About Category Metafields

Category metafields are attributes that map to specific product categories in Shopify's Standard Product Taxonomy. They allow you to add specialized information to your products, enhancing their discoverability on your online store and in search engines.

For instance, if you categorize a product as Apparel & Accessories > Clothing > Clothing Tops > Shirts, you can include metafields for attributes like size, neckline, sleeve length, and fabric type.


Suggestions are added below, which you can add for your product

Clicking inside the box allows you to add values here, which are automatically created by Shopify.



These metafields can be connected to product variant options, allowing for consistent updates across your store. You can also customize default entries to better fit your brand.

For more detailed information, you can visit the following link: Category Metafields.


When connected to product variants, this icon lights up.

Can Bulk Product Edit (BPE) update Category Metafields?

Currently, Hextom: Bulk Product Edit (BPE) does not have a dedicated feature to directly create or manage Category Metafields.

However, the closest equivalent we support is Metaobjects, since Category Metafields in Shopify are technically built on top of them.

This means:

  • Category Metafields must already exist in Shopify (or be imported/created first).
  • The app can then interact with them via Product Metafield tasks.
  • Editing is done through metaobject references, not directly as category fields.

You can still manage them through the app using:

Tip:

You can edit metaobject values using our metaobject fields or add new values via CSV import:

Steps in this guide

1. Identifying the correct metafield reference

2. Updating values using Product Metafields

3. Editing / Updating the Value in BPE

1. Identifying the Category Metafield (via Metaobjects)

When Shopify creates a Category Metafield, it is automatically linked to a Metaobject definition.

You can find it under:

Shopify Admin → Setting → Metaobjects

Each Category Metafield:

  • Has a namespace.key

  • Is always treated as a list of metaobject references


Example:

  • Name: Clothing Features
  • Namespace: shopify  
  • Key: clothing-features  
  • Type: List of Metaobject References

2. Finding the correct value (Metaobject GID)

Each metaobject value (e.g. “Hypoallergenic”) has a unique Shopify ID (GID).

To locate it:

  1. Go to Shopify admin → Content → Metaobjects
  2. Open the relevant metaobject (e.g. Clothing Features)
  3. Click the specific value (e.g. Hypoallergenic)
  4. Copy the ID from the URL

It will look like:

gid://shopify/Metaobject/123847049500

This is the value you will use in app.

3. Editing / Updating the Value in BPE

Once you have:

  • namespace.key (e.g. shopify.clothing-features  )
  • metaobject GID

You can proceed in BPE app:

  1. Open Product Metafield task
  2. Select products to update
  3. Choose Add value to existing list-type metafield
  4. Enter:
    • Namespace & key
    • Value type
    • Metaobject GID value
  5. Run the bulk edit task

⚠️ Important Notes

  • Products must already have the correct category assigned in Shopify
  • Otherwise, the metafield may not apply and errors can occur

  • If category metafield is missing, Shopify must first generate it via taxonomy. To add a category to your products, visit this Article.

If a Category Metafield is linked to a Variant Option, you can manage it directly in app using these features:

  • Replace Text in Variant Option Value (Linked to Metafield)
  • Link Product Options to Category Metafields
  • Unlink Product Options from Category Metafields

For more details, visit: Editing Variant Options with Category Metafield

Need help?

If you need any assistance or have questions about this feature, feel free to reach us at help@hextom.com

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