Key takeaways
- The simplest method is adding ingredients or care instructions directly to the product description.
- The cleaner method is using a product metafield - consistent formatting across all products.
- For care instruction icons or custom visual styling, use Fudge to build a custom section.
- Both methods work without code. Metafields require a one-time definition setup.
Whether you’re selling skincare, supplements, apparel, or food, customers need to know what’s in your product and how to look after it. Shopify gives you two practical ways to surface this content.
Why you can trust us
We’ve worked with hundreds of Shopify brands across beauty, food, and apparel — categories where ingredients and care instructions are non-negotiable. We also built Fudge — an AI storefront editor with a 5.0 rating on the Shopify App Store.
Method 1 - Add to the product description (quickest)
The product description field is the most straightforward place to add this content.
Related: Add Structured Data in Shopify.
Related: Customize a Shopify Product Page Layout.
Related: Create a Care Guide Page in Shopify.
Step 1. Go to Products and open the product.
Step 2. Click into the Description field.
Step 3. Add your content. A few formatting tips:
- Use a bold heading like Ingredients or Care Instructions to separate this section from the main description.
- Use a bullet list for ingredients - easier to read than a comma-separated paragraph.
- For care instructions, use short numbered steps or symbols with written descriptions.
Step 4. Save.
When to use this method: Small catalogues where you don’t mind adding the content product by product. Quick to set up. No configuration needed.
Drawback: Content is mixed in with the rest of the description. If you want ingredients in a dedicated section with its own styling, this method doesn’t give you that cleanly.
Method 2 - Use a product metafield (recommended for stores with 10+ products)
Metafields store the data in a dedicated field, separate from the description. This means:
- The content is always in the same place for every product
- You can display it in a dedicated section with consistent styling
- You can filter or query by this field programmatically
Set up the metafield definition
Step 1. Go to Settings > Custom data > Products.
Step 2. Click Add definition.
Step 3. Give it a name (e.g., “Ingredients” or “Care Instructions”).
Step 4. Choose a type - Multi-line text works for most care instructions. Rich text if you want to use formatting like bold or bullet lists.
Step 5. Save.
Fill in the metafield per product
Step 1. Open a product in the admin.
Step 2. Scroll to the bottom of the page. Your new metafield appears there.
Step 3. Add your content and save.
Display the metafield on the product page
In the Theme Editor, navigate to a product page, add a text block to the Main product section, and connect it to your metafield via the dynamic source option. The content will pull from the metafield for each product automatically.
Related: Add Metafields to Shopify Products.
Adding care instruction icons
Symbols are the international standard for care instructions (wash temperature, tumble dry, iron, etc.). To display these properly in Shopify, you have a few options:
- Unicode symbols - basic but limited. Add directly to the metafield text.
- SVG icons - cleaner display. Requires adding them to your theme via code or Fudge.
- Custom care instruction section - built in Fudge. Describe what you want: “Add a care instructions section below the product description that shows icons for each care step alongside a short text label.” Fudge generates it as native Liquid code in your theme.
Where to position ingredients or care instructions on the page
Common positions that work well:
- In a tabbed section - keeps the product page clean. Description in one tab, ingredients in another, care in a third. Many themes support tabbed product sections natively.
- Below the add-to-cart button - visible without scrolling too far, relevant for compliance.
- In a collapsible accordion - especially good for long ingredient lists.
If your theme doesn’t support these layouts natively, Fudge can build a custom tabbed or accordion section for your product page.
Compliance notes
If you’re selling food, supplements, or cosmetics, ingredient disclosures may be legally required. Check the regulations in your target markets. For US food and supplement products, the FDA has specific labelling requirements. This guide covers the technical Shopify setup — consult a compliance specialist for regulatory requirements in your category.
FAQ
Metafield if you have more than ~10 products and want consistent formatting. Description if you have a small catalogue or your ingredients vary so much that a structured field doesn't help. Metafields scale better but require a one-time setup.
Yes - create two separate metafield definitions, one for each. This keeps them clearly separated in both the admin and on the product page. You can also create category-specific fields (e.g., a Care field for apparel, an Ingredients field for skincare) and only fill in the ones relevant per product.
Three options: (1) Unicode symbols typed directly into a metafield (basic but limited), (2) upload SVG icon files and reference them in your theme code via Liquid based on the metafield value, or (3) build a custom care instructions section with Fudge that maps metafield values to icon images.
Yes, particularly for category SEO. Searches like "vegan moisturiser without parabens" can match products that have ingredients listed in their content. Whether in the description or in a metafield exposed on the page, the text is indexed by Google.
Yes - many themes include an accordion or collapsible row block under the product section. Add it to your product template, set the heading to "Ingredients", and connect the body text to your ingredient metafield. Hidden-by-default content is fine for SEO; Google still indexes content inside accordions.
