# Sync Metafields

### ℹ️ What are metafields?

* **Product metafields**
* **Variant metafields** (if you enable it)

Tipo app can sync metafields for:

* material, size chart, specifications
* custom badges (e.g. “best\_seller”)
* extra product details used by themes/apps

Metafields are custom fields in Shopify used to store extra product data, such as:

***

### ✅ **Supported metafield types**

* Multi-line text
* Rich text
* Integer
* Decimal
* Date and time
* Date
* Dimension
* Volume
* Weight
* True or false
* Rating
* URL
* Money
* Link
* JSON

🚫 **Not supported yet:**\
Reference types (e.g. product reference, collection reference) are not currently supported.

***

### 🛠️ Step 1: Configure Metafields on the Source Store

1. Open the app > click **Settings** > find **Share Metafields**
2. Tick on the checkbox  **Enable** of **Share Metafields** option > 

   **Allow data**

   * **Product Resource**
   * **Variant Resource**
3. An input to add metafield definitions: **Add definition (namespace.key)**  (optional)
4. Click **Save** to update the changes

<figure><img src="/files/XGNO6HAviulryhpYxfRM" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

***

### 🛠️ Step 2: Configure Metafields on the Destination Store

1. Open the app > click **Stores** > click on the source store URL to open the connection detail

<figure><img src="/files/JzUlughT4STHmZe6i9FA" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

2. Find **Metafields** sync section > tick **Enable**
3. Choose what to sync

   Under **Allow data**, select one or both:

   * **Product Resource** → sync product metafields
   * **Variant Resource** → sync variant metafields
4. Click on the search icon on the right to see all the supported metafields > click **Select valid metafield to sync** button&#x20;

<figure><img src="/files/krBPiUMwuY9LkULd0uwb" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

**Note:**&#x20;

✅ Green: Metafields that already exist in the destination store and are valid to sync.\
⚪ Gray: New metafields that will be created and synced.\
🟠 Orange: Invalid metafields due to mismatched data types between source and destination stores. These must be fixed manually in Shopify.\
🔴 Red: Unsupported metafields that cannot be synced by the app

<figure><img src="/files/5LeDjxSYD2u9Eq8aSEXg" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

5. Click **Save** to update the changes

***

### &#x20;🔄 What Happens During Sync

#### **1) If the Destination store doesn’t have the metafield definition**

The app will automatically create the metafield definition in the Destination store (when needed).

After it’s created, the synced metafield values will appear on the product/variant in the Destination store.

#### **2) If metafields exist but are not “structured” (Unstructured metafields)**

In some cases, metafields may sync even if they haven’t been fully defined/structured in the Destination store.

To review them in Shopify Admin:

* **ope**n stor**e Settings → Metafields and metaobjects**
* Choose **Product** (or **Variant**)
* Open **View unstructured metafields**

💡 Tip: You can manually define/structure these metafields later to keep your store data clean and consistent.

<figure><img src="/files/5DpufxoQzWAGszaxAY9a" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### **3) If the Source store has no value, Destination won’t be overwritten**

If a metafield exists in Destination but the Source value is empty, Tipo Sync will not overwrite the Destination value.

#### **4) Data types must match (very important)**

Metafield data types must match exactly between Source and Destination.

Examples of data type mismatches:

* `single_line_text_field` vs `multi_line_text_field`
* `number_integer` vs `number_decimal`
* `product_reference` vs `text`

⚠️ If the data types don’t match, the sync may fail or skip that metafield.

***

### 📌 Example: Syncing a Product Metafield – “Material”

You want to sync a **custom product metafield** called **Material** (e.g., “Cotton”, “Leather”, “Wool”) from your **Source Store** to your **Destination Store** using our app.

#### **Step 1: Define the Metafield in Shopify**

In your **Source Store**:

1. Go to **Shopify Admin >** open store **Settings > Metafields and metaobjects** > choose **Product** (or **Variant**)
2. Click **Add definition** (if it’s not already created) > fill out the metafield definition:
   * **Name**: Material
   * **Namespace**: `custom`
   * **Key**: `material`
   * **Type**: Single line text

\=>  This gives you the full metafield key: `custom.material`

Repeat this step in your **Destination Store** (must match the same key and type).

<figure><img src="/files/CTeDe2tG4mV1DBdUmcdS" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### **Step 2: Add Metafield Data to Products**

In your **Source Store**, go to a product and scroll down to **Metafields**  > Under **Material**, enter: `Cotton`

This product now has the metafield `custom.material = "Cotton"`.

<figure><img src="/files/rFlIETlV60q6MrMtzPOn" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

#### **Step 3: Configure Sync in Tipo app**&#x20;

* Open our app in the **Destination Store** > go to Connect Configuration **> Metafield Sync**
* Choose **Specific Metafields > e**nter the metafield key exactly: `custom.material`&#x20;

<figure><img src="/files/OtloFpyAGbFG2QPoXTOm" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

**Result**

* Our app will find `custom.material` in the Source Store
* If it does **not exist** in the Destination product, the app will **create it**\
  \=>   Result: `custom.material = "Cotton"` in both stores
* If it exists in Destination but Source is empty, we **do not override** the value

***

### ❓FAQs

#### Q1: How to Set `namespace.key` in your store?

To sync a specific metafield, you’ll need to enter the **metafield definition key** in this format: `namespace.key` (for example: `custom.color`).

Here’s how to find it in your Shopify admin:

1. Go to your Shopify Admin >cavigate to **Settings > Custom Data > Products**
2. Click on the metafield you want to sync\
   → You’ll see the **Namespace** and **Key** values
3. Combine them in this format: `namespace.key`\
   → Example: `custom.description`

#### Q2: Why are my metafields not syncing?

If your metafields are not syncing correctly, it could be due to one of the following reasons:

1. **Metafield sync is not enabled**\
   Make sure metafield syncing is turned on for both stores:
   * Enable **Share Metafields** in the **Source Store**.
   * Enable **Receive Metafields** in the **Destination Store**.

<figure><img src="/files/p32bjO3SljlvRakywcDp" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

2. **Metafield definition key is not added**

Besides enabling metafield sync, you must also add the **metafield definition key (namespace.key)** that you want to sync.

* Go to **Settings → Share Metafields**
* Make sure **Enable** is checked
* Under **Allow data**, add the metafield definition in this format:\
  `namespace.key`\
  Example: `custom.material`

<figure><img src="/files/z2CHdRpwq6jAl7ozT9CH" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

3. **Unsupported metafield types**\
   Some metafield data types are not supported, such as **Reference types** or **MetaObjects**.

Red: Unsupported metafields that cannot be synced by the app

<figure><img src="/files/xSiwGg1eNEG9byCJQvq2" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

4. **Mismatched metafield types between stores**\
   The metafield in your Source and Destination must have **the same data type and structure**.\
   Common mismatches include:

* One metafield is **Single line text**, while the other is **Multi-line text**.
* One metafield uses **Single value**, while the other uses **List of values**.

To fix these issues, confirm that metafields in both stores have the same **namespace**, **key**, and **data type**, then try syncing again.

***

**🙋 Still need support?**

If you still need help, please feel free to contact us at <hi@tipo.io>. We’ll be happy to assist you further.


---

# Agent Instructions: Querying This Documentation

If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question.

Perform an HTTP GET request on the current page URL with the `ask` query parameter:

```
GET https://docs.tipo.io/product-syncs/sync-metafields.md?ask=<question>
```

The question should be specific, self-contained, and written in natural language.
The response will contain a direct answer to the question and relevant excerpts and sources from the documentation.

Use this mechanism when the answer is not explicitly present in the current page, you need clarification or additional context, or you want to retrieve related documentation sections.