Shopify metaobjects are the platform’s answer to structured content management. Launched in 2023, they let merchants create custom content types like size guides, FAQ entries, ingredient lists, and store locators - each with multiple fields organized into a defined schema. If you run an international store, knowing how to translate metaobjects on Shopify is critical because this content often contains the exact information customers need before making a purchase decision.
The challenge is that most Shopify translation apps were built before metaobjects existed. They handle the traditional resources - products, collections, pages, blog posts - but leave metaobjects completely untranslated. Your French customer sees a perfectly translated product page, scrolls down to the size guide rendered from a metaobject, and hits a wall of English. That gap in the localized experience costs conversions.
What Are Shopify Metaobjects?
Metaobjects are Shopify’s structured content system. While metafields attach a single piece of custom data to an existing resource (like a “material” field on a product), metaobjects are standalone content entries with their own schema of multiple fields.
Think of metaobjects as custom database tables. You define the structure once - a “Size Guide” type with fields for category, body measurements, size labels, and fit notes - then create as many entries as you need. Each entry is its own content record that can be referenced from products, pages, or theme sections.
Common metaobject use cases include:
- Size guides with measurement tables, fit advice, and model reference data
- FAQ entries with question and answer pairs used across multiple pages
- Store locator entries with addresses, hours, descriptions, and service details
- Ingredient lists for food, cosmetics, or supplements with names and descriptions
- Material descriptions explaining fabric composition, sourcing, and care properties
- Team member profiles with bios, roles, and expertise descriptions
- Product care instructions with step-by-step maintenance guides
Each of these contains text fields that your international customers need to read in their language. A size guide that says “Measure around the fullest part of your chest” is useless to a customer who reads only Spanish.
Why Metaobject Translation Is a Blind Spot
The reason metaobjects are so often left untranslated comes down to tooling. Shopify’s own Translate & Adapt app was slow to add metaobject support, and many third-party translation apps still do not cover them. Merchants who diligently translate products, collections, and pages often have no idea that their metaobject content is showing up in English for every international visitor.
This blind spot is particularly damaging because metaobjects tend to hold high-value content. A size guide is not a nice-to-have - it directly reduces returns by helping customers pick the right size. An FAQ section answers pre-purchase questions that block conversions. When this content is untranslated, it cannot do its job for international customers.
Metaobjects also power theme sections through Shopify’s dynamic sources feature. A store might display FAQ entries on the product page, size guides in a popup, and store locations on a dedicated page - all pulled from metaobjects. Every one of these touchpoints shows untranslated content if the metaobjects are not localized.
For a comparison of which translation apps support metaobjects and which do not, see the comparison page.
How Metaobject Translation Differs from Metafields
If you have already translated metafields on your store (see the metafield translation guide for details), metaobject translation follows a similar logic but with more structure to consider.
Multiple fields per entry. A metafield is a single key-value pair. A metaobject entry can have 5, 10, or more fields. A “Size Guide” metaobject might have a title (single_line_text), description (rich_text), fit_notes (multi_line_text), and size_chart_html (rich_text). Each text field within the entry needs translation.
Relationships between objects. Metaobjects can reference other metaobjects. A “Product Care” metaobject might reference individual “Care Step” metaobjects. When translating, every object in the chain needs its text fields translated for the full content to appear localized.
Schema-level control. Because metaobjects have defined schemas, you can make translation decisions at the schema level rather than field by field. You decide once that the “Size Guide” type’s title, description, and fit_notes fields should be translated, and that decision applies to every size guide entry. Non-text fields like display_order (integer) or icon (file_reference) are automatically excluded.
Step-by-Step: Translating Metaobjects with LocaleFlow
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Install LocaleFlow from the Shopify App Store and connect your store. LocaleFlow scans your store’s metaobject definitions to identify all custom content types and their field schemas.
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Open the Metaobjects section in your LocaleFlow dashboard. You will see a list of all metaobject types defined in your store - size guides, FAQ entries, store locations, and any other custom types you have created.
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Select metaobject types and fields. For each metaobject type, choose which text fields should be translated. A “Size Guide” type might have five fields, but only three are text-based and customer-facing. Toggle those on and leave non-text or internal fields off.
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Choose your target languages. Select from the languages configured in your Shopify Markets settings.
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Run the translation. LocaleFlow processes every entry of each selected metaobject type. If you have 15 size guide entries and 40 FAQ entries, all of them get translated across all your target languages in one batch.
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Verify rendered content. Preview your store in each language and check the pages where metaobject content appears - product pages with size guides, FAQ sections, store locator pages. Confirm that the translated content renders correctly within your theme’s layout.
After the initial translation, LocaleFlow monitors your metaobjects for changes. When you add a new FAQ entry, update a size guide, or create a new store location, the translations sync automatically.
Practical Tips for Metaobject Translation
Audit your metaobject types before translating. Go to Settings > Custom data > Metaobjects in your Shopify admin to see every type and its fields. Some stores accumulate metaobject types that are no longer used or are internal-only. Translate only the types that render on your storefront.
Pay attention to rich_text fields. Metaobjects frequently use rich_text for descriptions, guides, and instructions. These fields contain HTML with formatting, tables, and sometimes embedded images. LocaleFlow preserves the HTML structure and translates only the text content, but you should verify that longer translated text fits within your theme’s containers, especially for table-based size guides.
Translate referenced metaobjects together. If your “Product Page” section references a “Size Guide” metaobject that in turn references “Measurement Tip” metaobjects, translate all three types. Missing translations at any level in the chain create a mixed-language experience.
Use this as a competitive advantage. Because most translation apps skip metaobjects, stores that translate them stand out. Your competitor’s French customers see English size guides. Yours see everything in French. That difference shows up in conversion rates and return rates.
Ready to translate your metaobjects? Install LocaleFlow from the Shopify App Store and start translating today.
Written by Kwadwo Adu, Co-founder of LocaleFlow