# Bulk editor columns you don’t see by default

> Add the Shopify bulk editor columns that aren’t shown by default (theme template, metafields, barcodes) and open the editor on one metafield with a URL.

Page: https://lintelagency.com/resources/shopify-tricks/bulk-editor-hidden-columns

## In short

The Shopify bulk editor shows only a few columns at first. Click Columns to add more, such as theme template, barcodes, compare-at price and any product or variant metafield with a definition. You can also open it straight on one metafield for all products with a URL such as /bulk?edit=metafields.seo.hidden%3Anumber&resource_name=Product. Shift-click, Cmd/Alt-click and the fill handle edit many cells at once.

## Facts

- **Open:** Select items > Bulk edit
- **Add fields:** Columns button, Metafields section
- **Works on:** Products, variants, collections, customers, inventory
- **Plan:** Every plan
- **Last checked:** 2 November 2026

## How to use it

1. In Products (or Collections, Customers, Inventory), tick the items and click Bulk edit.
2. Click Columns and tick the fields you need; metafields are listed in their own section.
3. Edit cells, select ranges with Shift-click or separate cells with Alt-click (PC) or Cmd-click (Mac), and drag the fill handle to copy a value.
4. Click Save, and fix any row Shopify flags before saving again.

## Code

### bulk-editor.txt

```text
# Open the bulk editor
Products > select products (checkboxes) > Bulk edit (or Edit products)
Then: Columns > tick the fields you need. Metafields have their own section.

# Columns worth adding
Theme template          assign an alternate product template in bulk
Metafields              any product or variant metafield with a definition
Barcodes                also accepts barcode-scanner input
SKU, Compare-at price   check these when a save fails with "invalid values"

# Open the editor straight on one metafield column for all products
https://admin.shopify.com/store/your-store/bulk?edit=metafields.seo.hidden%3Anumber&resource_name=Product
# pattern: edit=metafields.<namespace>.<key>%3A<type>  (%3A is ":")

# Editing tricks
Arrow keys                            move between cells
Shift + click                         select a range of cells
Alt + click (PC) / Cmd + click (Mac)  select cells that aren't next to each other
Drag across cells                     edit several fields at once
Drag the fill handle                  copy a cell's value up or down
```

## Limits and edge cases

- “Update the invalid values, then save again” can come from a column you don’t see, such as a missing SKU or a metafield validation; add those columns to find it.
- Variant metafields can be edited here but not in the product CSV.
- Bulk editing of blog posts, pages and URL redirects is no longer available in the admin.
- Shopify’s help warns about errors in Microsoft Edge with long bulk editor URLs; use another browser for big selections.

## Questions

### How do I add more columns to the Shopify bulk editor?

Click Columns at the top of the bulk editor and tick the properties or metafields you want.

### Can I change the theme template for many products at once?

Yes. Select the products, click Bulk edit, add the Theme template column and choose the template per row.

### Can I bulk edit metafields in Shopify?

Yes, for products, variants, collections and customers: add the metafield columns in the bulk editor. The metafield needs a definition.

## Shopify documentation

- [Bulk editing](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/shopify-admin/productivity-tools/bulk-editing)
- [Editing metafields in bulk](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/custom-data/metafields/bulk-edit-metafields)
- [Apply templates in bulk](https://help.shopify.com/en/manual/online-store/themes/theme-structure/templates)

## Related

- [Admin deep links: product, variant, JSON and bulk editor URLs](https://lintelagency.com/resources/shopify-tricks/admin-deep-links)
- [Product CSV columns: what’s required and what overwrites](https://lintelagency.com/resources/shopify-tricks/csv-import-export-columns)
- [Hide a product from search with seo.hidden](https://lintelagency.com/resources/shopify-tricks/hide-product-from-search)
- [Write metafields with metafieldsSet](https://lintelagency.com/resources/graphql/metafields-set)

License: MIT. Free to use in your own store and in client work.