---
title: "Create a Custom Attribute"
slug: "create-a-custom-attribute"
description: "Add, edit, and monitor custom attributes and events on the Insider One Attributes and Events page, and pause (block) or resume their data ingestion."
tags: ["how to create an event", "events and attributes", "how to create an attribute", "create an attribute", "create an event", "attributes", "attributes and events"]
updated: 2026-11-05T11:47:22Z
published: 2026-11-05T11:47:22Z
canonical: "academy.insiderone.com/create-a-custom-attribute"
---

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

# Create a Custom Attribute

In addition to the default attributes provided by Insider One, you can also define custom attributes. These are useful when you need to track data points not included in the default list, or when you have specific business use cases.

When adding a custom field or custom user property, ensure it complies with the platform's predefined limits to support smooth data processing and compatibility.

In this article, you can find answers to the following questions:

- [How can I create a custom attribute?](/v1/docs/create-and-edit--attributes-events#create-a-custom-attribute)
- [How can I edit a custom attribute?](/v1/docs/create-and-edit--attributes-events#edit-a-custom-attribute)
- [How can I delete a custom attribute?](/v1/docs/create-a-custom-attribute#delete-a-custom-attribute)

## Create a custom attribute

> [!NOTE]
> You can have up to 80 custom attributes (excluding default attributes) by default. This includes all custom attributes from the mobile application, website integration, CRM integration, and email custom fields.

To create a custom attribute,

1. Click the **Create** button when you are on the Attributes tab.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/c6df4583-da94-4cb2-bb8a-be0cbdd11109/Images/Documentation/image-G7NU2G4W.png)

1. On the creation modal, fill in the necessary details:![](https://cdn.document360.io/c6df4583-da94-4cb2-bb8a-be0cbdd11109/Images/Documentation/image-1717670940621.png)

- **Attribute System Name:** The name used for any system interaction, such as the Upsert User API parameter. The system name can contain only lowercase letters and underscores. Spaces and special characters aren't allowed. For example, **custom_attribute_name** or **product_cat_name**.
- **Attribute Display Name:** This is the main name of the data you will see while interacting with the InOne panel, such as when selecting in segmentation, etc. **Attribute Name** or **Product Category Name** can be examples.
- **Data Type:** This is the standard type you must define for an attribute.
  - The **Boolean** data type can only have one of two possible values: True or False. e.g. *Club Member = True*
  - The **Date** is a data type used to store and manipulate dates and times. It is used to represent a specific point in time in RFC 3339 format, such as 2026-01-10T15:41:00Z.
  - The **Number** is a data type represented by a number that indicates an amount. The number can be either a whole number, a positive or negative number, or a floating-point number. e.g., *'712**
  - The **Number Array** is a collection of numerical values stored together, allowing for operations like sorting, searching, and calculations on the elements. e.g., *"1, 2, 3, 4, 5."*
  - The **String** is a data type used to represent text or a sequence of characters. It can be used to store and manipulate alphanumeric data, such as names, addresses, or messages. e.g., *"Hello"*
  - The **String Array** is a collection of strings that can be stored together, providing functionality for tasks such as sorting, searching, and modifying the individual string elements. e.g., *"apple," "banana," "orange."*
  - The **URL** is a string of characters that provides a unique address for accessing resources on the internet. e.g., *"http://insiderone.com"*
- **Sample of Data:** This is an empty input box where you can enter any value, preferably a sample value for that custom attribute, so you can skim the list of attributes with sample values to better understand your data sets.

For example, if you have the attribute of Store ID, you can input one of the sample values: “ST0015-A”
- **Tags:** You can add labels or keywords to help organize and categorize the data.
- **Notes:** You can input any explanation about your attributes accordingly to remind yourself of the definition. This is an open field text input area.
- **Mark as PII:** Mark this checkbox if you want an attribute to be marked as one that contains Personally Identifiable Information. This controls information access for panel users based on their roles and permissions. For example, panel users with **PII access** **set to False** cannot see this attribute in the InOne panel.
- The **"Show on Segment"** checkbox allows you to choose whether the attribute you’re creating will be available for selection while you’re creating segments.

> [!NOTE]
> Custom Attribute Prefix
> 
> Insider One automatically adds the **c_** prefix to custom attribute names when you save them. Enter the name without the prefix: for example, enter **datejoined** to create the stored key **c_datejoined**. Entering **c_datejoined** creates **c_c_datejoined**.

> [!NOTE]
> Once you create your attributes on this page, you can use one of these [data ingestion](/v1/docs/data-ingestion) methods to pass a value for a user attribute.

> [!NOTE]
> While sending **Number** values, send values as numbers, not formatted strings. Do not include thousands separators or currency symbols. Use a period (.) as the decimal separator. For example, send 1234.56, not 1,234.56, 1.234,56, or $1,234.56.

## Edit a custom attribute

Select the **Edit** option from the dropdown menu next to the attribute to edit a custom attribute.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/c6df4583-da94-4cb2-bb8a-be0cbdd11109/Images/Documentation/image-I3JEP6TO.png)

When editing a custom attribute, the **System Name** and **Data Type** fields are locked to prevent potential issues with active campaigns or dynamic segments.

Upon opening the edit side modal for an attribute, you’ll see two tabs that show where the attribute is currently in use:

- Active Campaigns
- Dynamic Segments

You can switch between these tabs to view details on related usage.

![](https://cdn.document360.io/c6df4583-da94-4cb2-bb8a-be0cbdd11109/Images/Documentation/image-1748593344689.png)

You can edit a custom attribute depending on where it's currently being used. The ability to update fields like System Name and Data Type changes based on their usage in campaigns or dynamic segments:

### Used in Both Campaigns and Dynamic Segments

- System Name and Data Type are not editable.
- You need to end all campaigns and delete all dynamic segments that use the attribute before editing.

### Used Only in Campaigns

- System Name and Data Type are not editable.
- To make changes, ensure that:

> [!WARNING]
> If you only stop (but don’t delete) a campaign and then edit the attribute, the campaign may not function properly when reactivated.
  - All running campaigns are completed.
  - All related dynamic segments are deleted.

### Used Only in Dynamic Segments

- System Name and Data Type are not editable.
- Once all associated dynamic segments are deleted, these fields will become editable.

### Not Used in Any Campaign or Dynamic Segment

- All fields, including System Name and Data Type, are fully editable.

After making your changes, don’t forget to click **Save** to apply them.

> [!NOTE]
> You can pause or resume any attribute ingestion directly on the [Attributes and Events page](/v1/docs/attributes-events-page). Pausing ingested data means that Insider One will stop accepting the data (or blocking) from flowing into its database. You might need it in case there are occurrences of sending the wrong batch of data that need to be stopped.
> 
> ![](https://cdn.document360.io/c6df4583-da94-4cb2-bb8a-be0cbdd11109/Images/Documentation/image-AZLJKF9F.png)
> 
> For details, see [Pause (block) data ingestion](https://academy.insiderone.com/docs/attributes-events-page#pause-block-data-ingestion).

## Delete a custom attribute

You can request deletion of custom attributes you no longer need. Default attributes cannot be deleted, and custom attributes configured as identifiers are also protected from deletion.

To request deletion, contact the Insider One team and provide the attribute’s system name.

Before you request deletion:

1. Check where the attribute is used. Open the attribute’s edit side modal and review the Active Campaigns and Dynamic Segments tabs.
2. Remove or replace references to the attribute. Review the listed campaigns and dynamic segments. As an additional precaution, check any journeys and message personalization that use it. Do not treat the two tabs as a complete dependency list.
3. Stop sending the attribute from all data sources. Check APIs, SDKs, CRM integrations, and file imports. Verify that ingestion has stopped before submitting the deletion request. Continued ingestion can repopulate deleted attribute data.

> [!WARNING]
> Deleting an attribute that a campaign still uses may affect campaign execution. Remove or replace those references before requesting deletion.

## Notes on creating, editing, or deleting attributes

The following limitations apply when working with attributes. These default rules ensure data consistency and system performance. If your use case requires adjustments (e.g., increased attribute capacity), contact the Insider One team — we can review and increase the limits to meet your needs.

- Default attributes cannot be edited.
- Default attributes and identifier attributes cannot be deleted. Custom attributes can be deleted on request. For details, see [Delete a custom attribute](/v1/docs/create-a-custom-attribute#delete-a-custom-attribute).

> [!NOTE]
> If you’ve reached your custom attribute limit, reach out to the Insider One team to request a cleanup of unused attributes.
- Before you request deletion of a custom attribute, remove it from all active campaigns, dynamic segments, and journeys. If the attribute is still in use, campaigns, dynamic segments, and journeys that use it can stop working correctly.
- Changing an attribute’s data type will overwrite existing values. For example, if a string attribute stores "true" and "false" as text, changing the type to Boolean will convert these values to true/false.

> [!NOTE]
> Before changing the data type, check that the existing values are compatible with the new type. Values that are not compatible will not be displayed on user profiles and can affect segments, journeys, and campaigns that use the attribute. If you need to preserve the original attribute and its values, create a separate attribute with the required type and send data to it instead.

## Related

- [Attributes and Events Page](/attributes-events-page.md)
- [Attributes and Events: Use Cases](/attributes-events-use-cases.md)
- [Event Integration](/web-event-integration.md)