Goal: Export metafield definitions from your Shopify store to a spreadsheet, make changes if needed, and import them to update existing definitions or transfer them to another store.
Video walkthrough: Watch the 2-minute video
Prerequisites:
You have Altera installed on your Shopify store
Metafield definitions exist in your store (for exporting)
Step 1 - Export Metafield Definitions
In your Shopify admin, go to Apps and open Altera. Click New Export and select Metafield Definitions as the data type.
Choose which owner types to export (Products, Variants, Customers, Orders, etc.) based on which metafield definitions you need. Click Start Export and wait for the export to complete.
Step 2 - Download and Review the Spreadsheet
Once the export finishes, click Download to save the spreadsheet file to your computer. Open the file in your spreadsheet application.
You will see columns including:
ID (the unique identifier for each metafield definition)
Name (the display name shown in Shopify admin)
Owner Type (which object type it belongs to: PRODUCT, PRODUCTVARIANT, ORDER, CUSTOMER, etc.)
Namespace and Key (the technical identifiers that make up the metafield reference)
Type: Name (the data type like
single_line_text_field,number_integer, etc.)Validation columns (any validation rules applied to the definition)
Pinned: Is Pinned (whether the definition appears prominently in the admin)
Step 3 - Make Changes (Optional)
If you want to update your metafield definitions, edit the values in your spreadsheet. Common edits include:
Changing the Name to update display labels
Updating the Description to provide better guidance
Modifying Pinned: Is Pinned to change admin visibility
Adjusting validation values
Note that Namespace, Key, Owner Type, and Type: Name can only be set when creating new definitions and cannot be changed on existing ones.
Step 4 - Import the Spreadsheet
Return to Altera and click Upload file on the home page. Select your spreadsheet file.
The app will analyze the file and show you a preview of the changes. Since the Command column defaults to MERGE, existing definitions will be updated with your changes, and new definitions will be created if they don't exist.
Review the preview and click Start import to apply the changes.
Outcome
Your metafield definitions are now updated or created in your Shopify store. You can verify this by going to Settings > Custom data in your Shopify admin and checking the metafield definitions for each object type.
Transferring Definitions Between Stores
To transfer metafield definitions from one store to another:
Export the definitions from your source store using the steps above
Install Altera on your destination store
Import the same spreadsheet file to the destination store
The definitions will be created in the destination store using the same namespace, key, and settings.
Example
ID | Name | Owner Type | Namespace | Key | Type: Name |
123456 | Material | PRODUCT | custom | material | single_line_text_field |
789012 | Weight | PRODUCTVARIANT | custom | weight | number_decimal |
456789 | Loyalty Points | CUSTOMER | custom | loyalty_points | number_integer |