Shopify Content Types Explained: Store Metadata, Metaobjects & Theme

When you open a translation app like LangSEO, you'll see familiar content types — Products, Collections, Pages. But three types consistently puzzle merchants: Store Metadata, Metaobjects, and Online Store Theme.

This guide explains exactly what each one contains, shows real-world examples, and helps you decide which ones to translate for your multilingual store.

A note on naming: LangSEO uses the same content type names and categories as Shopify's built-in Translate & Adapt app. This means you can easily cross-reference between the two — for example, if you want to manually edit a specific translation after LangSEO has done the heavy lifting, you'll find it under the exact same category in Shopify's official app. No mental mapping required.

1. Store Metadata (Metafields)

What is it?

Metafields are custom data fields attached to Shopify resources. Think of them as "extra columns" you can add to your products, collections, pages, or shop itself. Shopify groups all shop-level metafields under the label "Store Metadata" in translation tools.

You (or your apps) create metafields to store information that Shopify doesn't natively support — sizing charts, care instructions, delivery promises, ingredient lists, custom badges, FAQ content, etc.

Real-world examples

Why some metafields are NOT translatable

Not all metafields contain human-readable text. Many store technical data (IDs, URLs, JSON config, color codes, numeric values). LangSEO automatically filters these out by checking the field type — only text-based types (single-line text, multi-line text, rich text, HTML) are shown for translation.

Tip: If you see metafields from apps you don't recognize, they're usually internal app configuration. LangSEO hides its own internal metafields and known third-party app data automatically.

Where do Store Metadata translations appear?

Anywhere your theme references {{ shop.metafields.custom.your_field }} or {{ product.metafields.custom.your_field }}. Common locations:

• Product page tabs (Size Guide, Materials, Shipping Info)
• Header announcements or banners
• Footer information blocks
• Custom sections built by page builder apps

2. Metaobjects

What is it?

Metaobjects are Shopify's custom content types — structured data entries that you define from scratch. Unlike metafields (which attach TO existing resources), metaobjects ARE their own standalone resources.

Think of metaobjects as a lightweight CMS within Shopify. You define a "schema" (e.g., "Team Member" with fields: name, bio, photo, role), then create entries that your theme displays.

Real-world examples

Common metaobject use cases

• Team / About Us pages — staff bios, roles, departments
• FAQ sections — question/answer pairs with categories
• Testimonials — customer quotes, star ratings, reviewer names
• Store Locations — addresses, hours, descriptions
• Size Guides — measurement tables with fit notes
• Blog author profiles — names, bios displayed on articles
• Ingredient/Material databases — descriptions, benefits

Metaobjects vs Metafields — key difference

Metafields = extra fields ON products, collections, shop (attached to existing things).
Metaobjects = entirely new content entries (standalone things with their own schema).

Both are translatable in LangSEO. Both appear on your storefront wherever your theme references them.

3. Online Store Theme

What is it?

Your Shopify theme contains hundreds of hard-coded text strings — button labels, form placeholders, error messages, accessibility text, section headers, and UI copy that appears across your store.

In translation tools, "Online Store Theme" refers to these theme-level strings that are defined in your theme's locale files (locales/en.default.json) and section schemas.

Real-world examples

Why translating theme strings matters

Even if your products are perfectly translated, untranslated theme strings break the immersion. Imagine a French customer browsing your store: product titles and descriptions are in French, but every button says "Add to cart", the search bar says "Search our store", and error messages appear in English. This feels unprofessional and erodes trust.

Does Shopify translate themes automatically?

Shopify's official themes (like Dawn) ship with translations for many languages. However:

• Coverage varies — not all languages are included, and some translations are generic
• Custom themes (purchased from Theme Store or built by developers) often only include English
• Customizations you made in the theme editor (section headings, announcement text, menu labels) are NOT automatically translated
• App-injected content often adds new theme strings that have no translations

Note: LangSEO intelligently skips system-level keys (like Shopify's internal checkout strings) and non-translatable content (structured data, code references). Only genuinely customer-visible text is shown for translation.

What about "system translations"?

Some theme strings are already translated by Shopify's built-in system (common UI terms). LangSEO's auto-skip feature detects these and avoids re-translating content that already has a current translation — saving you characters and cost.

Quick Comparison

Translation Priority Recommendation

1. Products & Collections — directly impacts purchase decisions and SEO
2. Pages — About, FAQ, shipping policy build trust
3. Theme — makes the entire UI feel native
4. Store Metadata — if your theme displays custom metafield content
5. Metaobjects — if you use custom content types on your storefront
6. Email Templates — post-purchase communication

Use LangSEO's "Translate All Types" button to translate everything in one click, or pick specific types to translate incrementally.

References: Shopify Dev — Metafields, Shopify Dev — Metaobjects, Shopify Dev — Theme Locales