Product Metafield with file type not returning url

[50451]

I’m attempting to access a product metafield with a file content type. However I’m running into issues.

The metafield is set up as below.

As far as I am aware the metafield with this setup should return a generic_file object that should allow access to id, media_type, preview_image, and url.

When trying to access on a product page using the liquid code {{ product.metafields.my_fields.product_instructions.url }} I get nothing returned.

However when using {{ product.metafields.my_fields.product_instructions }} on a product page where the product has a file metafeild set the follwing is returned gid://shopify/GenericFile/22363445657783

When no metafield is set as expected nothing is returned.

[Anthony_David_1]

Share product url

[drakedev]

Interesting question, I’d like to know more and check.

Which file type/format are you trying to reference in the metafields file object?

[50451]

It’s a pdf that’s being referenced.

I was expecting to be returned a generic file object as per the metafield object docs. From which I could access id/media_type/preview_image/url as per the generic_file object docs.

Interestingly it instead appears to return a type of Metafields::MetafieldDrop which I can’t find any reference to anywhere. This can be seen if you try to use something like asset_url where you get the error “Liquid error (sections/test.liquid line 1): Expected input to be a String but got Metafields::MetafieldDrop”

I’ve used the below code instead, utilising the file_reference metafield filter which works for my uses, but it is not what I had expected from the docs.

{{ product.metafields.my_fields.product_instructions | file_reference }}

[drakedev]

It is indeed something strange and the documentation need to be improved. I submitted a report on that documentation page.

In the meanwhile the only way that I was able to get the file URL path was using this

File URL: {{ product.metafields.specs.pdf_file | file_url }}

[tekhaus]

And none of these methods appear to work within email notifications. @Shopify_77 , what is the correct way to generate a PDF file_reference url within an order notification template?

{{ line.product.metafields.my_fields.manual }} => "gid://shopify/GenericFile/22826941284522"

{{ line.product.metafields.my_fields.manual | file_url }} => "https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0534/2560/2730/files/gid://shopify/GenericFile/22826941284522?113"

{{ line.product.metafields.my_fields.manual.url }} => null

{{ line.product.metafields.my_fields.manual.url | file_url }} => "https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0534/2560/2730/files/?113"

[Verdant-Spark]

Did you ever get a resolution to this?

[brendamarienyc]

I am having this problem as well, and have tried everything suggested in this thread. Sometimes the below liquid works as expected and it creates a url link to the file (a pdf in my case), but most of the time I get a liquid error that reads “Liquid error (sections/main-product.liquid line 310): internal”.

{{ product.metafields.my_fields.tear_sheet | file_url }}

[Danh11]

Also getting this problem. Appending ‘.url’ on the end of the metafield path doesn’t work as expected. Putting it through the ‘file_url’ filter does work.

[mkyigitoglu]

I know that is not a best solution but it works for me.

{% assign getFile = line.product.metafields.my_fields.manual %}
{{ getFile | file_url | remove: getFile }}

=>//cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/xxx/xxxx/xxxx/files/xxx.pdf?v=xxxxxxxxxxxx

@tekhaus

[silus]

Instead of
{{ product.metafields.my_fields.product_instructions.url }}

use

{{ product.metafields.my_fields.product_instructions.value.url }}

[easyt]

1 year later, I’ve encountered the exact issue you described.

[ChunkySteveo]

For anyone else having this issue still - to get the file URL, you need to add .url to the .value:

{{ product.metafields.my_meta_namespace.field_key_name.value.url }}

[made4Uo]

Hi future readers,

If you console.log the code below, you will have the result (see image below)

Result of console.log with a PDF file:

Calling the metafield differs on what type of files are included in the metafield.

Notice on the image below, the first file, which is 0, is a jpg file. Second is a pdf, and third is an mp3. Both pdf and mp3 have a dropdowns.

For the pdf and audio file, the code below should work to get the url

{{ product.metafields.my_fields.product_instructions.value.url }}

For the image, you can use the code below to get the url.

{{ product.metafields.my_fields.product_instructions.value }}

NOTE: This differ greatly when you have a list of file metafield, like the sample above. The console log result is an array and we need to loop the values, to call each file.

{% assign metaFiles = product.metafields.my_fields.product_instructions.value %}
{% for file in metaFiles %}
{{ file.url }}  
{{ file }}
{% endfor %}

I recommend, to use console.log to have an idea what you are working for. Happy coding!

[DabsDesign]

Use: {{ product.metafields.custom.META_NAME | file_url }}. Like this:

The secret is to use file_url.

[KamGraphica]

FIXED: Shopify Metafield List of Files not returning image URLs (MediaImage GID issue)### My Problem

Using a List of files metafield (e.g. for additional product images) and getting: Empty image renders

• invalid url input errors

• GIDs like [“gid://shopify/MediaImage/1234567890”] instead of usable URLs

• .url, file_url, and even media_image_url not working

Cause

Shopify does not auto-resolve List of Files metafields to full MediaImage objects by default. Even though the admin UI shows thumbnails, Liquid returns raw GID strings, unless you use .value.

Solution for my implementation fetching images.

{% assign files = product.metafields.custom.additional_images.value %}
{% for file in files %}

{% endfor %}

Why this works

.value gives you real MediaImage objects from a list of files
| image_url handles Shopify’s CDN path + optional width

• Works cleanly in Online Store 2.0 themes

Hope this helps in any capacity, fun thing to debug rewarding solving it.

Cheers!