Managing Attributes

System Administrators can create and manage your organisation's attribute structure from the Attribute Maintenance page.

From here you can:

Create and edit Attribute Groups.
Create and edit Attribute Types.
Create and edit Attributes.
Configure Attribute Forms, Templates, and the Journey Simulator.
Access advanced attribute settings, including Rules, Triggers, Linked Attributes, and Linked Users.

Note: You must have Administrator permissions to access Attribute Maintenance.

Accessing Attribute Maintenance

Navigate to Admin.
Select Attributes.

The Attribute Maintenance page displays your organisation's attribute structure.

By default, Attribute Groups, Attribute Types, and Attributes are displayed in Sequence order. To sort the list alphabetically instead, click the Name column heading.

Attribute Groups

Select the Attribute Groups tab to create new Attribute Groups or edit existing ones.

To edit an existing Attribute Group, click the Edit (pencil) icon. Make your changes and click the Save (green plus) icon.

To create a new Attribute Group, click the New (large green plus) button.

Attribute Group Fields

Field	Description
ID	Automatically generated when the Attribute Group is created.
Name	The name of the Attribute Group.
Group Code	An optional short code used to identify the Attribute Group.
Sequence	Controls the order in which the Attribute Group appears throughout Attribute Maintenance. Lower sequence numbers appear first, making frequently used groups easier to access.
Is Journey	Designates the Attribute Group as a Journey Attribute Group, only applicable when using the Vega Journey Function.
Is Active	Makes the Attribute Group available for use. Inactive Attribute Groups are hidden from maintenance and the attributes within them are no longer available on contact records or in reporting.
Insight Category	If the Attribute Group is used for journey mapping, select the appropriate Insight Category.

Tip: Use sequence numbers in increments of 10 (10, 20, 30, etc.) to make it easier to insert new Attribute Groups in the future without renumbering your existing groups.

Attribute Types

Attribute Types organise similar attributes together within an Attribute Group.

For example:

Membership
└── Membership Status
    ├── Active
    ├── Lapsed
    └── Pending

To create a new Attribute Type, click the + button. To edit an existing Attribute Type, click the Edit (pencil) icon.

Attribute Type Fields

Field	Description
ID	Automatically generated when the Attribute Type is created.
Name	The name of the Attribute Type.
Group	Select the Attribute Group this type belongs to.
Sequence	Controls the display order throughout Vega. Lower numbers appear first.
Is Active	Makes the Attribute Type available for use. Inactive types are hidden and cannot be assigned or reported on.
Is Visible	Displays the Attribute Type on contact records. A type can remain active but hidden if it is only required for reporting.
Is Unique	Restricts a contact to one open attribute within this Attribute Type. Adding another automatically closes the previous one.
Is Status Attribute	Available only when Is Unique is enabled. Displays the Attribute Type as a status dropdown on every contact dashboard.
Is Journey Stage	Identifies the Attribute Type as a Journey Stage for use with the Vega Journey function.
Is Journey Touchpoint	Identifies the Attribute Type as a Journey Touchpoint for use with the Vega Journey function.

Important: To use an Attribute Type within Vega, both Is Active and Is Visible should normally be enabled.

Setting	Purpose
Active	Determines whether the Attribute can be assigned to contacts.
Visible	Determines whether users can see the Attribute on contact records.

Attributes

Attributes are created and managed within an Attribute Type.

To view the attributes for an Attribute Type, click the View Attributes icon.

A table will appear beneath the Attribute Types list, displaying all attributes assigned to the selected Attribute Type.

To create a new Attribute, click the New (green plus) icon.

To edit an existing Attribute, click the Edit (blue pencil) icon.

Attribute Fields

Field	Description
ID	Automatically generated when the Attribute is created.
Name	The name of the Attribute.
Short Code	An optional short code used to identify the Attribute.
Sequence	Controls the order in which the Attribute appears when assigning attributes to contacts and when displayed in widgets. Lower sequence numbers appear first.
Is Active	Makes the Attribute available for use. Inactive Attributes cannot be assigned to contacts but remain visible in Attribute Maintenance and on existing contacts if Is Visible is enabled.
Is Visible	Displays the Attribute on contact records. An Attribute can remain active but hidden if it is only required for reporting or background processes.
Show on Dashboard	Displays the Attribute in the Key Attributes section of the contact dashboard. Depending on your Financial Settings, these key attributes can also be displayed on the payment form.
Is Unique	Restricts a contact to one open instance of this Attribute. If the same Attribute is added again, the previous instance is automatically closed.
Once Only	Prevents the Attribute from being assigned to the same contact more than once.
Show Assigned User	Displays an Assigned User field when the Attribute is added to a contact. This allows you to assign responsibility for the Attribute to a staff member. Assigned users can then quickly locate these contacts using the My Contacts search option.

Important: To use an Attribute within Vega, both Is Active and Is Visible should normally be enabled.

Tip: Use the Show on Dashboard option sparingly and reserve it for important attributes that users need to see at a glance, such as membership status, volunteer roles, or key donor information.

Advanced Attribute Form

For additional configuration options, click the More (three dots) menu next to an Attribute and select the Advanced Attribute Form.

The Advanced Attribute Form provides access to additional settings that are not available from the main Attribute screen. From here you can:

Add notes to an Attribute.
Configure advanced Attribute settings.
Assign Attribute Sub Types.
Configure Foundation Attributes.
Create Attribute Rules and Triggers.
Link Attributes together.
Assign Linked Users.

For more information about these advanced features and how to configure them, see the Advanced Attribute Form article.

“Some content in this article may have been developed with the assistance of AI tools and reviewed by staff.”

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