Activity level

A working Border Collie and a retired Basset Hound shop in different aisles.

OVERVIEW

The Activity Level field describes how physically active an animal needs to be, or how physically demanding a product’s use case is. It powers food recommendations (caloric density), toy selection (durability and stimulation), accessories (joint support vs. performance gear), and enrichment products.

Activity level is the filter that separates the “indoor couch cat” product line from the “working farm dog” range. When implemented correctly, your product recommendations feel almost psychic.

BUSINESS VALUE

Why this field matters

High-energy breeds need higher-calorie food — activity level drives caloric segmentation
Toy durability requirements differ by energy level: low-activity pets destroy less
Performance gear (harnesses, boots, cooling vests) targets high-activity pets specifically
Enrichment products are highest in demand for high-activity indoor pets
Personalized pet profiles on your storefront become genuinely useful when activity level is stored

ACF SETUP

How to configure this field in Accentuate Custom Fields

Where	ACF dashboard → Templates tab → Product scope → Add new field
Label	Activity Level
Name / Key	activity_level
Namespace	accentuate (default)
Field type	Shopify >> Single-line text (one value) — products target one primary activity tier
Multi-value	No — single value per product; describe range in product description if needed

ℹ️ Single-line text (not a List) because each product is designed for one activity tier. If you need to span two tiers, populate the lower tier and note the range in the product description.

STEP-BY-STEP IN ACF

In ACF, open Templates tab and select the Product scope
Click “Add new field”
Label: “Activity Level” — Key auto-fills as “activity_level”
Namespace: leave as “accentuate”
Field type: Shopify >> Single-line text (single value)
Do NOT enable multiple selections — this is a single-tier field
Click Done, then Save
Open a dog food or harness product and verify the field accepts a single activity value

🔧 Shopify admin (optional pinning): Pin in Shopify admin: Settings → Custom data → Products. Namespace: “accentuate”, Key: “activity_level”, Type: Single-line text. Single value, no list.

🔁 Repeatability: This field is intentionally single-value. Do not enable repeatable or multiple selections.

REFERENCE VALUES

Example values — adapt to your catalog

Value	When to use
Low	Senior, disabled, or very calm animals; indoor-only cats; lap dogs
Moderate	Average adult pet; daily walks, regular playtime; most household pets
Active	Energetic breeds; hiking, swimming, agility; 1–2 hrs exercise daily
High	Working or sporting dogs; intense daily exercise; herding, hunting
Working	Professional working animals; police dogs, farm dogs, search and rescue

BEST PRACTICES

Link activity_level to caloric recommendations in food product descriptions
For toys, use activity_level to indicate stimulation intensity, not just physical demand
Do not conflate activity level with age: a young cat can be Low; an older working dog, High
For multi-purpose products, default to the primary intended use case
Combine with breed_size for the most useful product recommendations

COMMON MISTAKES — AVOID THESE
Inventing creative labels: “Lazy”, “Bouncy”, “Turbo” — these destroy filter consistency
Applying “High” to every product to make it sound impressive
Omitting activity level from food products where caloric density is the key differentiator
Conflating activity level with age group — they are related but distinct dimensions
Enabling multi-value on this field — activity level is a single-tier classification

IN CONTEXT — EXAMPLE PRODUCT

⚡ Performance Dry Dog Food — High Energy Formula

Pet type: Dog
Age group: Adult
Activity level: High
Dietary needs: High protein, Grain-free
Breed size: M / Medium, L / Large, XL / Extra Large