Tailor Your Records to Your Organisation's Data
Every organisation captures data points that go beyond a standard entity or individual profile — GIIN numbers, VAT registration codes, funding vehicle references, or tax treaty classifications. Custom Fields lets your organisation define these structured data points directly on Vistra Digital, so bespoke information lives on the record itself rather than in scattered spreadsheets or free-text notes. Fields are configured centrally by an administrator and become available across your Legal Entity and Individual records, where they can be viewed, edited, exported, and fully audited — subject to the same controls as standard fields.
💡 Key Takeaway: Custom Fields brings your organisation's unique data requirements into Vistra Digital as structured, auditable, and exportable fields — without any engineering involvement.
Key Features & Capabilities
✏️ Six Configurable Field Types
Create fields using the type that fits your data: Short answer, Date, Number, Yes/No, Single-select, and Multi-select.
Add an optional Tooltip to give users on-screen guidance about what each field is for.
⚡ Field Settings & Ordering
Mark a field as Required so it must be completed when a record is created or edited.
Mark a field as Exportable to include it in Excel and PDF outputs.
Reorder fields with drag-and-drop; the display order on the management page is the order colleagues see on every record.
🔄 Field & Option Lifecycle Management
Archive a field to remove it from records while preserving its data, then Restore it intact whenever needed.
For select fields, deprecate a picklist option to hide it from new selections while records already holding it keep their original value.
Restore a deprecated option, or permanently delete fields and options when they are no longer needed.
🔍 Custom Data on Entity & Individual Records
Completed values appear in a dedicated Custom fields area on both Legal Entity and Individual records.
A field's detail page shows every record currently using it, with search and value filtering to locate entries quickly.
📥 Export to Excel & PDF
Exportable fields are added as columns to the existing Excel export for record lists.
The single-record PDF export for Legal Entities includes a dedicated Custom fields section for Exportable values.
🔐 Permissions & Access Control
Field creation and management are restricted to super admin by default.
Seven granular Custom fields management permissions can be granted to custom user groups, covering viewing, creating, editing, archiving, deleting, and managing picklist options.
📊 Full Activity Log Coverage
Every value change is logged with the actor, timestamp, and before-and-after values.
Every schema change — field created, edited, archived, restored, or an option added, deprecated, or restored — is recorded for a complete audit trail.
How It Works (Step-by-Step Guide)
Step 1: Open Custom Fields Management
Navigate to Admin → Custom Fields in the left sidebar, or select Manage custom fields from the header of a Legal entities or Individuals list. Choose the Legal entities or Individuals tab for the record type you want to configure.
Step 2: Add a Custom Field
Select + Add custom field. Enter a Label, choose the Field type, and set the Required and Exportable toggles as needed. Add an optional Tooltip, and for select fields, enter the picklist options. Save to publish the field.
Step 3: Arrange the Field Order
Use the drag handle beside each active field to reorder the list. Changes save automatically on drop and apply across all records immediately.
Step 4: Enter Values on Records
Colleagues with record access open a Legal Entity or Individual record and complete the custom fields in the Custom fields area. Required fields must be completed before the record can be saved.
Step 5: Maintain Fields Over Time
Edit a field's settings, archive fields that are no longer in active use, or deprecate outdated picklist options — all without losing historical data.
Step 6: Export and Review
Export records to Excel to include Exportable field values, or export a single Legal Entity record to PDF for its dedicated Custom fields section. Review the Activity log to trace every value and schema change.
User Benefits
🎯 Accuracy: Structured field types and validation keep custom data consistent and reliable across your estate.
⏩ Efficiency: Administrators define new fields without engineering support, and colleagues capture data directly on the record instead of in external files.
🔐 Security: Schema management is restricted to authorised administrators, with granular permissions available for custom user groups.
📊 Transparency: Every value and schema change is captured in the Activity log with full actor and timestamp detail.
Use Cases
✅ For Compliance Teams: Capture regulatory identifiers such as GIIN numbers, VAT registration codes, or diversity status directly on the entity record.
✅ For Finance Teams: Record funding vehicle references or project codes against the entities they relate to.
✅ For Corporate Secretaries: Track bespoke governance or classification attributes that the standard data model does not cover.
✅ For Clients: Model organisation-specific data within Vistra Digital and keep it in a single, auditable source of truth.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
❓ Who can create and manage custom fields?
By default, only super admins can create, edit, archive, or delete fields and manage picklist options. These capabilities can also be granted to custom user groups through the seven Custom fields management permissions. All colleagues with standard record access can view and edit field values.
❓ What happens to data when I archive a field or deprecate an option?
Data is preserved. An archived field is removed from records but restores intact when needed. A deprecated option is hidden from new selections, while records already holding it keep and display their original value.
❓ Can I change a field's type after creating it?
A field's type can be changed only while no record holds a value for it. Once values exist, the type is locked to protect the stored data from corruption.
❓ Are custom fields included in exports?
Only fields marked as Exportable are included. They appear as columns in the Excel list export for both record types, and in a dedicated section of the single-record PDF export for Legal Entities.
❓ If I add a Required field, are existing records flagged?
No. Required validation is not applied retroactively. It is enforced the next time a record is created or edited.
Future Enhancements
🔮 Field-level visibility and access control
🔮 Conditional field visibility based on other field values
🔮 Named section groups for organising fields
🔮 In-app bulk population of field values
Summary
Custom Fields gives your organisation a structured, first-party way to capture the data points that matter to you on Legal Entity and Individual records. Administrators configure fields centrally with the right types, settings, and permissions, while colleagues capture values directly on the record — all backed by a complete Activity log and available in Excel and PDF exports. The result is bespoke data that is accurate, auditable, and kept within your single source of truth.
📩 Contact: Reach out to your Vistra representative for guidance on configuring Custom Fields for your organisation.