Shopify Theme Sections and Metafields: What Actually Works
Shopify's system for building flexible storefronts with sections merchants can arrange, and metafields that store extra product data.
Marcus Adeyemi
Why does it matter?
Sections and metafields let merchants change pages without a developer, while keeping structured data in the right place.
What are the numbers?
- Sections everywhere sections can be added to most template types
- JSON templates define which sections a template uses
- Metafields store custom data such as materials or care instructions
- Metaobjects hold reusable structured content
What should I do?
- Store structured product data in metafields
- Give merchants sensible section settings
- Keep templates consistent across product types
- Document metafield definitions
- Test theme updates on a copy
What should I avoid?
Avoid:
- Hard-coding content into templates
- Unlimited section settings
- Undocumented metafields
- Editing live themes directly
When should I get help?
Short answer Bring in help when merchandising teams need to edit pages themselves.
Where this comes from
- Shopify Developers — Themes
- Shopify Help Center — Metafields
The figures and practices above come from the sources listed.
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Where to go next
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