> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.deandesk.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Identity metadata

> Define institution-level custom fields and control whether Identities can edit them.

> [!NOTE]
>
> This guide covers **institution-level** setup at `deandesk.com`. See [Institutions & Schools](/getting-started/institutions-and-schools.md) for how these levels relate.## Video walkthrough

\<video controls playsInline preload="metadata" poster="/images/tutorials/institution-metadata.jpg" width="100%" aria-label="Identity metadata walkthrough"><source src="https://deandesk-static-img.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/docs/tutorials/institution-metadata.c8a6351fc239cdb417de155a8ecd1891cacec43016e71bda5dc7d98a4db4551c.mp4" type="video/mp4" />
        \<track kind="captions" srcLang="en" label="English" default />
Your browser does not support embedded video. [Open the video](https://deandesk-static-img.s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/docs/tutorials/institution-metadata.c8a6351fc239cdb417de155a8ecd1891cacec43016e71bda5dc7d98a4db4551c.mp4).</video>
      

\[Download the video](/videos/tutorials/institution-metadata.mp4) · Download English captions

> [!NOTE]
>
> This walkthrough uses the real DeanDesk interface with the fictional Northstar Academy demo school and a calm, AI-generated English voice. Payments and outside services are not connected in the demo.Screenshots use fictional Northstar demo data. Payment and integration screens illustrate the demo setup; no live transactions or connections are shown.Open **Settings → Metadata**. These custom fields belong to institution **Identities**. School User fields are configured in [Profile Form Settings](/setup/profile-forms.md); membership fields are configured in [Memberships → Configuration](/institution/memberships.md#membership-metadata).## Add a field**1. Name the field**In **New metadata field**, enter a unique **Field Name**, such as `department`, and a readable **Field Label**, such as **Department**.**2. Choose its format**Choose a **Field Type**: **text**, **textarea**, **number**, **date**, **boolean**, **select**, or **multiselect**. For **select** and **multiselect**, enter the allowed values in **Options (comma separated)**, which appears after you choose one of those types.**3. Set behavior**Set **Order** and an optional **Description**. Enable **Required** if the field must be completed. Enable **Public (editable by identity)** if the Identity should be able to edit it; this label does not mean the value becomes a public directory listing.**4. Save and verify**Click **Add field**. Check its label, type, options, and Required/Public badges under **Current schema**, then inspect an Identity's metadata fields.![Northstar demo: Metadata](https://mintcdn.com/deandesk/w4Aa5fKkcT4IMz-4/images/dashboard/institution/metadata.jpg?fit=max\&auto=format\&n=w4Aa5fKkcT4IMz-4\&q=85\&s=acd56ff60541d267794df09846277e65)Northstar demo — Metadata[Open full-size screenshot](/images/dashboard/institution/metadata.jpg)## Review and remove fieldsThe current schema is displayed in order, with a total field count. Use **Delete** to remove a field from the schema. Check how staff use a field before removing it, especially if it supports search or recordkeeping.This screen provides field creation and deletion. It is not the school metadata section editor, which also groups and drags fields into sections.


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