify existing Metaobjects when updating, but requires also to have Definition: Handle or Definition: Name specified in the import file as Handle is unique only for Metaobjects within the same Metaobject definition. Allowed Values Text Example peter-bloom
Command	When importing a Metaobject row – tell the app, what to do with it: `NEW`: will try to create a new Metaobject with the provided details. If such a Metaobject will already exist (with the same ID or Handle), then the result for that Metaobject will be Failed. `MERGE`: will try to find the existing Metaobject, and update it. If such a Metaobject will not be found, then it will create a new one. `UPDATE`: the app will search for an existing Metaobject by ID or Handle and update it. If it cannot be found then that item will fail to import. `REPLACE`: at first, if such Metaobject with provided ID or Handle exists, then the app will delete it. After that, it will create a new one using only the data from the import file. If an existing Metaobject will not be found, then still the app will create a new one. The difference from UPDATE is that it will not keep any of the columns, which were not included in the import file since the Metaobject will be deleted and re-created. `DELETE`: the app will delete the existing Metaobject, which is found by ID or Handle. If such a Metaobject will not be found, then the result will be Failed. This DELETE command is very handy for deleting Metaobjects in bulk. `IGNORE`: the app will ignore this Metaobject and will skip it. If no Command is specified, then the app will assume the MERGE command. Allowed Values NEW MERGE UPDATE REPLACE DELETE IGNORE Example MERGE
Display Name Export only	The preferred display name of the Metaobject. Cannot be set or updated. Shopify will take value from the Metaobject field that is set up in the Metaobject definition to be used as the display name. Allowed Values Text Example Peter Bloom
Status	Metaobjects status. New entries are set to `Active` by default. `Active` means it’s ready to be displayed in your store, but it won’t be seen by customers until you publish it. If an entry is set to `Draft`, then you won’t be able to publish it to your store. Allowed Values Active Draft Example Active
Updated At *Export only*	Date and time in the store’s timezone when the Metaobject was last updated. Cannot be set or updated. Allowed Values Date & Time Example 2023-06-07 11:53:09 +0300
Definition: Handle	The handle of the definition that the Metaobject entry is linked to. When adding new Metaobject entries, you must specify the definition that the Metaobject entry is linked to. The definition assigned cannot be changed for existing Metaobject entries. Allowed Values Text Example beekeeper_profile
Definition: Name *Export only*	The name of the definition that the Metaobject entry is linked to. When adding new Metaobject entries, you must specify the definition that the Metaobject entry is linked to. The definition assigned cannot be changed for existing Metaobject entries. Allowed Values Text Example Beekeeper
Top Row *Export only*	It will have value `TRUE` for each “top row” of the Metaobject. That can help you filter in Excel to get only the base rows, in case you need to get rid of repeated rows for each item. Allowed Values TRUE FALSE
Row # *Export only*	Will have row number from 1 till the end for each row. So that if you change the sorting in your exported file to easier update your data, you can sort it back by “Row #” and return it to the original sorting. Because, you know, all the item data should be together – and if you change the sorting, you need to sort it back. Allowed Values Number

The ID is a Shopify automatically-generated internal ID number to identify the item.
It is filled in by Export.
Can be used for Import to identify and update existing Metaobject entries.
When importing new Metaobjects, leave this column empty.

Allowed Values

Number

Example

2927034435

Handle

The unique handle of the Metaobject.

Can be updated and set when importing new Metaobjects.
If left empty when adding new Metaobjects then Shopify will assign Handle from the Display Name.

Can be used to identify existing Metaobjects when updating, but requires also to have Definition: Handle or Definition: Name specified in the import file as Handle is unique only for Metaobjects within the same Metaobject definition.

Allowed Values

Text

Example

peter-bloom

Command

When importing a Metaobject row – tell the app, what to do with it:

NEW: will try to create a new Metaobject with the provided details. If such a Metaobject will already exist (with the same ID or Handle), then the result for that Metaobject will be Failed.
MERGE: will try to find the existing Metaobject, and update it. If such a Metaobject will not be found, then it will create a new one.
UPDATE: the app will search for an existing Metaobject by ID or Handle and update it. If it cannot be found then that item will fail to import.
REPLACE: at first, if such Metaobject with provided ID or Handle exists, then the app will delete it. After that, it will create a new one using only the data from the import file.
If an existing Metaobject will not be found, then still the app will create a new one. The difference from UPDATE is that it will not keep any of the columns, which were not included in the import file since the Metaobject will be deleted and re-created.
DELETE: the app will delete the existing Metaobject, which is found by ID or Handle. If such a Metaobject will not be found, then the result will be Failed. This DELETE command is very handy for deleting Metaobjects in bulk.
IGNORE: the app will ignore this Metaobject and will skip it.

If no Command is specified, then the app will assume the MERGE command.

Allowed Values

NEW
MERGE
UPDATE
REPLACE
DELETE
IGNORE

Example

MERGE

Display Name

Export only

The preferred display name of the Metaobject.

Cannot be set or updated.
Shopify will take value from the Metaobject field that is set up in the Metaobject definition to be used as the display name.

Allowed Values

Text

Example

Peter Bloom

Status

Metaobjects status.
New entries are set to Active by default. Active means it’s ready to be displayed in your store, but it won’t be seen by customers until you publish it.
If an entry is set to Draft, then you won’t be able to publish it to your store.

Allowed Values

Active
Draft

Example

Active

Updated At

Export only

Date and time in the store’s timezone when the Metaobject was last updated.

Cannot be set or updated.

Allowed Values

Date & Time

Example

2023-06-07 11:53:09 +0300

Definition: Handle

The handle of the definition that the Metaobject entry is linked to.

When adding new Metaobject entries, you must specify the definition that the Metaobject entry is linked to.

The definition assigned cannot be changed for existing Metaobject entries.

Allowed Values

Text

Example

beekeeper_profile

Definition: Name

Export only

The name of the definition that the Metaobject entry is linked to.

When adding new Metaobject entries, you must specify the definition that the Metaobject entry is linked to.

The definition assigned cannot be changed for existing Metaobject entries.

Allowed Values

Text

Example

Beekeeper

Top Row

Export only

It will have value TRUE for each “top row” of the Metaobject. That can help you filter in Excel to get only the base rows, in case you need to get rid of repeated rows for each item.

Allowed Values

TRUE
FALSE

Row #

Export only

Will have row number from 1 till the end for each row. So that if you change the sorting in your exported file to easier update your data, you can sort it back by “Row #” and return it to the original sorting. Because, you know, all the item data should be together – and if you change the sorting, you need to sort it back.

Allowed Values

Number

Field Values

Column	Description / Example Value
Field	Field key as specified in the Metaobject definition. Allowed Values Text Example description
Value	Field value to be saved in the Metaobject entry. The value set in this field will need to match the Metaobject definition validations. For example, if the field in definition is set as number integer, then you will only be able to set the field value as such aswell. Allowed Values Depends on the field type specified in the Metaobject definition Example A beekeeper from Latvia's Kurzeme region.

Column

Description / Example Value

Field

Field key as specified in the Metaobject definition.

Allowed Values

Text

Example

description

Value

Field value to be saved in the Metaobject entry.

The value set in this field will need to match the Metaobject definition validations. For example, if the field in definition is set as number integer, then you will only be able to set the field value as such aswell.

Allowed Values

Depends on the field type specified in the Metaobject definition

Example

A beekeeper from Latvia's Kurzeme region.

Good to know

Metaobjects work similarly to Metafields but instead of being set for specific entities, they are defined and specified for the whole store itself. You can think of them as store-level Metafields.
See how you can use Matrixify to import and export your Shopify Metafields as well.
Read more about Shopify Metaobjects in the Shopify Metaobject manual.
See the Shopify manual on how to include Metaobjects in your store.

Excel Sheet Name

Need a quick start?

Columns Available For Export And Import

Basic Columns

Allowed Values

Example

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Field Values

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Good to know

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