---
title: Manage fields
slug: content-marketing-platform/docs/manage-fields
docTags: 
createdAt: 2026-07-20T15:45:35.561Z
---

Fields let you manage metadata in your Optimizely Content Marketing Platform (CMP) instance. A field is a piece of your team's shared taxonomy and represents a structure that helps organize your data in a unified manner.

For example, if you call your stakeholders by their department names, you can create a field called **Department** to organize content by stakeholder department names. You can apply the **Department** field to content, tasks, events, and campaigns on the platform.

Each field type has distinct features. For example, radio buttons ensure only one option selection, such as **Yes** or **No**.

:::hint{type="info"}
CMP merged labels and custom fields into one category called fields. The **Additional information** tray in tasks was also deprecated.
:::

## Create a field

1. Go to your profile > **Fields**.

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/aSnkoZXs2ZBGmwvMvFHTX_settings-fields-fields-list-page.png" size="100" isUploading="false" width="800" height="385" darkWidth="800" darkHeight="385" showCaption="false" indent="1"}

2. Click **Add Field**.
3. Select the **Field Type** and enter the **Field Name**, which displays throughout the platform. Click **+ Helper Text** to add a description helping users identify expected input.
4. Expand **Advanced Settings** to enter further details. You can set the field as **Active**, set a **Text Limit** to limit the characters users can enter, and toggle **Read Only** on to protect the field. See [Protected fields](docId\:rOS7iwGbM6fB7vBXRQR8W) for details.

:::hint{type="info" indent="1"}
You can only configure the **Read Only** setting when creating a field. This configuration cannot be changed after creating the field. 
:::

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/Enym5H4YgicGbx112F92g_create-a-new-field-create-a-new-field-modal.png" size="40" isUploading="false" width="435" height="689" darkWidth="435" darkHeight="689" showCaption="false"}

5. Click **Create**.

## Protect a field

When you enable **Read Only** during field creation, the field becomes a protected field. Protection controls who can edit the field's values. It does not hide the field or change the field type.

Only an **Admin** can freely edit, add, and remove protected fields. A lock icon displays next to the field as a visual reminder that it is protected for other users, but these admins have no restrictions on it.

All other users view a lock icon on protected fields and cannot edit the value, add the field manually, or remove it. On creation forms, CMP automatically populates protected field values from the sources the user selects. See **Automate metadata** for details.

![](https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/zPqv3MWIrJ5opFFfpva5Z_fields-read-only-field-row.png)

:::hint{type="info"}
The **Read Only** setting is permanent. You cannot mark an existing field as protected, and you cannot remove protection from an existing protected field. The **Read Only** toggle does not appear when editing existing fields.
:::

You can also protect label groups. When you create a label group, the **Read Only** toggle is available in the group settings.

## Add a field to a task

1. Click **Create** and select **Tasks** from the drop-down list. 

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/JOcdGL0V4bjNurzvefMRD_create-menu-task-type-selection.png" size="40" isUploading="false" width="416" height="371" darkWidth="416" darkHeight="371" showCaption="false"}

2. Expand **Fields** in the **Create New Task** page and click **Add Field** to add fields to the task. Click **Create New** to [create a new field](docId\:rOS7iwGbM6fB7vBXRQR8W).  

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/W3vKrwSStx4XQgzKbhI9i_search-fields-dropdown-add-field-search-dropdown.png" size="40" isUploading="false" width="387" height="850" darkWidth="387" darkHeight="850" showCaption="false"}

## Apply fields to workflows

1. Go to your profile > **Workflows**, then edit an existing workflow or create one.
2. Go to the **Fields** tab to add existing fields or create a new one. 

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/341a0qh3yWK9r-QaWTo3L_workflows-fields-workflow-fields-tab-checkboxes.png" size="80" isUploading="false" width="800" height="468" darkWidth="800" darkHeight="468" showCaption="false"}

3. Click **More (...)**. Enable **Asset Fields Only** to only display asset fields when creating a workflow. Alternatively, enable **Mandatory At Task Creation** or **At Task Completion**.

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/uEsFAtIfg1qyUElbsXqph_workflows-fields-field-options-menu.png" size="100" isUploading="false" width="800" height="344" darkWidth="800" darkHeight="344" showCaption="false" indent="1"}

4. (Optional) Drag and drop fields into any order.
5. Click **Save**.

Workflows can have preselected field values that display for workflow-created tasks. 

:::hint{type="info"}
Rigid workflows can have additional requirements, such as adding the **Edit fields** action to a step.
:::

## Automate metadata

When you create a task, campaign, or event, CMP automatically carries field values over from attached sources, such as a workflow, parent campaign, template, or work request. How those values are resolved depends on whether the field is editable or protected.

### Editable fields

CMP merges field values from sources one at a time. If only one source has a value for a field, CMP applies it automatically. If two sources have different values on a single-select field, CMP shows a conflict modal where you choose which value to keep. For multi-select fields, CMP combines values from all sources automatically. If you attach multiple sources, CMP works through each one in sequence and shows the conflict modal for each disagreement. This behavior applies to all editable fields for all users and is unchanged.

### Protected fields

Because users without the **Manage Organization Configuration** permission cannot edit protected fields, CMP resolves their values automatically from all attached sources at once, using the fixed precedence order: **Workflow > Parent Campaign > Template > Asset > Work Request**

For single-select fields, CMP uses the value from the highest-priority source that has a value. The conflict modal does not display. For multi-select fields, CMP combines values from all sources, as it does for regular multi-select fields.

Users influence the outcome by choosing which sources to attach, for example, which workflow or parent campaign to use. CMP derives the protected field values from those selections. Users cannot set protected field values directly.

When copying a resource, the original resource's protected field values take the highest priority above all other sources.

Once a resource is created, protected field values are locked for users without the **Manage Organization Configuration** permission. They cannot be changed through the edit modal, inline editing, kanban, timeline, or any other path. Only a user with the **Manage Organization Configuration** permission can update a protected field value after creation.

For users with the **Manage Organization Configuration** permission, protected fields behave like regular fields during creation. They appear in the conflict modal alongside other fields, and the user can choose values manually.

## Edit or delete fields

When adding a field to a task or a workflow, click **More (...)** and select **Edit** or **Delete**.

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/DTYlS_qKfDMWP8NAKjBXc_onboarding-2-0-workflow-workflow-card-delete-menu.png" size="40" isUploading="false" width="394" height="280" darkWidth="394" darkHeight="280" showCaption="false"}

When you select **Edit**, a window displays where you can add, edit, or remove field options and edit the name. The **Read Only** toggle does not display when editing existing fields. Protected status can only be set at creation time.

For the **Label** field type, you can adjust colors for the timeline calendar and click **Advanced Settings** to designate which modules display those options. You can apply only fields relevant to respective modules and eliminate unnecessary options for simpler filter navigation. You can also deactivate a label from **Advanced Settings**.

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/3mY4LUlCp68ncxhW2ZhZx_editing-asset-type-editing-label-field-options.png" size="50" isUploading="false" width="482" height="811" darkWidth="482" darkHeight="811" showCaption="false"}

You can add options to **Labels**, **Checkbox**, **Dropdown**, and **Radio Button**. You can only edit names in **Rich Text**, **Text**, **Image**, and **Video**.

You can remove certain values by toggling them as **Active** or **Inactive**. This maintains historical data but prevents users from selecting the value. You can still filter and report on that field's data.

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/jGZCw7xKqE63stESXcGsN_editing-content-format-deactivate-field-option-icon.png" size="50" isUploading="false" width="674" height="920" darkWidth="674" darkHeight="920" showCaption="false"}

## Enforce single-selection of fields

Instance administrators can enforce single or multiple selections for field types such as **Labels** and **Dropdown**.

Click **Single-Select** or **Multi-Select**, then click **Update**.

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/2dGda3WZU5vlgwlxqnNUi_create-a-new-field-create-label-field-single-select.png" size="50" isUploading="false" width="437" height="330" darkWidth="437" darkHeight="330" showCaption="false"}

From that point, single selection applies to the **Label** or **Dropdown** field type. Work requests, tasks, campaigns, or events using that field type before the rule was applied continue having multiple values. However, editing existing fields within a module enforces the single selection rule.

## Deactivate (show or hide) labels

Administrators can deactivate fields across the entire platform so they no longer display for data entry. This displays only organization-relevant fields. Deactivated fields do not affect analytics or historical data.

This applies only to the **Label** field type. To deactivate a label field, change **Status** from **Active** to **Inactive**.

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/4g44Ts6xaZzcmn2JoCio7_advanced-settings-show-in-filter-inactive-status.png" size="30" isUploading="false" width="254" height="329" darkWidth="254" darkHeight="329" showCaption="false"}

## Show or hide fields in the filter panel

You can specify which fields display in the filter panel for **Calendar**, **Tasks**, **Library**, **Requests**, and **Analytics**.

This applies only to the **Label** field type. Go to **Advanced Settings** on the label edit form to show or hide a label from the filter panel.

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/BrbvVORKJ5iIeSMZye5kI/wIuUrvVCYFBSxBULrsO6v_advanced-settings-show-in-filter-all-selected.png" size="30" isUploading="false" width="227" height="329" darkWidth="227" darkHeight="329" showCaption="false"}