Figuring out which columns a metaobject entries import needs is a common stumbling block. Now Altera can build the file for you, straight from your store’s own metaobject definitions.
🚀 What’s New # Metaobject import templates - go to Tools > Metaobject import template and get an Excel file listing every metaobject definition on your store, one row per field (see guide). Ready-to-fill columns - Handle, Command, Definition: Handle, Field, and Value are already laid out, with a working example value for each field type. Available in Sidekick - ask Shopify Sidekick for the metaobject template and it replies with a download link, no need to open the app. The template is a normal Altera import file: swap in your own handles, edit the values you care about, and import it. It joins the metafield import template released earlier this month (see guide).
Export filters for metaobjects and metaobject definitions are now easier to work with.
Improvements # Multi-select type filter - the “equals any of” relation for the Type filter now uses a searchable dropdown with removable tags instead of a plain text field. Smarter filter defaults - adding a new filter defaults to “Type / equals any of” so you can start picking types right away. AND logic label - when multiple filters are active, a “Results must match all filters” message clarifies that filters combine with AND logic.
Metaobject definition spreadsheets now include the Field: Name column, giving you visibility into the human-readable label for each field.
What’s New # Field: Name column - Metaobject definition exports now include the field name alongside the key, type, and description. Previously, only the field key was included. Import support - Set or update field names when importing metaobject definitions by populating the Field: Name column.
Importing metaobject definitions that reference other definitions in the same file is now fully supported. Before it may have required multiple attempts to import a file with self-references or cross-references.
Fixes # Self-references - definitions with fields that reference themselves (e.g. a “Parent” field on a Category type) no longer fail during import Cross-references - definitions that reference other definitions appearing later in the file are now resolved correctly
Altera already converts many metafield types automatically during import - things like booleans, colors, dates, money, measurements, and rich text. This update extends that support to cover more types.
Improvements # Link metafields - Plain URLs like https://example.com are now converted to Shopify’s required JSON format with url and text keys. Rating metafields - Plain numbers like 4.5 are now wrapped with the correct scale values from your metafield definition. List types - List variants of link and color types are now converted automatically. Metaobject fields - Metaobject imports now use the same conversion logic as product metafields, so all type conversions work consistently across both.
A new export option makes it easier to move data between stores by letting you choose how file and image references are written: as the file name (default, good for re-import) or as the CDN URL (e.g. https://cdn.shopify.com/...).
🔧 Improvements # File name format – In Advanced options when creating an export, File name format lets you pick File name (default) or CDN URL for file references. Use file names when you need portable values for the destination store; use CDN URL when you need direct links. Applies to metaobject file/image fields and to file reference metafields on products, orders, and other object types.
You can now control the URL handle for metaobject definitions when importing and exporting.
🚀 What’s New # Capability: Online Store URL Handle – new field for metaobject definitions that sets the URL path for published entries. On import, the handle defaults to the definition’s type but can be overridden with a custom value. On export, the configured URL handle is now included in the export data.
Metaobject definitions that reference other metaobjects can now be exported from one store and imported into another.
🚀 What’s New # Cross-store metaobject definitions – field validations that reference other metaobject definitions now use portable type handles instead of store-specific GIDs. Flexible import format – imports accept both comma-separated type handles (author, brand) and legacy GID format for backwards compatibility. 🔧 Improvements # Cleaner exports – multiple definition references now export as author, brand, store_location instead of JSON arrays. 🐛 Fixes # Reference validation – importing a definition that references a non-existent metaobject definition now shows a clear error message (MOBD006) instead of failing silently.
Metaobject exports now convert reference field GIDs to handles or filenames, making it simple to import metaobjects with references across different Shopify stores.
🔧 Improvements # Metaobject reference fields – now export as handles instead of GIDs, matching the behavior of regular reference metafields on products and other objects. Cross-store migrations – metaobjects with reference fields can now be imported to different stores without manual GID updates. This brings metaobject exports in line with how other reference metafields work. Metaobject imports already support using handles or filenames instead of GIDs, so you can now complete a full export-import cycle across stores without editing your files.
We’ve made it easier to export only the metaobjects you need by adding a type filter.
🚀 What’s New # Type filter – Limit metaobject exports to a specific definition type using the type filter (see docs). 🔧 Improvements # Filter support – Metaobject exports also accept handle and updated_at filters, consistent with other object types (see docs).
