Exporting Metaobjects
The Metaobjects export gets your Shopify metaobjects — the custom content entries you define under Content → Metaobjects (color patterns, size charts, FAQs, and any other custom type) — out as a CSV or Excel file. It spans every connected store by default. For the wizard itself — picking columns, formats, destinations, and schedules — see the exporting overview.
What you can export
In Simple mode you pick from a curated list. The key fields:
| Field | What it is |
|---|---|
| Type | The metaobject definition type (e.g. shopify--color-pattern, size_chart). |
| Handle | The unique handle of the metaobject within its type. |
| Display Name | The preferred display-name field value of the metaobject. |
| Publishable Status | Visibility across channels — ACTIVE or DRAFT. |
| Definition Name / Type | The parent metaobject definition it belongs to. |
| Field Key / Value / Type | Each per-instance field on the metaobject (see below). |
| Store | Which store the metaobject belongs to (name, domain, email, or store id). |
The Capabilities and Creator groups add the definition's capability flags and the staff member or app that authored each metaobject. Template (Advanced) mode opens the full column tree and lets you rename any header.
One row per field
A metaobject holds a set of fields (key/value pairs). When you select any of the Field columns — Field Key, Field Value, Field Type, or Field Definition Key — the export expands to one row per field: a metaobject with five fields becomes five rows, and its identity columns repeat on each. If you don't select any Field column, each metaobject is a single row (with the field detail available as digest columns instead).
Filtering what you export
Each entity in the wizard has its own filter, independent of whatever filter you last used on the Metaobjects dashboard. Common slices:
- Store — limit the export to one or more connected stores.
- Type — one or more metaobject definition types.
- Publishable status — only ACTIVE metaobjects, or only DRAFT.
- Definition name or Definition type — metaobjects of a given definition.
- Handle or Display name — entries whose handle or display name contains a term.
- Created by app — metaobjects authored by a specific app.
- Has online store capability — whether the definition is online-store enabled.
- Created / Updated date — metaobjects within a date range.
Exporting from the dashboard vs the wizard
Every Metaobjects dashboard has an Export button (the Export Builder) for a quick single-entity export scoped to what you're viewing — the Current page of rows, everything matching your Filtered view, only the rows you've Selected, or All metaobjects across your stores. The full Export Wizard is the place for multi-entity bundles and scheduled exports.
Scheduling
Any Metaobjects export can run on a recurring daily, weekly, or monthly schedule instead of once — each run rebuilds from live data and is delivered to your destination. See scheduled exports.
Tutorial: export one metaobject type with all its fields
- Go to Exports → New export (
/exports/new). - In Step 1, tick Metaobjects and click Next.
- In Step 2, keep the Basic columns (Type, Handle, Display Name, Status) and add the Field Key and Field Value columns so each field gets its own row.
- Add a Type filter set to the definition type you want, and a Store filter if you want a single store.
- In Step 3, choose Excel and set the destination to Email.
- In Step 4, name it and click Run now.
Permissions
Exporting is gated by two permissions: View Exports (viewExports) lets a
team member open the Exports area and build an export; Download Exports
(downloadExports) lets them download the finished file. Account owners always
have both.
FAQ
Can I export Shopify metaobjects to Excel? Yes — choose Excel (.xlsx) in
Step 3, or CSV if you prefer. Both carry the same columns.
How do I get each metaobject's field values? Add the Field Key and Field Value columns; the export then produces one row per field on each metaobject.
Why does one metaobject show several rows? Because you selected a Field column — each field becomes its own row, with the metaobject's identity repeated. Leave the Field columns out and each metaobject is a single row.
Can I export just one metaobject type? Yes — add a Type (or Definition name) filter to narrow the export to a single definition.
Can I export metaobjects from all my stores at once? Yes — the export spans every connected store by default. Add a Store filter to narrow it to one.
Can I schedule a metaobjects export? Yes — save it as a daily, weekly, or monthly schedule and each run rebuilds from live data.
Do I need a permission to download the file? Yes — Download Exports gates the download itself, while View Exports gates building the export. Owners have both.