Customer tags and customer metafields are two different ways to store customer data in Shopify. Understanding the difference helps you choose the right approach when building segments or personalizing emails in Seguno Email Marketing.
Tags work best for additive labels; metafields work best when a customer has one definitive value for an attribute.
What are customer tags?
Customer tags are short, plain-text labels you apply to customers in Shopify. A single customer can have multiple tags at the same time. Tags are additive; adding a new tag never removes an existing one.
Example: A customer could have all of the following tags at once: vip, repeat-buyer, west-coast, attended-event-2025.
What are customer metafields?
Customer metafields are custom data fields in Shopify that store a single structured value for each customer. Each metafield is identified by a namespace and key (for example, custom.loyalty_tier). Assigning a new value overwrites the previous one.
Example: If custom.loyalty_tier is set to Gold for a customer, that customer cannot also be Silver for the same metafield. The field holds one value at a time.
Note:
A customer can have values for multiple different metafield definitions (for example, custom.loyalty_tier and custom.skin_type).
The one-value limit applies per individual metafield, not per customer.
Key difference: one value vs. many
This is the most important distinction when deciding which to use.
Characteristic | Customer tags | Customer metafields |
How many values per customer | Unlimited | One value per metafield definition |
Adding a new value | Adds alongside existing values | Overwrites the previous value |
Data type | Plain text only | Text, number, date, boolean, and more |
Best for | Labeling customers with multiple overlapping traits | Storing a single definitive attribute per customer |
When to use tags
Use customer tags when a customer can belong to multiple categories simultaneously, and you want to track each category independently.
Tags work well for:
Event attendance (a customer can attend multiple events)
Campaign or promotion enrollment (a customer can be part of several promotions)
Broad behavioral labels like repeat-buyer or high-value
Any situation where adding a new label should not remove an old one
When to use metafields
Use customer metafields when a customer has exactly one correct value for an attribute at any given time.
Metafields work well for:
Loyalty tier (a customer is Gold, Silver, or Bronze; not all three)
Hair type, size preference, or other single-select profile attributes
Subscription status or plan level
Any attribute where a new value replaces the old one by definition
Tip:
If you find yourself creating tags like tier-gold, tier-silver, or tier-bronze to represent mutually exclusive states, a metafield is likely a better fit.
Tags are designed for additive labels, not exclusive categories.
How each works in Seguno Email Marketing
Using tags in Seguno Email Marketing
Tags can be used on Shopify's customer page to segment subscribers and trigger tag-based automations in Seguno Email Marketing. Common uses include targeting campaigns to VIP customers, triggering win-back sequences for lapsed purchasers, enrolling customers in promotions, and following up after specific product purchases.
Using metafields in Seguno Email Marketing
Customer metafields can be inserted into email content as personalized variables in Seguno Email Marketing. Because each metafield holds one value per customer, they are well-suited for personalizing subject lines or body copy with a specific attribute. Metafields can also be used to create segments on Shopify's customer page.
For steps on inserting metafield variables into email content, see How to use customer metafields in Seguno Email Marketing.
FAQs
Can I use both tags and metafields on the same customer?
Yes. Tags and metafields serve different purposes and can coexist on the same customer profile in Shopify. Use each for the type of data it is best suited for.
Can I segment by both a tag and a metafield value at the same time in Seguno Email Marketing?
Yes. You can create segments using only tags, only metafields, or a combination of both.
Do customer tags sync automatically from Shopify to Seguno Email Marketing?
Yes. Customer tags in Shopify are automatically integrated into Seguno Email Marketing. Tags generated with Seguno Popups & Forms are automatically populated in your Shopify store.