- 6 minutes to read

Add or manage Custom Metadata

Unlock the full power of Nodinite Custom Metadata. This guide shows you how to add, manage, and optimize metadata for every repository entity—empowering your team with structured documentation, governance, and actionable insights.

What you’ll achieve by following this guide:

  • ✅ Effortless creation and management of Custom Metadata for all repository entities
  • ✅ Flexible data types for every documentation need
  • ✅ Context-aware scoping and governance for integrations, systems, services, and more
  • ✅ Rapid editing, filtering, and exporting for compliance and reporting

Add or manage Custom Metadata

Add a new Custom Metadata field by clicking the Add Custom Metadata button.
Add Custom Metadata
Click the 'Add Custom Metadata' button to open the edit page for Custom Metadata.

You can also Edit any existing Custom Metadata field from the list in the overview.

Enter a unique Name to create the new Custom Metadata field.
Name, Description, and Website
Enter a unique name for the Custom Metadata field.

Icon Mandatory Field Description
Name Enter a unique, user-friendly name
Description Add an optional, user-friendly description
Web Site Add an optional link to external documentation or systems

You can scope a Custom Metadata field to limit which repository entities are available. Decide if each field should be optional or mandatory for governance. New 6.0
Custom Metadata Relations (6.1.0.87)
Here's an example of scoping the Custom Metadata field.

Tick Mandatory next to a Repository Type, and nobody can save an entity of that type in the Web Client without a value for this field. Existing entities stay as they are until someone edits them, and imports and integrations through the API aren't blocked. The step-by-step task is Make sure every integration has an owner; the full reference is Mandatory Fields.

Important

Once you add entries to the Values list, you usually cannot change the Datatype. Changing it may cause data loss, and conversion is often impossible for the system to perform automatically.

Data Type

The Data Type defines what kind of content you can set for your Custom Metadata. Select the type that best fits your documentation and governance needs; the picker offers the 13 types below.
Data Types
Select one of the data types.

Icon Reference Description
Text Field Store a single row of text.
Text Area Store multiple rows of text.
Markdown Write content in Markdown and render it as HTML.
Mermaid Diagram Create diagrams using Mermaid syntax and render them as images.
Link field Add hyperlinks to external or internal resources.
Item Link Link to one other item in the Repository.
Select Choose a single value from a dropdown list.
Check Box Make multiple selections from an array of check boxes.
Table Create a table with user-defined columns.
Attachment Upload and attach files to your metadata.
Number Store a number.
Image Reference an image from the Image Library. New 7.5
Shared File Reference a reusable file from the File Library.

Note

Older fields may use the legacy Multi Select, Date, or Date Time types; new fields can't be created with them.

Text Field

Store a single line of text, such as a name, code, or short description. Use this for concise metadata that does not require formatting.

Text Area

Store multiple lines of text for longer descriptions, notes, or instructions. Choose this when you need extra space for your metadata.

Markdown

Write rich content using Markdown syntax. Nodinite renders this as HTML, so you can add formatting, lists, links, and more for advanced documentation.

Mermaid Diagram

Create visual diagrams using Mermaid syntax. Nodinite automatically renders these diagrams as images, making it easy to visualize processes and relationships. Learn more about Mermaid.

Add hyperlinks to external documentation, systems, or related resources. Help users quickly navigate to important information.

Link to one other item, so related documentation stays connected without copying it. The item can be of any type that supports Custom Metadata, and a field can't limit which types are allowed. The value shows the item's current name; click it to open the item's page in a new tab. Use Link for URLs outside Nodinite.

Select

Offer a dropdown list of single-select items. Use this for fields like SLA Level, where only one value should be chosen. Users with Create permissions can use Quick Add to add a new option directly from the dropdown.

Check Box

Let users make multiple selections from an array of check boxes. Use this type whenever a field needs several values, such as Compliance Tags (GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS) or Technical Contacts.

Number

Store a number, such as a daily volume. When you filter a list on a Number field, the value must match exactly.

Table

Capture structured data with user-defined columns. Use this for tabular information, such as mappings or configuration lists.

Attachment

Upload and associate files (Word documents, images, zip files, etc.) with your metadata. Nodinite displays images directly in the Web Client and sends links in email alerts to conserve bandwidth.

Shared File

Reference a reusable document or technical artifact from the centralized File Library. Use this type when multiple entities should point to the same PDF, schema, spreadsheet, certificate guide, or other shared file without storing a separate binary copy on each value.

The Shared File type differs from Attachment in three important ways:

  • Attachment stores a private file copy on the metadata value itself
  • Shared File stores a reusable reference to a shared asset in the File Library
  • SharedFilePolicy governs the allowed MIME types and default link behavior for the shared library

Image

Reference an image, such as a system logo or an architecture picture, from the centralized Image Library. Set a default display size (from xxs, 64 px, to Original) on the field; on each entity, click Choose from Image Library to pick the image. Updating the image in the library updates every entity that uses it. See Rich Data Types for the size options.

Repository Types

Keep the Repository Model clean and user-friendly by associating Custom Metadata fields with the context where they make sense. Nodinite is context-aware and provides this information where it matters most, making your documentation more meaningful.

Repository link Description
Integrations Show Custom Metadata on Integrations
Systems Show Custom Metadata on Systems
Services Show Custom Metadata on Services
Contracts Show Custom Metadata on Contracts
Message Types Show Custom Metadata on Message Types
Endpoints Show Custom Metadata on Endpoints
New 6.0 Articles Show Custom Metadata on Articles
New 6.1 Resources Show Custom Metadata on Resources
New 7.2 Domains Show Custom Metadata on Domains
New 7.2 BPMs Show Custom Metadata on BPMs
Maps Show Custom Metadata on Maps
C4 Diagrams Show Custom Metadata on C4 Diagrams

How to assign values for Custom Metadata fields

You can easily manage values for Custom Metadata fields on every Nodinite Repository Model entity. For example, when you edit an Integration, scroll down to find two tabs:

  • Edit
  • Preview

Some Custom Metadata fields are directly editable. For more complex fields, use the modal editor with a preview section.

Edit tab
Edit tab for managing Custom Metadata values.

Click the Edit button to open the modal:
Editor with preview
Editor with preview for advanced Custom Metadata fields.

You can use this editor for:

Next Steps

Make sure every integration has an owner – Make a field mandatory
Find integrations by owner or SLA – Filter lists on Custom Metadata values
Show who to call in alerts – Get owner and emergency contact into alerts

Ownership and governance – The business-user journey for Custom Metadata
Custom Fields
Custom Metadata
Mandatory Fields
Rich Data Types
Image Library
File Library
Repository Model
Services