---
title: Metafield values limited to 16KB - Shopify developer changelog
description: >-
  Shopify’s developer changelog documents all changes to Shopify’s platform.
  Find the latest news and learn about new platform opportunities.
source_url:
  html: 'https://shopify.dev/changelog/reduced-metafield-value-sizes'
  md: 'https://shopify.dev/changelog/reduced-metafield-value-sizes.md'
metadata:
  effectiveApiVersion: 2026-04
  affectedApi:
    - displayName: Admin GraphQL API
      handle: admin-graphql
    - displayName: Admin REST API
      handle: admin-rest
    - displayName: Customer Account API
      handle: customer-account-graphql
    - displayName: Storefront GraphQL API
      handle: storefront-graphql
  primaryTag:
    displayName: API
    handle: api
  secondaryTag:
    displayName: Breaking API Change
    handle: breaking-api-change
  indicatesActionRequired: true
  createdAt: '2026-02-18T11:54:51-05:00'
  postedAt: '2026-02-19T12:00:00-05:00'
  updatedAt: '2026-02-20T14:11:47-05:00'
  effectiveAt: '2026-02-19T12:00:00-05:00'
---

February 19, 2026

Tags:

* Action Required
* Admin GraphQL API
* Admin REST API
* Customer Account API
* Storefront GraphQL API
* 2026-04

# Metafield values limited to 16KB

When using API version 2026-04 or later, metafield writes will be limited to 16KB. Apps using API version 2026-01 or earlier are not subject to this new limit. Large metafield values continue to be readable by all API versions, including future versions.

Large metafield limits negatively impact storefront performance. Our goal is to accommodate all current use cases while preventing performance issues stemming from extremely large values.

Instead of storing values in a single large metafield, use these platform features to store larger amounts of data in a stable, performant way:

* Metaobject references supporting complex structured data
* List support for multiple values
* Split data across multiple metafields with logical grouping
* Use the Files API for large content

In preparation for this limit, we've also improved various data platform features to enable large data sets:

* Higher metaobject entry limits
* Increased metafield definition limits per resource
* Limits apply separately per app and are not tied to shop limits

For guidance on how to store and model data, see [Data modeling guidance](https://shopify.dev/docs/apps/build/metaobjects/data-modeling-with-metafields-and-metaobjects).