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