Understanding product vs variant metafields in Shopify: Is there a difference?

[MartinMates]

Hello there! I have I would say a basic question but I couldnt find an answer anywhere. 

For example I have "BIN location" metafield. Every variant has its own so its variant metafield. However when there are no variants to a product in this case its product metafield. So sometimes its variant metafield and somethimes product metafield? Is that right? It seems a bit strage to me to be honest.

I found out that when I import products with Matrixify app. It allows me to import variant metafield even to single product with no variants. It makes me think that maybe Shopify treats signe no-variant products as single variant and allows variant metafields. If this is true Its not visible anywhere? Can I edit those somewhere in the admin?

It would make more sense because now I need to double a lot of metafields and its ugly. 

Thank you all for your insights or pinting me to some documentation page where this is discused. 

[Renars]

Hello,

Renars here from Matrixify.

Indeed, in Shopify products without any variants technically do have a default variant, but it cannot be seen in the Shopify Admin as it shows the product as without variants. But as the variant cannot be seen in admin, then also the variant Metafields for the default variant also cannot be seen. Most likely due to this, you have both product metafield if there are no variants and variant Metafields if there are variants.

Cannot really suggest any Shopify built-in suggestion for this, but as you are already using our app, then you could look into just doing exports of your products with metafields, variants, and variant metafields and see the exported file for values that you have in what metafields actually saved in Shopify.

If you need help decoding some data in the export file or doing some bulk imports, feel free to reach out directly to us!

[MartinMates · Accepted solution]

Thank you! I have discovered since then. That in Shopify in single product (no variants) detail page in admin there are metafields divided to two groups: Product metafields and Variant metafields. So its right there! 

[Renars]

Hi,

Ah... Sorry for the incorrect reply previously then! Indeed for anyone else looking for this, the variant metafields for products without variants are after the product metafields: