How to Use Metafields in Shopify Invoices and Packing Slips

Shopify metafields hold custom data your store already tracks, a product's material composition, a customer's account tier, an order's special handling note, and that data becomes far more useful when it actually appears on the documents where it matters, not buried in the admin.

This guide is for merchants storing custom data in metafields who want that information pulled directly onto invoices and packing slips rather than staying invisible to whoever handles the order.

Quick Answer

Yes, metafields can be pulled directly into invoice and packing slip templates. Order Printer Pro supports product, variant, customer, order, and draft order metafields in its templates, so custom data you already track, material composition, customer tier, handling notes, prints directly on the documents where staff and customers actually see it, rather than staying invisible in the admin.

What This Involves

Using metafields in order documents means referencing the custom data fields your store maintains, on products, variants, customers, orders, or draft orders, directly within the invoice or packing slip template, so that information prints automatically wherever it is relevant rather than requiring a manual lookup.

Who Needs This

• Merchants tracking custom product or customer data in metafields
• Stores wanting specification details visible on packing slips
• B2B sellers wanting customer tier or account details on invoices
• Any business whose metafield data currently stays invisible to staff
• Teams wanting document content that adapts automatically per order

Why It Matters for Your Business

• Metafield data adds real value only when it reaches the right document
• Product and variant metafields can inform packing and handling decisions
• Customer metafields can personalize invoices with account-specific context
• This eliminates a manual lookup step for information you already track
• Documents become more informative without adding manual data entry
• This works across products, customers, and orders in one system

How to Use Metafields in Shopify Invoices and Packing Slips

Step 1

Start by identifying which metafields are worth surfacing on documents.

• List the metafields your store currently maintains
• Decide which ones genuinely help staff or inform customers on a document
• Confirm the metafield data is populated consistently across relevant records

Step 2: Install and Configure Order Printer Pro

Install Order Printer Pro and reference metafields in your templates.

• Add product or variant metafields to the packing slip where relevant
• Add customer metafields to the invoice where personalization helps
• Add order or draft order metafields for special handling or notes

Step 3

Design the placement so metafield data reads naturally.

• Position metafield content where it fits the document's existing flow
• Label the data clearly so its meaning is obvious to whoever reads it
• Avoid cluttering the document with metafields that add little value

Step 4

Test with orders and products carrying real metafield data.

• Generate a document for a product or customer with metafields populated
• Confirm the data displays correctly and legibly
• Check documents for records missing metafield data still render cleanly

Step 5

Launch and refine which metafields earn their place on documents.

• Gather feedback from staff on whether the surfaced data actually helps
• Add further metafields where a genuine need emerges
• Remove any metafield reference that proves more clutter than value

Examples & Use Cases

Specialty Textile Retailer (Apparel)
Problem: Material composition and care instructions lived in product metafields but never appeared on customer-facing documents
Setup: Added product metafields to the packing slip template through Order Printer Pro, surfacing material and care details automatically
Result: Customers received care information with every order and support questions about fabric content dropped

B2B Wholesale Account Program (Wholesale)
Problem: Customer account tier metafields existed but never influenced how invoices presented to different account levels
Setup: Referenced customer tier metafields directly on the invoice template, personalizing content per account level
Result: Invoices reflected each account's actual tier automatically, without any manual customization per order

See more case studies.

Best Practices

• Identify metafields that genuinely add value on a document
• Confirm metafield data is populated consistently before relying on it
• Position surfaced data where it fits the document's natural flow
• Label metafield content clearly so its meaning is obvious
• Test with both populated and unpopulated records
• Gather staff feedback on whether surfaced data actually helps
• Remove metafield references that add clutter without value

Summary

Metafields become genuinely useful when the custom data they hold actually reaches the documents where staff and customers need it, rather than staying invisible in the admin. The core steps are identifying which metafields are worth surfacing, referencing them in the relevant template, and testing with both populated and unpopulated records.

If custom metafield data stays hidden in your admin, Order Printer Pro can print it directly on the invoices and packing slips where it matters.