My longtime client Charles once asked me if I could create a section that he could add to all product pages and show some information about all the product ingredients.
Each product had its own list of ingredients, but many ingredients appeared in multiple products. He wanted to display details like ingredient images, descriptions, and features on each product page.
A simple section-based approach would have worked in the short term, but it would’ve meant re-entering the same information again and again. Pure grunt work, and a maintenance headache waiting to happen. I wanted a smarter, scalable way to manage all that ingredient data once and have it update everywhere automatically.
When a Simple Section Wasn’t Enough
The requirement itself wasn’t complicated. I just needed to show a short description of each product’s ingredients on its product page. But I quickly realized that a simple Shopify section with blocks for individual ingredient images and descriptions would turn into a maintenance nightmare as the catalog grew.
What if Charles wanted to update a single ingredient’s description?
He’d have to edit every product page that used that ingredient. That’s not just tedious, it’s a recipe for inconsistency and wasted time.
Turning Repetition into Reusability
Seeing all that duplication coming, I built a smarter system. One where Charles could write an ingredient description once and have it appear everywhere it belonged, automatically.
First, I defined a metaobject for ingredients. Each ingredient became its own reusable entry with all the necessary details like image, description, and key features. This turned ingredients into structured data instead of static text blocks.
Next, I set up a product metafield that accepts a list of these ingredient metaobjects. This allowed each product to reference existing ingredient entries instead of storing duplicate data. On the frontend, the section automatically pulls in the correct information for each ingredient based on what’s linked to that product.
Now, when Charles adds or updates an ingredient, those changes automatically appear on every relevant product page. No more duplication, no more manual edits. Just clean, consistent data that scales effortlessly as their catalog grows.
Final Thoughts
This project wasn’t about fancy code. It was about designing for sanity. By using Shopify’s metaobjects and metafields the right way, I turned what could’ve been hours of repetitive updates into a one-time setup that just works.
Now, when Charles edits a single ingredient, every product using it updates instantly. The store stays consistent, the workflow stays clean, and the client stays happy.
If you’re tired of Shopify grunt work slowing you down, I can help you automate it so you can focus on selling, not updating.