Useful — by adding key product details (like GTIN code, material composition, technical specs), you help Google better understand your page content.
Want your Shopify products to rank on Google’s first page? Ignoring metafields could cost you big. 80% of independent store product pages are missing brand, GTIN, precise specs, and other structured data — exactly what Google Shopping Feed matching and rich snippets rely on.
Tests show that adding product metafields (like material composition “100% organic cotton”, exact model “Model X-2024”, dimensions “Open size: 180x120cm”) can boost long-tail keyword relevance by 20%+, and they also fuel Schema markup, directly powering star ratings and price displays in search results.
Here’s a template and setup details:
What are metafields?
In Shopify admin, “Metafields” live under Settings → Metafields → Products. They’re essentially storage units for adding structured extra info to your products.
According to Semrush crawl data, 72% of Shopify stores don’t systematically fill in product materials, models, or technical specs. This leads to Google missing over 30% of key attributes when crawling.
For example, when someone searches “organic cotton baby romper no fluorescent agent,” if your product description doesn’t mention those details, but your metafields include:
Material: 100% GOTS Organic Cotton,
Certification: OEKO-TEX Standard 100,
search engines will factor that hidden info into relevance, boosting long-tail keyword matching by 15%–22%.
What are Shopify metafields and how to use them?
In Shopify, go to Settings → Metafields → Select object (Product/Collection etc.) → Add definition. Their main job is to attach structured data to standard product info (title, description, price). For example:
A T-shirt description might just say “soft and breathable.” But in metafields, you can add:
Composition: 95% Cotton + 5% Spandex
Weight: 180g/㎡
Craft: Double-needle collar + triple-stitched cuffs
This info won’t be visible to shoppers, but Google will pick it up. Case studies in Google Search Console show that product pages with extra details like materials, processes, and certifications saw 18% higher dwell time and 12% lower bounce rates on “premium” or “professional” keyword searches.
How do search engines read metafields?
When Google crawls a page, it processes two main layers:
- Front-end rendered content: text and images visible to users (via simulated browser rendering).
- Structured data: including HTML meta tags (like meta description), Schema markup, and raw data stored in Shopify metafields (accessible via DOM or API).
Key difference:
- A product description saying “long battery life” is vague;
- A metafield saying
Battery capacity: 5000mAh,Tested battery life: 22h (medium volume)is precise and quantifiable. Ahrefs data shows that product pages with exact specs (size, weight, capacity, material %) rank 27% higher for technical long-tail queries (e.g. “Bluetooth headphones 20hr+ battery life”).
How do metafields help products get found?
When users search, Google breaks down intent into entity attributes.
Example:
- Query: “hiking boots waterproof lightweight”
- Google needs to match:
- Category: hiking boots
- Attribute 1: waterproof tech (must specify GORE-TEX, etc.)
- Attribute 2: weight (exact value like “350g per shoe”)
If your description only says “lightweight waterproof,” relevance is weak. But with metafields like:
Waterproof tech: GORE-TEX membrane
Weight per shoe: 352g ±5g
Google can link it directly. Real case: an outdoor brand added these metafields and within 3 months, organic traffic for “lightweight hiking boots” keywords grew 31%, and the chance of being included in Google’s “lightweight trekking gear” knowledge graph rose 40%.
Metafields and Schema structured data
Metafields act as the data foundation for high-quality Schema markup (like Product, Review). For example:
“brand”: “Salomon”
“gtin”: “061234567890”,
“material”: “GORE-TEX + Vibram Rubber”
These data can be directly pulled from product.brand, product.gtin, product.material_composition, and other meta fields. According to Schema.org testing, product pages that have complete brand, GTIN, and material info trigger rich snippets (stars, price, etc.) in Google search results 92% of the time, while pages without this data only do so 17% of the time.
Try This Meta Field Setup Template
This template focuses on filling the biggest gaps Google struggles to crawl and the fields that most directly affect ranking relevance.
Based on Google Merchant Center disapproval reports and Semrush’s on-page SEO audit stats:
- 82% of independent store product pages are missing valid GTIN/brand fields (leading to over 35% ad disapproval rate);
- 67% of pages don’t specify material composition (like “100% cotton” or “304 stainless steel”), losing 40%+ of attribute keyword traffic (e.g., “organic cotton bedding”);
- Spec-based fields (weight/dimensions/capacity) are less than 20% complete, preventing coverage of high-converting long-tail queries like “small dog harness under 1kg.”
Core logic of the template: use structured data to complete entity attributes that match user search intent.
Template Field Checklist & Setup Guide
| Field Purpose | Key | Content Type | Example & Rules | Impact on Google Search |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Brand Verification | brand | Single line text | For own brand, use registered name (e.g., Riverway). For distributed goods, use manufacturer (e.g., Breville). | Pages missing brand fields are 53% more likely to rank lower on brand keyword searches (Searchmetrics). |
| 2. Global Trade Item Number (GTIN) | gtin | Single line text | UPC/EAN/ISBN codes (e.g., 063420785304). If none, leave blank — don’t fake codes. | Products with GTIN get 67% more visibility on Google Shopping (Google official data). |
| 3. Manufacturer Part Number (MPN) | mpn | Single line text | Official model number from manufacturer (e.g., DWE7492-QS). | Reduces risk of being flagged as duplicate pages in a series and boosts model keyword rankings (like “DWE7492-QS price”). |
| 4. Core Specs | specification_weight | Number + unit | Must include unit (e.g., 580g).▲ Don’t use: about 500g, ~1 catty | Pages with exact weight see a 28% CTR boost on “[category] + weight” searches (e.g., “lightweight tent under 800g”). |
specification_dimensions | Single line text | Format: L×W×H (e.g., 30×20×15cm) or unfolded size (e.g., Unfolded: 200×150cm). | Covers size-related searches (e.g., “small sofa under 2m”), which make up 41% of furniture traffic (Ahrefs). | |
| 5. Material & Composition | material_composition | Multi-line text/list | List in descending order by percentage (e.g.: Main fabric: 98% cotton + 2% spandex Lining: 100% polyester) | Pages with full material details rank 1.8 positions higher on attribute terms like “cotton” or “stainless steel” (Sistrix). |
| 6. Key Features | key_features | List | Select from preset options (e.g., Waterproof IP68｜30W Fast Charge｜Removable Battery), not free text! | List-style data is parsed by Google as “feature points,” boosting mobile rich snippet display probability by 90%. |
| 7. Certifications & Safety Standards | certifications | Single line text | Use standard number/abbreviation (e.g., FDA Cert #FD123456, OEKO-TEX STANDARD 100). | Certification info triggers “professional” and “safe” signals, raising authority score by 22% (Moz). |
| 8. Target Usage/Audience | target_usage | Single line text | Use clear defining terms (e.g., 1-3 years toddlers｜Outdoor hiking｜15-25㎡ room). | Matches scenario-based searches (e.g., “baby spoon 1yr+”), which convert 3.1x better than broad keywords (Google Ads). |
How to fill it correctly (so you won’t go wrong)
Missing unit = Invalid data
Wrong example:
specification_weightfilled with500Correct example:
specification_weightfilled with500gGoogle’s system cannot parse numbers without units, and the parameter will be ignored.
Vague description lowers credibility
Wrong example:
material_compositionfilled with “Premium fabric”Correct example:
material_compositionfilled with “Shell: 100% polycarbonate; Liner: 304 stainless steel”Vague wording can trigger Google’s “low-quality page” warning (see patent CN114997170A).
List items must use preset values (not manual input)
Operation path: when adding a field, select “List” → Preset values (e.g. Waterproof IP67｜Waterproof IP68｜Dustproof) → Check on product page
Free text entries like “waterproof,” “splash-resistant,” or “anti-water stain” create synonym confusion, reducing feature recognition accuracy.
Technical operation steps
Bulk create fields:
- Go to Settings → Metafields → Products → Add definition
- Enter
Keyfollowing the template (e.g. specification_weight) → Choose “Number” type → Select unit “g/kg” - https://example.com/metafield-config.png (illustration: field type selection screen)
Preset list items (using Key Features as an example):
- In field settings, enable “List” → Click “Add option” → Enter preset values (one per line)
- After saving, when editing a product this field becomes a checkbox option
- https://example.com/metafield-preset.png (illustration: list preset screen)
Bulk fill data (for 100+ products):
- Install Excelify or Matrixify → Export product data as CSV
- Add new column in CSV, header =
metafields.custom.specification_weight(and so on) - After filling values and re-importing, the system auto-maps to the fields
How to set these metafields in Shopify admin
Path: Settings → Metafields → Select “Products” → Click “Add definition”
Key configuration items & backend logic:
- Namespace: default is
custom(no need to change), auto-linked by the system - Key: follow template naming (e.g.
specification_weight), no spaces or capital letters (system auto-converts to lowercase) - Content type: determines data storage format (wrong choice causes errors when calling later):
- Weight/price → choose “Number” + “Unit” (unit required, otherwise Google ignores value)
- Material/model → choose “Single line text” (over 255 characters will be cut off)
- Technical features → choose “List” (preset options in advance, disable free input)
- Value: input at bottom of product edit page, each change triggers 1 API request (500+ products should use bulk tools)
Backend delay (tested):
- After adding a new field, it takes 2–4 hours for the field input box to appear on product pages
- After updating field values, Google indexing delay is 8–72 hours (see “Last crawl date” in Search Console)
7 common mistakes & correct practices
1. Separating number and unit incorrectly
❌ Wrong: filling “580g”
✅ Correct:
- Select type “Number” → unit choose “grams”
- Only enter the number (e.g., 580), the system will auto-add the unit
2. Don’t use plain text, use option lists
❌ Wrong: Typing manually in “Product Features” like “Waterproof|Fast Charge|Long Battery”
✅ Correct:
- Change the type to “List”
- Pre-set the options (e.g., “Waterproof IP68”, “30W Fast Charge”)
- Just tick the boxes, don’t type manually
3. GTIN code must have the right length
❌ Wrong: Entering 9 digits (actually needs 12 digits)
✅ Correct:
- Use the GTIN check tool to verify
- If you don’t have a GTIN, just leave it blank (don’t make one up!)
4. Don’t create duplicate field names
❌ Wrong: Creating two “Brand” fields
✅ Correct:
- Search “brand” in the backend
- Delete the duplicate, keep only one
5. Don’t exceed batch import limits
❌ Wrong: Importing 500 products at once (Shopify will freeze)
✅ Correct:
- Import in smaller batches (≤50 each time)
- Or use pro tools (like Stitch) to automate
6. Data filled but not showing on storefront?
❌ Problem: Size data doesn’t appear on the product page
✅ Fix:
Add this line in your theme code: {{ product.metafields.custom.specification_dimensions }}
Don’t know coding? Use apps like Metafields Guru to handle it in one click.
7. Watch out for date + timezone!
❌ Wrong: Choosing “Date” and filling “2024-10-01” (may shift by 8 hours)
✅ Correct:
- Select “Date + Time” type
- Manually adjust timezone (e.g., “2024-10-01 00:00 +08:00”)
Bulk Operation Safety Guide (Must-read for 100+ products)
Recommended Tools
Excelify ($20/month)
- Great for bulk import/export of metafields
- Custom field mapping (e.g., match CSV “Weight” to Shopify “weight”)
Fireberry (Free)
- Edit metafields directly in a spreadsheet view inside Shopify
- Can edit up to 50 products at a time
Safe Operation Steps
Backup first!
- Export product CSV → Save a backup copy (to avoid mistakes)
Add metafield columns
- Column name format:
metafields.custom.fieldname(e.g.,metafields.custom.gtin) - Fill in corresponding values
Check before importing
- Use the tool’s pre-import validation to catch empty or invalid values
Import in batches
- Max 50 entries each time → Tick “Update metafields only” (to avoid overwriting other data)
If import fails:
Immediately download the operation log to find the issue.
Re-import using your backup CSV to restore.
💡 Pro tip: Always test with 2–3 products first. Once it works, then go bulk.
Shops that optimize metafields usually see clear SEO traffic growth within 2–3 months.
