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Creating Custom Templates

Built-in packs cover the most common needs, but your store has unique requirements. Maybe you sell musical instruments and need fields for tuning, string gauge, and body wood. Maybe you run a pet store and need breed-specific attributes. Whatever your niche, you can build a template that matches exactly how your business works.

Creating a Template​

  1. Navigate to the Templates section in the app menu
  2. Select the resource type the template applies to (Products, Collections, Pages, etc.)
  3. Click "Create template"
  4. Enter a title (e.g., "Musical Instrument Specs" or "Pet Product Attributes")
  5. Optionally add a description explaining what the template is for
  6. Click Save

Your template is created. Now add fields to it.

Adding Fields to a Template​

  1. Open your template by clicking "Configure"
  2. Click "Add field"
  3. Choose the field type from the grouped dropdown:
CategoryTypes Available
TextSingle-line text, multi-line text (with rich text editor)
NumericInteger, decimal, rating
Date/TimeDate picker, date & time picker
ReferencesProduct, variant, page, file
SpecializedColor (with picker), weight, volume, dimension, URL, boolean, JSON
SelectionSingle select dropdown, multi-select dropdown
LegacyString, JSON string
  1. Enter a label (the display name your team sees, e.g., "Body Wood")
  2. Set the namespace and key (the technical identifiers spaces are automatically converted to hyphens)
  3. Add optional notes to help your team understand what the field is for
  4. Click the configuration button to set up type-specific validation:

Validation Options by Type​

  • Text fields: Minimum/maximum character length, regex pattern matching
  • Number fields: Minimum/maximum value, decimal precision
  • Rating fields: Scale minimum and maximum
  • Date fields: Allowed date range
  • URL fields: Restrict to specific domains
  • File fields: Allow images, videos, or both
  • Select/Multi-select: Define the dropdown choices (with drag-and-drop reordering)
  • List fields: Minimum/maximum number of items
  1. Click Save

Repeat for each field you need. You can reorder fields within a template using the up/down arrows.

Configuring Template Settings​

Click "Configure" on any template to access its settings:

Status​

Toggle between Active and Disabled. Disabled templates are hidden from the main editing interface but preserve their configuration. Useful for seasonal templates you only need part of the year.

Conditional Filters​

Make a template apply only to specific resources. For example:

  • Show "Electronics Specs" template only for products tagged "electronics"
  • Show "Premium Packaging" fields only for products with vendor "House Brand"
  • Show "VIP Customer Fields" only for customers in a specific country

Available filter conditions:

PropertyOperatorsExample
Tagequals, not equals, contains, starts withTag contains "electronics"
Product Typeequals, not equals, containsProduct type equals "Guitar"
Vendorequals, not equalsVendor equals "House Brand"
Statusequals, not equalsStatus equals "active"
Titleequals, contains, starts withTitle contains "Premium"
Countryequals, not equalsCountry equals "US"

You can add multiple filter rules. Only resources matching all conditions will show the template.

Description​

Add a description explaining what the template is for. This helps team members understand the purpose without asking you.

Editing and Deleting Fields​

  • Edit a field: Click the edit icon on any field to modify its label, notes, or validation rules
  • Reorder fields: Use the up/down arrows to change field order within the template
  • Delete a field: Click the delete icon to remove a field from the template
caution

Deleting a field from a template removes the field definition. If resources already have values stored for that field, the values remain in Shopify but are no longer organized under the template. The data is not lost just no longer grouped.

Deleting a Template​

To remove an entire template:

  1. Navigate to the Templates section
  2. Find the template you want to remove
  3. Click the delete option

Deleting a template removes the organizational grouping. The underlying metafield definitions and any values already stored in Shopify are not deleted.

Tips for Building Good Templates​

Name templates by business function, not technical purpose.

  • Good: "Shipping Information", "Customer Loyalty Data", "Wine Product Details"
  • Avoid: "Custom Fields Set 1", "Extra Metafields", "New Fields"

Keep related fields together. All fields about the same topic should be in one template. Don't scatter SEO fields across three different templates.

Use consistent namespaces. If your template is "Wine Details", use the namespace wine for all fields: wine.grape_variety, wine.vintage, wine.region. This keeps things organized in Shopify's backend too.

Add notes to fields. A note like "Enter the primary grape variety (e.g., Cabernet Sauvignon, Pinot Noir)" saves your team from guessing what format you expect.

Use validation rules. If a rating should be 1-5, set that constraint. If a URL should only link to your domain, restrict it. Validation prevents data quality issues before they start.

Next Steps​