Shipturtle Metafield I

Introduction to Metafields in Shipturtle

Metafields in Shipturtle allow you to store and manage custom data on top of standard Shopify fields, helping you personalize and extend your store's functionality. They act as flexible containers for additional information related to products, orders, vendors, customers, and more—information that Shopify doesn’t natively support.

For example, in Shipturtle, you can use metafields to store things like:

• Custom shipping instructions for vendors
  
  
• Internal tags for vendor-specific pricing
  
  
• Warehouse location references
  
  
• Product certification or compliance data
  
  
• Auction-related metadata or subscription details
  
  

Shipturtle reads and writes metafields to enhance workflows such as order routing, vendor-specific logic, and custom display content—all while keeping your Shopify data structure clean and consistent.

By using metafields, Shipturtle enables a more tailored and scalable way to handle store-specific or vendor-specific requirements without needing to hard-code or manually manage this data elsewhere.

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Key Features of Metafields in Shipturtle

1. Custom Data Storage
   Add structured custom data to Shopify resources like products, orders, vendors, customers, and more—directly from within Shipturtle.
   
   
2. Support for Multiple Data Types
   Store a wide range of data types, including text, numbers, dates, URLs, JSON, booleans, files, and references to other Shopify resources.
   
   
3. Vendor-Specific Customization
   Use metafields to add vendor-specific logic or information—such as commission rates, return policies, shipping preferences, or branding notes.
   
   
4. Enhanced Order Workflows
   Attach custom metafields to orders for workflow automation, like shipping instructions, delivery time preferences, or internal flags.
   
   
5. Dynamic Product Enrichment
   Extend product information by adding specifications, material details, certifications, care instructions, or any other custom attributes.
   
   
6. Integration with Shopify Admin & API
   All metafields managed via Shipturtle are fully compatible with Shopify’s admin and API, ensuring data sync across systems.
   
   
7. Used in Automation Rules
   Leverage metafields in Shipturtle’s automation engine—for example, triggering actions based on specific values or vendor types.
   
   
8. Private & Public Metafields
   Choose whether your metafield is meant for internal (private) use or visible on the storefront (public), giving you control over data visibility.
   
   
9. Import & Export Support
   Easily bulk import/export metafields using Shipturtle’s CSV tools or through API integrations, saving time on manual data entry.
   
   
10. Seamless UI for Management
    User-friendly interface within Shipturtle to create, edit, and view metafields—no coding required for common tasks.
    
    

Flow to Use Metafields in Shipturtle

1. Navigate to the Metafields Section
   
   
   
   • Log in to your Shipturtle admin panel.
     
     
   • Go to Settings → Metafields, or access metafield options from relevant sections like Products, Orders, or Vendors.
     
     
2. Choose the Resource Type
   
   
   
   • Select the resource you want to attach metafields to:
     
     
     
     • Products
       
       
     • Orders
       
       
     • Vendors
       
       
     • Customers
       
       
     • Collections (if supported)
       
       
3. Create a New Metafield Definition
   
   
   
   • Click on “Add New Metafield” or “Create Metafield Definition”.
     
     
   • Fill in the required fields:
     
     
     
     • Namespace & Key (unique identifier)
       
       
     • Name/Label (for display)
       
       
     • Data Type (e.g., text, number, boolean, file, reference)
       
       
     • Description (optional, for internal use)
       
       
     • Scope (public or private visibility)
       
       
4. Assign Metafield to an Entity
   
   
   
   • Go to the specific entity (e.g., a product or order) you want to enrich.
     
     
   • Scroll to the Metafields section on the detail page.
     
     
   • Enter the value for each defined metafield manually, or via bulk upload/API.
     
     
5. Save and Sync with Shopify
   
   
   
   • Once values are entered, click Save.
     
     
   • The metafield data is stored and synced with the Shopify backend automatically.
     
     
6. Use Metafields in Workflows or Automations (Optional)
   
   
   
   • Use metafield values in Shipturtle automations (e.g., route orders based on a metafield condition like “express_delivery = true”).
     
     
   • Reference metafields in custom invoice templates, shipping rules, or custom vendor instructions.
     
     
7. View or Edit Metafields Anytime
   
   
   
   • Return to any resource’s detail page to update metafields as needed.
     
     
   • Changes are synced in real-time with Shopify.
     
     
8. Bulk Import or Export Metafield Data (Optional)
   
   
   
   • Use Shipturtle’s CSV import/export tool to update metafields in bulk.
     
     
   • Ensure the namespace/key matches your definitions to avoid overwrite errors.
     
     
9. API Access (For Advanced Users)
   
   
   
   • Developers can use the Shopify API or Shipturtle API (if available) to programmatically read/write metafield values for large-scale or dynamic updates.

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