How to Build Categories in Shopify With Metaobjects

If you've built more than a couple of Shopify sites, you've probably built a categories section at least once — a grid pointing to "Men's, Women's, Kids," or a slider showcasing different product types. It's one of the most common sections freelancers get asked to add, and on the surface, it's simple: drop in a section, fill in a few blocks, done.

The problem shows up later.

The problem with building categories the normal way

Say you've got 8 categories, and they show up across 3 sections on your site — a grid, a slider, and maybe a banner. Without a shared source of content, that's the same image, heading, and link typed in by hand, 24 separate times.

Now the client asks you to rename "Front Entrance" to "Entryway Displays," or swap out a photo. You're not making one change — you're hunting through every section, on every page, finding every place that category shows up, and fixing it by hand, hoping you didn't miss one.

Miss one, and now you've got inconsistent content live on your site.

The fix: a shared metaobject

Metaobjects solve this by giving your category data one home. Instead of typing the same content into every section that needs it, you create each category once — as a metaobject entry — and every section just references it.

Update the entry, and every section using it updates with it. No hunting through templates, no re-typing, no missed spots.

Setting up the Category metaobject

In Shopify admin, under Settings → Custom data, create a new metaobject definition. For a categories system, you'll want fields like:

• Image
• Heading
• Subtitle
• Description
• Button Text
• Link

Once the definition exists, add your actual categories as entries — Vases, Bowls, Planters, or whatever fits your store. Fill in the fields for each one.

Connecting it to your sections

Back in the theme customizer, instead of manually filling in image, title, and link for every block like you would without a metaobject, each section references the Category metaobject directly. Add a Category Columns section, point it at your entries, and it's populated. Add a Category Slider or Banner section, same source, no re-entry.

New category down the line? Add one entry, then drop it into whichever sections need it — no rebuilding, no retyping the same content across your site.

Why this matters for client work

This isn't just a cleaner way to build — it's a better way to hand off. A client can add or update a category from one place without touching the theme editor, and you're not the one fielding a support request every time a category needs a small edit.