---
title: metafieldDefinition - GraphQL Admin
description: >-
  Retrieves a
  [`MetafieldDefinition`](/docs/api/admin-graphql/2026-01/objects/MetafieldDefinition)
  by its identifier. You can identify a definition using either its owner type,
  namespace, and key, or its global ID.


  Use this query to inspect a definition's configuration, including its data
  type, validations, access settings, and the count of
  [metafields](/docs/api/admin-graphql/2026-01/objects/Metafield) using it.
api_version: 2026-01
api_name: admin
type: query
api_type: graphql
source_url:
  html: >-
    https://shopify.dev/docs/api/admin-graphql/latest/queries/metafieldDefinition
  md: >-
    https://shopify.dev/docs/api/admin-graphql/latest/queries/metafieldDefinition.md
---

# metafield​Definition

query

Requires API client to have access to the resource type associated with the metafield definition.

Retrieves a [`MetafieldDefinition`](https://shopify.dev/docs/api/admin-graphql/2026-01/objects/MetafieldDefinition) by its identifier. You can identify a definition using either its owner type, namespace, and key, or its global ID.

Use this query to inspect a definition's configuration, including its data type, validations, access settings, and the count of [metafields](https://shopify.dev/docs/api/admin-graphql/2026-01/objects/Metafield) using it.

## Arguments

* identifier
* id: deprecated

***

## Possible returns

* MetafieldDefinition

***

## Examples

* ### Retrieve a count of a resource's metafields.

  #### Query

  ```graphql
  query MetafieldsCount($metafieldDefinitionId: ID!) {
    metafieldDefinition(id: $metafieldDefinitionId) {
      id
      metafieldsCount
    }
  }
  ```

  #### Variables

  ```json
  {
    "metafieldDefinitionId": "gid://shopify/MetafieldDefinition/1071456212"
  }
  ```

  #### cURL

  ```bash
  curl -X POST \
  https://your-development-store.myshopify.com/admin/api/2026-01/graphql.json \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -H 'X-Shopify-Access-Token: {access_token}' \
  -d '{
  "query": "query MetafieldsCount($metafieldDefinitionId: ID!) { metafieldDefinition(id: $metafieldDefinitionId) { id metafieldsCount } }",
   "variables": {
      "metafieldDefinitionId": "gid://shopify/MetafieldDefinition/1071456212"
    }
  }'
  ```

  #### React Router

  ```javascript
  import { authenticate } from "../shopify.server";

  export const loader = async ({request}) => {
    const { admin } = await authenticate.admin(request);
    const response = await admin.graphql(
      `#graphql
    query MetafieldsCount($metafieldDefinitionId: ID!) {
      metafieldDefinition(id: $metafieldDefinitionId) {
        id
        metafieldsCount
      }
    }`,
    {
      variables: {
          "metafieldDefinitionId": "gid://shopify/MetafieldDefinition/1071456212"
      },
    },
    );
    const json = await response.json();
    return json.data;
  }
  ```

  #### Ruby

  ```ruby
  session = ShopifyAPI::Auth::Session.new(
    shop: "your-development-store.myshopify.com",
    access_token: access_token
  )
  client = ShopifyAPI::Clients::Graphql::Admin.new(
    session: session
  )

  query = <<~QUERY
    query MetafieldsCount($metafieldDefinitionId: ID!) {
      metafieldDefinition(id: $metafieldDefinitionId) {
        id
        metafieldsCount
      }
    }
  QUERY

  variables = {
    "metafieldDefinitionId": "gid://shopify/MetafieldDefinition/1071456212"
  }

  response = client.query(query: query, variables: variables)
  ```

  #### Node.js

  ```javascript
  const client = new shopify.clients.Graphql({session});
  const data = await client.query({
    data: {
      "query": `query MetafieldsCount($metafieldDefinitionId: ID!) {
        metafieldDefinition(id: $metafieldDefinitionId) {
          id
          metafieldsCount
        }
      }`,
      "variables": {
          "metafieldDefinitionId": "gid://shopify/MetafieldDefinition/1071456212"
      },
    },
  });
  ```

  #### Response

  ```json
  {
    "metafieldDefinition": {
      "id": "gid://shopify/MetafieldDefinition/1071456212",
      "metafieldsCount": 0
    }
  }
  ```

* ### Retrieve a metafield definition

  #### Description

  To retrieve a single metafield definition, use the \`metafieldDefinition\` query with its ID. The following example shows how to retrieve a metafield definition.

  #### Query

  ```graphql
  query {
    metafieldDefinition(id: "gid://shopify/MetafieldDefinition/1071456211") {
      name
    }
  }
  ```

  #### cURL

  ```bash
  curl -X POST \
  https://your-development-store.myshopify.com/admin/api/2026-01/graphql.json \
  -H 'Content-Type: application/json' \
  -H 'X-Shopify-Access-Token: {access_token}' \
  -d '{
  "query": "query { metafieldDefinition(id: \"gid://shopify/MetafieldDefinition/1071456211\") { name } }"
  }'
  ```

  #### React Router

  ```javascript
  import { authenticate } from "../shopify.server";

  export const loader = async ({request}) => {
    const { admin } = await authenticate.admin(request);
    const response = await admin.graphql(
      `#graphql
    query {
      metafieldDefinition(id: "gid://shopify/MetafieldDefinition/1071456211") {
        name
      }
    }`,
    );
    const json = await response.json();
    return json.data;
  }
  ```

  #### Ruby

  ```ruby
  session = ShopifyAPI::Auth::Session.new(
    shop: "your-development-store.myshopify.com",
    access_token: access_token
  )
  client = ShopifyAPI::Clients::Graphql::Admin.new(
    session: session
  )

  query = <<~QUERY
    query {
      metafieldDefinition(id: "gid://shopify/MetafieldDefinition/1071456211") {
        name
      }
    }
  QUERY

  response = client.query(query: query)
  ```

  #### Node.js

  ```javascript
  const client = new shopify.clients.Graphql({session});
  const data = await client.query({
    data: `query {
      metafieldDefinition(id: "gid://shopify/MetafieldDefinition/1071456211") {
        name
      }
    }`,
  });
  ```

  #### Response

  ```json
  {
    "metafieldDefinition": {
      "name": "ingredients"
    }
  }
  ```