How to use Gorgias to access Shopify order metafields inside the widget: A step-by-step guide

Let me guess, this sounds familiar: a customer emails you asking to double-check the engraved text on a necklace they just bought. Your support agent sees the ticket in Gorgias, but the custom details are nowhere to be found.

So, they have to open a new tab, log into Shopify, search for the customer, find the right order, and finally dig around for the note with the engraved message. And the whole time, the customer is just sitting there, waiting.

That constant tab-switching is a massive time-sink. It slows your team down, makes customers wait, and turns what should be a simple, personal interaction into a clunky process. The key to fixing this is Shopify metafields, which is where all that important custom data lives. The good news is, you can now get that information right inside your helpdesk.

This guide will walk you through exactly how to use the Gorgias feature to access Shopify order metafields inside the widget. We'll also talk about how to move beyond just seeing this data to actually automating your support workflows with it.

A screenshot of Gorgias ecommerce help desk software showing its deep integration with Shopify, with customer order data displayed directly next to the support ticket, illustrating how to get Gorgias access Shopify order metafields inside the widget.

What you’ll need to get started

Okay, before we get started, just make sure you have these three things handy:

• An active Shopify account where you have admin access.

• A Gorgias account that's already linked to your Shopify store.

• Some order metafields already set up and filled with data in your Shopify admin.

How to access Shopify order metafields in Gorgias

Gorgias rolled out a feature that lets your agents see Shopify order metafields without ever leaving the ticket they're working on. It’s a straightforward but handy update that gives your team more context exactly when they need it. Here's how it works.

Step 1: Pull up a customer ticket

First, open any ticket that’s connected to a Shopify customer. When you do, the Shopify widget should automatically appear on the right side of the screen, showing you the customer's profile and their order history.

Step 2: Find the right Shopify order

In that widget, scroll down to the specific order the customer is asking about. If they have a few orders, just click the one that's relevant to the conversation to see all the details.

Step 3: Expand the metafields section

At the very bottom of the order details, you'll spot a new section labeled "Metafields." Click the little icon next to it, and it will expand. If that order has any custom data stored, you'll see it listed here as key-value pairs (think "is_gift: true" or "engraving_text: "Happy Anniversary""). If there's no data, it will just say, "Order has no metafields populated."

What to do now that you can access metafields

Alright, so having this info right in Gorgias is definitely a step up. It helps cut down on the tab-switching and gives your agents a quick look at the context behind more complicated questions.

For instance, an agent can now instantly:

• Handle gift orders without guessing: If they see a metafield like "delivery_note: "Please don't include a receipt,"" they know exactly what to tell the fulfillment team. No need to put the customer on hold to ask.

• Confirm custom details on the spot: When an agent sees "engraving_text: "Happy Anniversary,"" they can repeat that exact text in their reply. This reassures the customer and helps prevent mistakes.

• See where a customer came from: A metafield like "promo_source: "Podcast_Ad"" can give the agent a little extra insight for personalizing the conversation or for internal reporting.

The only problem? It's still a manual process. The agent has to spot the metafield, read it, figure out what it means, and then decide what to do. This whole process depends on every single agent noticing the data and knowing the right procedure, which can lead to inconsistencies, mistakes, and still takes up time.

Beyond viewing data: Automating action with AI

Real efficiency happens when you stop just looking at data and start acting on it automatically. While the built-in Gorgias feature is great for visibility, a smart AI tool can use that same metafield data to kick off entire workflows, freeing your team from doing the same things over and over.

This is where a tool like eesel AI can help. It connects directly with your existing Gorgias and Shopify accounts, letting you build custom AI workflows in minutes. You don’t need to switch helpdesks or write any code.

Here are a few ways you could use an AI-powered integration to turn your metafield data into action.

Automatically handle gift-related inquiries

• The problem: A customer asks to exchange a gift they got. Your standard return policy is different for gifts, so the agent has to stop and manually search your internal knowledge base for the right steps.

• The solution with eesel AI: You can set up eesel AI's AI Agent with a custom action. When a ticket comes in, the AI checks the order for an "is_gift: true" metafield. If it finds it, it automatically replies with your specific gift exchange policy and instructions. It can even tag the ticket as a "Gift Exchange" so you can easily keep track of them.

Instantly triage tickets for customized products

• The problem: A customer asks about a product with custom logo embroidery, noted in the metafield "custom_embroidery: "Logo.png"". This kind of question needs to go to a specialized team, but it lands in the general support queue first, causing a delay.

• The solution with eesel AI: With eesel AI's AI Triage feature, you can create a simple rule. If a new ticket is linked to an order with the "custom_embroidery" metafield, the AI automatically sends it to your "Customization Team" and tags it as "High Priority." Your frontline team never even has to touch it.

graph TD  

    A[New Ticket Arrives] --> B{Check Order Metafields};  

    B -->|Contains 'custom_embroidery'| C[Triage to Customization Team];
    B -->|Does not contain 'custom_embroidery'| D[Go to General Queue];
    C --> E[Tag as 'High Priority'];  

Proactively confirm order details

• The problem: To avoid expensive mistakes on high-value custom orders, your policy is to confirm the details with every customer before it goes to production. This means an agent has to manually find each order, copy the details, and write a confirmation email, one by one.

• The solution with eesel AI: You can set up an API action so that eesel AI can read the "engraving_details" metafield and automatically send a confirmation message right after the order is placed. Something like, "Thanks for your order! Just to confirm, you wanted the engraving to say: 'Happy Anniversary'?" This whole workflow runs on its own, saving your team hours of tedious work and giving customers a great, proactive experience.

Tips and common mistakes to avoid

Building workflows based on metafields can make a huge difference, but it helps to plan a little. Here are some best practices and common pitfalls to look out for.

Best practices for success

• Keep your metafields consistent: This is a big one. Decide on a clear and simple naming system for your metafields (for example, always use "is_gift" instead of sometimes using "gift_order" or "Gift") and use it everywhere. It makes building reliable automation rules so much easier.

• Focus on your most common questions first: Don't try to automate everything all at once. Take a look at your support tickets and figure out the top one or two questions that could be answered faster with metafield data. Automating those first will give you the biggest return for your effort.

• Test your workflows before you go live: You wouldn't launch a new website without testing it, right? The same goes for an AI agent. A platform like eesel AI lets you run simulations on thousands of your past tickets. You can see exactly how the AI would have replied based on metafield data and get a solid forecast of your automation rate, all without any risk.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Stopping at just viewing the data: The biggest mistake is thinking that just making the data visible to your agents is the final goal. Visibility helps, but the real win comes from using that data to create faster, more consistent, and more accurate support through automation.

• Forgetting about customer metafields: This guide is all about order metafields, but don't forget you can also access customer metafields in Gorgias. You can use data points like "customer_tier: 'VIP'" or "loyalty_points: '5000'" to create even more personalized automated workflows for your most valuable customers.

Unlock the full potential of your metafield data

So, now you know how to pull up Shopify order metafields right inside the Gorgias widget, a nice little win for your team's workflow. But as we've covered, that's really just the beginning.

Seeing the data is good, but automating it is what truly changes things. Relying on agents to manually check data every time can lead to inconsistent service and slow replies. By connecting your tools with an AI platform, you can turn that passive data into active, intelligent workflows that save time, cut down on errors, and let your team focus on the conversations that actually require a human touch.

Ready to stop just viewing your Shopify data and start acting on it? Sign up for a free trial of eesel AI and see how you can build custom, automated workflows for your Gorgias helpdesk in just a few minutes.