A custom property is an element of an AODocs document. It provides information about the specific document. Properties can be used to structure documents, to improve the search experience or to customize a workflow.

Properties are also called metadata.

Important: Custom properties are defined at the document class level by library administrators. They can be edited by contributors and are visible to all library readers.

Calculated properties are calculated automatically using formulas that can include references to other properties, thereby creating dependencies between your properties. Learn more: Use calculated elements. Administrators can create and configure calculated properties in the administration interface.

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Access your document in edit mode

As a contributor you can access documents in edit mode from a document or from a view:

• open a document and click the Edit button

• in a view, select a document and click the Edit action button

Edit custom properties and save your changes

Note: When you are editing the properties of a document, the document is locked and other users can't edit it. The document stays locked for 15 minutes by default.

Fill in the property values for your document.
Adapt the value according to the type of property the administrator has configured:

• String: for a string of alphanumerical and special characters limited to 400 characters
• Text: for text containing alphanumerical and special characters with line breaks

Note: In String and Text properties HTML isn't interpreted, so avoid using HTML code such as <b>....</b>.

• Date / Time / Date & Time: for date and time properties
• Integer: for integer values (0, 1, 2, -1,.. limited to +/- 9,007,199,254,740)
• Decimal: for decimal values (0.1, -5.1, 1.655,..) with maximum 3 decimal digits
• Boolean: for a boolean
• Person: for the name of a person or a group (AODocs autocompletes email addresses available in your domain's global address list)

Note: A Person property accepts groups only if the administrator has set the property as multivalued in the document class configuration. Learn more: Create and configure custom properties.

Tips:
– You can copy-paste lists of email addresses into Person properties. The lists can be comma, colon or space separated, or copied directly from Google Calendar. 
– Similarly, hover over the Copy to clipboard button next to Person properties to copy the email addresses of the users and groups defined for the property. This lets you easily start an email conversation (for example).

• Geopoint: for the location in latitude and longitude
• URL: for a link to a URL with a display name
• Categories: custom values defined by categories like Product type, Manufacturer and Country.
  Learn more: Edit categories and What are categories?

Note: If your library administrator has configured sections for the properties in your document class, the properties are grouped into different sections.

Tip: Library administrators can add a description for each custom property to guide users when filling in the properties. Learn more: Create and configure custom properties. To see the description of a property, hover over the tooltip icon next to the property's name. You can also access the tooltips in view mode.

Notes:
– When editing a document as a contributor, you can see read-only properties with values, but you can't edit them. However, you can't see read-only properties without values.
– Calculated properties are read-only. You can't edit them manually. Learn more: Use calculated elements.

3. Click the Save button.

Edit Category and Reference Catalog type properties

Categories and reference catalogs are types of custom properties.

Categories are composed of a set of pre-defined values and are defined at the library level. Reference catalogs behave like categories but they are defined at the domain level, so are available in all libraries on your domain.

Learn more:

• What are categories and reference catalogs?
• Create and configure Reference Catalog properties

1. Open a document and click the Edit button.

2. To select a value for a Category or Reference Catalog property:

• for single-value or multivalue Category or Reference Catalog properties: position your cursor in the field, then select one or more values from the drop-down menu
• for multilevel categories: click the tree structure button, then select a value for each required level in the category hierarchy – if your multilevel category is also multivalue, you can add more than one value

Note: Reference catalogs are always single-level.

Add new values to dynamic categories

If a category is set as dynamic, contributors can add new values to the predefined list.

Notes:
– Reference Catalog type properties are never dynamic. 
– When you add a new value for a dynamic category, it becomes available for other users to select. 

To add a new value for a dynamic category property:

• for single-value or multivalue categories: position your cursor in the field, type your new value and then select the name of the new value
• for multilevel categories: click the tree structure button next to the property, enter a new value in the editable field and then select the name of the new value

Note: If a multilevel category is set as dynamic, you can create a new value at any level in the hierarchy.

Properties with outdated category values

Library administrators can set category values as outdated. Outdated values are not available for selection in the list of values.

Note: Reference catalog values can't be set as outdated. 

If a category has already been assigned an outdated value, a message appears indicating that the value is invalid. You can still save your document.

What if you can't save your document?

You can't save your document if one or more:

• mandatory properties haven't been filled in
• properties have incorrect values
• calculated properties contain an error

Properties can become mandatory, hidden and/or read-only depending on the workflow state. A warning message is displayed in view mode if you are a workflow participant and a workflow transition is prevented because:

• at least one mandatory property is empty
• at least one property has an invalid value

A warning appears at the top of the Properties section if at least one mandatory property is empty.

Mandatory properties haven't been filled in

Make sure all mandatory properties are filled in before saving. You can't save your document without filling in all the mandatory properties.

In edit mode, a progress bar indicates how many mandatory properties remain to be filled in. Mandatory properties are marked with a red star.

Notes:
– It is also mandatory to give your document a title.
– If you try to save a document before filling in all the required mandatory properties, a red message appears on each remaining mandatory property prompting you to fill it in. 

Properties have incorrect values

Library administrators can add data validation rules on certain properties. This forces you to respect a rule when entering the values in the property. If you don't follow this rule, a red error message is displayed:

Features for administrators and document managers

When viewing or editing a document as an administrator or a document manager, you can use the Show hidden properties switch to show or hide the hidden properties.

Learn more: What are roles?

Notes:
– If there are no hidden properties defined in your document class or as a result of a workflow action, the Show hidden properties button isn't displayed.
– Readers and contributors can never see the hidden properties. The Show hidden properties switch is not available for them.

When editing a document as an administrator, you can fill in values for hidden and read-only properties.

When viewing a document containing one or more calculated properties in error, as an administrator or a document manager you can see that the property is in error. Learn more: Handle errors in calculated elements.