Using metafields in Shopify Analytics
This article covers what "Use in Analytics" does, which fields qualify, and how to turn it on.
Shopify lets you query metafields as dimensions, filters, and groupings in Shopify Analytics and ShopifyQL. Instead of jumping into the Shopify admin's metafield definition settings to turn this on, you can enable it directly from a field's settings in Accentuate.
What "Use in Analytics" does
When you enable this option on a metafield definition, Shopify makes that field's values queryable inside Analytics and ShopifyQL Notebooks — for example, grouping order analytics by a custom "Season" field, or filtering a product report by a "Material" field. Accentuate doesn't store or process this data itself; turning the option on tells Shopify to index the metafield for its own analytics engine.
Note: Querying the data (writing reports, building ShopifyQL notebooks) happens entirely inside Shopify's Analytics section of your admin. Accentuate's part is limited to enabling the capability on the field definition — see Shopify's guide to using metafields in analytics for how to build reports once a field is enabled.
Before you start
Shopify only allows this capability on native Shopify metafield definitions — the checkbox won't be available otherwise. Check the following before you try to enable it:
Resource type. The metafield must belong to one of these owners:
Products
Product variants
Orders
Customers
Fields on other resources (collections, pages, blogs, metaobjects, shop, etc.) aren't eligible.
Field type. The field must use one of Accentuate's Shopify native types (shown as
Shopify » …in the field type picker), and it must be one of the following:Single line text (and List)
Multi-line text (and List)
Integer (and List)
Decimal (and List)
True/false
Date (and List)
Date and time (and List)
URL (and List)
Color (and List)
Rating (and List)
Money
Product reference (and List)
Collection reference (and List)
Page reference (and List)
Metaobject reference (and List)
Legacy ACF-only field types aren't eligible — switch the field to the matching Shopify native type first if you want to use it in Analytics.
A native Shopify definition must already exist. If you created the field without ticking Create native shopify definition, Accentuate has no matching Shopify metafield definition to enable the capability on. Tick that option (or create it retroactively from the field's settings) before continuing.
Shopify has the final say on eligibility — even when a field meets the criteria above, Shopify may report it as not eligible (for example, if analytics support hasn't rolled out to your plan or store yet). Accentuate always reflects whatever Shopify reports back.
Enable analytics for a metafield
In your Shopify admin, go to Apps > Accentuate.
Open Custom Fields, then select the field definition you want to use in Analytics (or create a new one on a Product, Product variant, Order, or Customer).
Expand Advanced options on the field.
Check Use in Analytics.
If the checkbox is greyed out, hover over it — a short note explains why (unsupported field type, non-native field, missing native definition, or "not eligible" reported by Shopify).
Click Save.
Once saved, Accentuate sends the request to Shopify to enable the analyticsQueryable capability on that metafield definition.
Checking the status
After saving, reopen the field's Advanced options:
No badge — the capability is enabled and Shopify has confirmed it.
Pending activation — Shopify is still finishing activation. This is normal and not an error; it can take a short while for Shopify to process the change. Check back later and the badge will clear once Shopify confirms it's active.
Turning it off
Uncheck Use in Analytics on the field's Advanced options and save. This asks Shopify to stop indexing the field for Analytics and ShopifyQL — it doesn't delete the field, its native Shopify definition, or any of its values.
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