Matrixify Option1 Linked To: Import & Export Metafield-Linked Variant Options on Shopify

Shopify’s linked product options (metafield-linked product options in the developer docs) let you connect a variant option like Color or Material to a category metafield or to your own metaobjects. Instead of free-text option values, each value references a metaobject entry. That connection is what makes color swatches, standardized size lists, and material specs work on a product. In the Shopify admin it shows up as the connected source on a variant option, and the Help Center describes it as adding color swatches using category metafields.

Matrixify has no way to import or export linked product options. Altera does, through Option1 Linked To, Option2 Linked To, and Option3 Linked To columns in the same Matrixify-compatible spreadsheet. You can connect the Color option to the color metafield on all your products at once instead of opening each product in the admin.

What linked product options are

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Linked product options are variant options that are connected to metaobject entries through a product metafield. Shopify introduced them as part of its updated product model.

Here’s how the pieces fit together:

1. Metaobject entries hold the structured option values. A “Color” metaobject might have entries like “Ocean Blue” (with a hex code, swatch image, and taxonomy reference) and “Graphite”.
2. A product metafield of type list.metaobject_reference connects the product to those entries.
3. The product option (for example, “Color”) is linked to that metafield, so its values come from the metaobject entries instead of free text.

This is different from regular product options, where values like “Red” or “Large” are plain strings with no structured data behind them.

The same feature under different names

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Depending on where you read about it, the same feature is called:

• In the Shopify admin and Help Center: connecting a variant option to a category metafield. An option that has been connected shows a connected source; one that has not shows “No connected source”.
• In the Shopify developer docs and GraphQL API: metafield-linked product options, set through linkedMetafield and linkedMetafieldValue.
• In the Shopify product CSV: the Option1 Linked To column. Shopify’s CSV documentation spells it Option1 LinkedTo, and merchants on the forums often write “Option 1 Linked to”. It is the same column.

Why linked options matter

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• Color swatches. Connect the Color option to a color metafield with hex codes and swatch images, so your theme renders visual swatches instead of text labels.
• Standardized values. Update a metaobject entry once (for example, rename “Black” to “Graphite”) and every product that references it updates.
• Category metafields. Connect options to Shopify’s standard taxonomy (like shopify.color-pattern) so your products work with Shopify’s marketplace integrations and standardized filters.
• Custom types. Link to your own metaobject types like “Fabric”, “Finish”, or “Scent” with whatever fields your business needs.

Matrixify does not support linked options

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Matrixify does not import or export metafield-linked product options. Its Products sheet has Option1 Name and Option1 Value columns but no Option1 Linked To column, so the connection between an option and its metaobjects is not part of the file.

If you rely on Matrixify to manage your product catalog, this makes it difficult to:

• Migrate products with linked options between stores. The metaobject connections are lost on the way.
• Convert existing products from plain-text variant options to linked options in bulk.
• Bulk-update which metaobject entries are linked to which product options.
• Audit your product catalog to see which options are linked and which are still plain text.
• Set up linked options in bulk instead of connecting them one by one in the Shopify admin.

Merchants asking on the Shopify Community how to automatically assign category metafields to products, or how to link the Color option to the color metafield across all products, are usually pointed at the GraphQL API or told to do it by hand. One merchant reported hiring someone to connect the option manually on 2,645 products.

How Altera handles linked product options

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Altera adds dedicated spreadsheet columns for linked option data. Altera reads and writes regular Matrixify files, so this is one extra column in the product export you already use, not a new format to learn.

The Option Linked To columns

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The Option1 Linked To, Option2 Linked To, and Option3 Linked To columns specify which product metafield definition each option is connected to. For example:

The value has the form product.metafields.{namespace}.{key}, the same form Shopify’s own product CSV uses. For Shopify’s standard category metafields that is product.metafields.shopify.color-pattern for color or product.metafields.shopify.size for size. The referenced definition must be a product metafield of type list of metaobject references. Shopify standard definitions are enabled automatically; custom definitions need to exist in the store first.

Metaobject handles instead of IDs

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Option values use metaobject handles in your spreadsheet. Altera resolves these handles to Shopify’s internal IDs during import. You don’t need to look up or manage Shopify IDs; use the handles from your metaobject entries.

Custom metaobject types

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You can link options to your own custom metaobject types by referencing the metafield namespace and key. This works with any metaobject type you’ve created, not only Shopify’s standard ones.

Connect variant options to category metafields on all products at once

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If your store has existing products with plain-text variant options, Altera converts them to linked options in a single import:

1. Export your products with Altera, including Variant ID, Option1 Name, Option1 Value, and Option1 Linked To.
2. In Option1 Linked To, enter the metafield definition to connect the option to, for example product.metafields.shopify.color-pattern.
3. Replace the plain-text option values with the matching metaobject handles (for example, black instead of “Black”).
4. Import the file. Altera converts every product in the file in place and keeps the existing variant IDs, so inventory, history, and anything else keyed to a variant stays attached.

Standard category metafields such as color and size can only be connected on products whose category has that attribute, so check the product’s category (the Type column) if a link fails. The same import can also change which metafield an already-linked option points to, in either direction between Shopify standard and custom metafields.

Frequently asked questions

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What are linked product options in Shopify? Linked product options (also called metafield-linked product options) are variant options connected to metaobject entries through a product metafield. Instead of plain-text values like “Red”, the option values reference structured metaobject entries that can include hex codes, images, and taxonomy references. In the Shopify admin, the metafield shows as the option’s connected source.

What is the Option1 Linked To column in the Shopify product CSV? It records which product metafield a variant option is connected to, in the form product.metafields.shopify.color-pattern. Shopify’s CSV documentation spells it Option1 LinkedTo. The column is not for making one option’s values depend on another option; that is a common misreading on the forums. Altera imports and exports the same column in Matrixify-compatible files.

How do I link the Color option to the color metafield on all my products at once? Use Altera. Altera is a Shopify import/export app that reads Matrixify spreadsheets. Export your products, put product.metafields.shopify.color-pattern in the Option1 Linked To column, replace the option values with the color metaobject handles, and import. Altera connects the option on every product in the file and keeps the variant IDs.

Can I add color swatches using category metafields in bulk? Yes. Swatches appear once the Color option is connected to the color category metafield and your theme supports swatches. Altera makes that connection for every product in one import, so you don’t have to connect the option product by product in the admin.

Can I import linked product options with a spreadsheet? Yes. Altera imports and exports linked product options using Option1 Linked To, Option2 Linked To, and Option3 Linked To columns in your spreadsheet. Option values reference metaobject handles, and Altera resolves them to Shopify IDs automatically.

Does Matrixify support linked product options? No. Matrixify does not import or export metafield-linked product options, and its Products sheet has no Option1 Linked To column. Use Altera for linked options and keep using Matrixify-format files for everything else.

Can I convert existing products from plain variant options to linked options? Yes. Altera converts plain-text variant options to metafield-linked options in bulk. Export your products, add an Option1 Linked To column, swap plain option values for the matching metaobject handles, and re-import. Altera applies the conversion to every product in the file and keeps the existing variant data intact.

Can I change which metafield an option is linked to? Yes. Set a different metafield in Option1 Linked To and import. Altera re-links the option and keeps all variant IDs, as long as every option value has a matching metaobject entry in the new type.

What are category metafields? Category metafields are Shopify’s standard metafield definitions tied to the product taxonomy, like shopify.color-pattern for colors or shopify.material for materials. Connecting your product options to these enables standardized color swatches, marketplace integrations, and taxonomy-based filtering.

Can I link options to custom metaobject types? Yes. Altera supports linking to both Shopify’s standard category metafields and your own custom metaobject types. Reference the metafield as product.metafields.{namespace}.{key} in the Option1 Linked To column.

What happens if I import products with linked options into a store that doesn’t have the metaobject definitions? The metaobject definitions and entries need to exist in the target store first. Use Altera’s metaobject definition import/export to transfer definitions, then import your entries, and finally import your products with linked options.

Can I use Altera’s linked product options with Matrixify for everything else? Yes. Altera uses the same Matrixify-compatible spreadsheet format. You can use Matrixify for data types it supports and Altera for linked product options, translations and market adaptations, metafield definitions, metaobject definitions, inventory transfers, and other data types Matrixify doesn’t cover.

See our full Altera vs. Matrixify comparison for a breakdown of all the differences between the two tools, or check the FAQ for more common questions.

Import and export linked product options with Altera.