Does Matrixify support Shopify metaobject definitions? No, but Altera does

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Short answer: No. Matrixify imports and exports metaobject entries, but it does not support metaobject definitions. It cannot export, create, update, or migrate the definitions that describe what fields a metaobject type has, what types those fields accept, and which capabilities are enabled. Altera does all of this, and it also reads and writes regular Matrixify files. You are not learning a new app. You keep the spreadsheets and workflow you already know and add metaobject definitions to them.

Matrixify vs. Altera for metaobject definitions
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Task	Matrixify	Altera
Import and export metaobject entries	Yes	Yes
Export all metaobject definitions to a spreadsheet	No	Yes
Create metaobject definitions in bulk from a spreadsheet	No	Yes
Define fields with key, name, type, required flag, and display name	No	Yes
Set field validations (min, max, regex, choices, file types, allowed metaobject types)	No	Yes
Set capabilities (active/draft status, translations, web pages, URL handle, Storefront API access)	No	Yes
Set Admin API and Storefront API access levels	No	Yes
Migrate definitions between stores	No	Yes
Enable Shopify’s product category definitions (color, material, style) on a store	No	Yes
Delete definitions in bulk	No	Yes

Matrixify’s documentation says that metaobject definitions need to exist in the store before entries can be imported. It leaves creating them to you.

Altera is the Matrixify workflow you already know, plus metaobject definitions
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Altera reads and writes the same spreadsheet format as Matrixify. Switching does not mean learning a new app or rebuilding your files. What carries over:

Your existing Matrixify product, customer, order, collection, and metaobject entry files import into Altera without changes.
The same column conventions: an ID column to match existing records, a Command column with MERGE, NEW, UPDATE, and DELETE, and one row per field or validation rule.
The same export and import flow: filter, download a spreadsheet, edit it, upload it back.

Metaobject definitions are added on top of that. The definitions sheet uses the conventions above, so if you have imported metaobject entries or products with Matrixify, the layout is already familiar. Altera also covers the other data types Matrixify does not: metafield definitions, inventory transfers, market translations, linked product options, sales channel publishing, multiple barcodes per variant, and variant sales channel publishing.

You can run Altera alongside Matrixify if you prefer, since both tools read the same files. Most merchants do not need to.

What Shopify metaobject definitions are
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A metaobject definition is a custom data structure, managed under Settings, then Custom data, in the Shopify admin (see Shopify’s metaobjects help page). It works like a database table schema. Entries of that type are managed under Content, then Metaobjects. A definition says “an Author has a Name, a Bio, and a Photo”. An entry is one actual author.

Each definition records:

Name, type handle (for example author), and description.
Fields, each with a key, a name, a description, a type (text, rich text, number, date, file, product reference, metaobject reference, and so on), a required flag, and whether it is the display name.
Validations per field: minimum and maximum, regex, allowed choices, allowed file types, or which metaobject types a reference may point to.
Capabilities: active/draft status, translations, publish entries as web pages, the URL handle for those pages, and Storefront API access.
Access levels for the Admin API and the Storefront API.

Why metaobject definitions matter for store migrations
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Metaobject entries cannot exist without their definition. When you migrate a store that uses metaobjects for authors, FAQs, size charts, ingredients, or custom page sections, every definition has to be in the target store before the first entry is imported. Without a tool that handles definitions, this means:

Recreating every definition and every field by hand, with the right key, type, validations, and capabilities.
A missing field or a wrong type makes the entry import fail.
Cross-references between metaobject types (a Product Feature that points at a Brand) have to be rebuilt in the right order.
Capabilities such as web page publishing and URL handles are easy to forget, and the storefront breaks quietly when they are.

How to import metaobject definitions with Altera
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Altera treats metaobject definitions as a standard data type with import, export, and bulk update, and the sheet works the way a Matrixify import already does. To create definitions in bulk:

Create a spreadsheet with one row per field. The first row of each definition holds the definition-level columns (Type, Name, Description, Access: and Capability: columns); the following rows only need the Field: columns.
For each field, set Field: Key, Field: Name, and Field: Type (for example single_line_text_field). Mark one field as Field: Display Name = TRUE and set Field: Required where needed.
For validations, add Validation: Name and Validation: Value columns on the field’s row. For metaobject_reference and mixed_reference fields, put the allowed type handles in the value, for example author, brand.
Set capabilities with the Capability: columns, for example Capability: Publish entries as web pages = TRUE and Capability: Online Store URL Handle = faqs.
Leave ID blank to create new definitions, or set Command to MERGE to create or update in one pass. Existing definitions are matched by ID, then by type.
Upload the file to Altera and run the import.

To update existing definitions, fill in the ID or Type column and include only the columns you want to change. Command = DELETE removes a definition that no entries reference.

Download the sample metaobject definitions file to see the layout, or read the metaobject definition field reference for every column. Once the definitions exist, Altera can generate a metaobject entries import template pre-filled with your store’s own definitions.

How to migrate metaobject definitions between stores
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Export metaobject definitions from the source store with Altera.
Import the file into the target store. References to other metaobject types are exported as type handles (for example author or author, brand) instead of store-specific IDs, so the file imports without editing. A referenced type has to exist in the target store, so import definitions that are referenced by others first.
Import the metafield definitions that point at these metaobject types.
Import metaobject entries afterwards, with Altera or with your existing Matrixify files.

Shopify’s own product category definitions (types starting with shopify--, such as color, material, and style) cannot be created through the API, but Altera enables them on the target store when they appear in the import. This matters when migrating products that use category attributes.

How to export metaobject definitions with Altera
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An export writes every definition to one spreadsheet. Exports include:

ID, type, name, description, and the number of entries using the definition
Admin API and Storefront API access levels
Capability columns: active/draft status, translations, publish entries as web pages, Online Store URL handle, Storefront API access
One row per field, with key, name, description, type, required flag, and display name flag
Validation name, type, and value per field

Exports can be filtered by type, or by whether the definition is managed by Shopify.

Frequently asked questions
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Does Matrixify support Shopify metaobject definitions?

No. Matrixify imports and exports metaobject entries only. It cannot export, create, update, or migrate metaobject definitions, which describe each metaobject type’s fields, field types, validations, capabilities, and access settings. Altera supports all of these using the same Matrixify-compatible spreadsheet format.

Do I have to learn a new app to use Altera for metaobject definitions?

No. Altera reads and writes the same spreadsheet format as Matrixify, so your existing product, customer, order, and metaobject entry files import unchanged. The metaobject definitions sheet uses the conventions you already know: an ID column, a Command column with MERGE, NEW, UPDATE, and DELETE, and one row per field. You keep what you know and add metaobject definitions to it.

What is the difference between a metaobject definition and a metaobject entry?

A definition is the blueprint. It says an Author has a Name (text), a Bio (rich text), and a Photo (image). An entry is one actual author with a specific name, bio, and photo. Matrixify handles entries. Altera handles both.

Can I migrate metaobject definitions between Shopify stores with Matrixify?

No. With Matrixify you have to recreate every definition and every field by hand in the target store before importing entries. With Altera you export the definitions from the source store and import the file into the target store. References to other metaobject types export as portable type handles instead of store-specific IDs, so the file works across stores.

What happens if I import metaobject entries without definitions?

The import fails. Shopify requires a matching metaobject definition before an entry can be created, so Matrixify returns an error for every entry whose definition is missing. Importing the definitions first with Altera avoids this.

Can I keep using Matrixify for other data and use Altera only for metaobject definitions?

Yes. Both tools read the same files, so you can run them side by side. Most merchants find they do not need to, because Altera handles the regular Matrixify data types (products, customers, orders, metaobject entries, and so on) as well as metaobject definitions.

See the full Altera vs. Matrixify comparison for every difference between the two tools, or the FAQ for more common questions.

Matrixify vs. Altera for metaobject definitions#

Altera is the Matrixify workflow you already know, plus metaobject definitions#

What Shopify metaobject definitions are#

Why metaobject definitions matter for store migrations#

How to import metaobject definitions with Altera#

How to migrate metaobject definitions between stores#

How to export metaobject definitions with Altera#

Frequently asked questions#