Gender / Target audience

OVERVIEW

What is this field?

The Gender / Target Audience field identifies who the product is designed for. This encompasses traditional gender categories as well as age-based, size-based, and inclusive audience segments.

This field is fundamental to product organization and discovery. Nearly every fashion storefront uses audience segmentation as a primary navigation axis.

This field should reflect the intended audience for the product’s design and sizing, not restrict who can purchase it.

BUSINESS VALUE

Why this field matters

• Primary navigation on most fashion stores is organized by audience (Women, Men, Kids)

• Search engines and shopping feeds require audience data for accurate product categorization

• AI recommendation systems use audience data to avoid surfacing irrelevant products

• Size and fit recommendations depend on knowing the target audience

• Advertising platforms use audience data for targeting and segmentation

• Inclusive audience tagging supports brand positioning and customer trust

TECHNICAL SETUP

Recommended setup

Field type: List of single-line text entries (multi-select)

Namespace: custom.product

Key: target_audience

Multi-value: Yes — allow multiple entries where applicable

STEP-BY-STEP WALKTHROUGH

How to create the Gender / Target Audience field in Accentuate

Follow these steps to create and configure this metafield in your Accentuate dashboard.

Step 1: Navigate to metafield definitions

Open your Accentuate dashboard and go to the metafield definitions section. Select the "Product" resource type to add a new product-level metafield.

Accentuate dashboard — navigate to Product metafield definitions

Step 2: Create a new metafield

Click the "Add definition" or "Create metafield" button. Enter the namespace "custom.product" and the key "target_audience". Set the display name to "Gender / Target Audience".

Click “Add field” to create the “Gender / Target Audience” metafield

Step 3: Select the field type

Set the field type to "List of single-line text entries (multi-select)". Enable the "List" or multi-value option so merchants can enter multiple values.

Select the data type for “Gender / Target Audience”

Step 4: Configure validation and description

Add a helpful description for merchants: "Who this product is designed for (e.g., Women, Men, Unisex, Kids, Maternity)." This will appear as helper text when merchants edit the field on a product.

Description and validation settings for “Gender / Target Audience”

Step 5: Save and verify

Save the metafield definition. Then navigate to any product and confirm that the "Gender / Target Audience" field appears in the metafields section, ready to accept values.

The “Gender / Target Audience” field visible on a product editing page, empty and ready

STRUCTURING GUIDANCE

How to structure the values

Use a primary audience value that aligns with your store’s navigation structure.

For genuinely gender-neutral products, use “Unisex” or “Gender-neutral.”

Layer in secondary audience indicators where relevant: “Petite,” “Plus size,” “Tall,” “Maternity.”

Keep kids’ categories age-specific where possible.

Be consistent about whether you use “Women’s” or “Women” — pick one format catalog-wide.

USAGE CONTEXT

When to use this field

• Every product in a fashion catalog should have at least one audience value

• Products with gender-specific sizing or fit

• Kids’ and baby products where age range matters for sizing

• Maternity or adaptive clothing with specific audience needs

• Unisex or gender-neutral products that should appear in multiple navigation paths

REFERENCE VALUES

Example values

The following values are recommended starting points. Adapt them to your product catalog as needed.

Value	When to use
Women	Products designed with women’s sizing and proportions
Men	Products designed with men’s sizing and proportions
Unisex	Designed without gender-specific sizing; works for all
Gender-neutral	Intentionally designed outside traditional gender categories
Kids (5–12)	Children’s sizing and design; school-age range
Girls	Girls’ specific sizing; subset of kids’ range
Boys	Boys’ specific sizing; subset of kids’ range
Baby (0–24 months)	Infant sizing and design; safety-focused features
Toddler (2–4)	Toddler sizing; easy dress features like snaps and elastic
Teen (13–17)	Teen sizing; trend-forward, between kids and adult
Maternity	Designed for pregnancy; stretch panels, empire waists, adjustable fits
Petite	Proportioned for shorter frames; adjusted inseams and rises
Plus size	Extended sizing with proportional fit adjustments
Tall	Extended lengths for taller frames; longer inseams and sleeves

The “Gender / Target Audience” field populated with example values

RECOMMENDATIONS

Best practices

• Align audience values with your store navigation for seamless filtering

• Allow products to have multiple audience values when genuinely appropriate

• Use age ranges for children’s categories to help parents find the right section

• If your brand is moving toward gender-inclusive positioning, ensure your data supports it

• Keep audience data separate from size data

• Review audience assignments when expanding into new product categories

AVOID THESE

Common mistakes

• Leaving audience blank and relying solely on collection placement

• Using “Unisex” as a default for products that are designed for a specific audience

• Not distinguishing between age-specific children’s categories

• Inconsistent formatting: mixing “Women’s” and “Women” and “Female”

• Treating audience as a single value when a product spans multiple audiences

• Using audience to describe style rather than sizing intent

IN CONTEXT

Example: How it appears on a product

Kids’ Waterproof Rain Jacket Gender / Target audience: Kids (5–12), Unisex Season: Spring, Autumn Occasion: Outdoor, Everyday Material: Recycled nylon, PU coating

Gender / Target Audience data displayed on the storefront via Custom Liquid