metaobject

An entry of a custom content definition (metaobject). Read an authored field by its definition key, for example metaobject.material.value, or iterate metaobject.fields; each item has key, type, and value. An unknown, non-authored top-level property resolves to nil and never falls through to backend row state.

Available in

metaobjects.TYPE.HANDLE and bracket-notation lookups;
metaobject_definition.values loops and pagination;
metafield values that reference a metaobject; and
the metaobject root while rendering a published metaobject web-page template.

Only storefront-visible entries are returned. Publish status is enforced for definitions that enable the publishable capability; non-publishable definitions do not have a draft/published lifecycle. Missing and cross-store entries resolve to nil. The global metaobjects[type] lookup rejects app-owned app-- types; referenced entries retain their normal storefront-visibility checks.

Examples

Read authored fields

{% assign cotton = metaobjects['material']['cotton'] %}
{% if cotton %}
  <h2>{{ cotton.name }}</h2>
  <p>{{ cotton.description.value }}</p>
{% endif %}

Example output:

<h2>Organic cotton</h2>
<p>Soft, breathable and responsibly sourced.</p>

Keep authored fields separate from system identity

Use system whenever an authored field could be named id, handle, type, or url:

Entry handle: {{ metaobject.system.handle }}
Authored handle label: {{ metaobject['handle'].value }}
Storefront URL: {{ metaobject.system.url | default: metaobject.url }}

system.url/metaobject.url is normalized to a storefront-relative URL. An explicit HTTP(S) URL contributes its path, query, and fragment; otherwise the Drop uses /metaobjects/TYPE/HANDLE. The page route still requires the definition’s online-store capability, so data-only definitions should not be linked as pages.

Iterate authored fields

<dl>
  {% for field in metaobject.fields %}
    <dt>{{ field.key }}</dt>
    <dd>{{ field.value.value }}</dd>
  {% endfor %}
</dl>

An unknown top-level field returns nil; it never exposes model timestamps, store IDs, GORM fields, or unpublished definition state.

Properties

Property	Description
`metaobject.fields`	Authored metaobject fields as key/type/value entries.
`metaobject.handle`	URL-safe unique slug.
`metaobject.id`	Unique identifier.
`metaobject.name`	Name.
`metaobject.seo_description`	SEO description of a web-renderable metaobject entry.
`metaobject.seo_title`	SEO title of a web-renderable metaobject entry.
`metaobject.system`	Reserved system identity object containing id, handle, type, and a normalized storefront URL.
`metaobject.type`	Metaobject definition type handle.
`metaobject.url`	Relative URL of the resource.

Property list is generated from the storefront engine (MetaobjectEntryDrop), so it always matches what your theme can use. Use {{ metaobject | json }} only as a curated debug snapshot; it can omit lazy or otherwise public properties.