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Custom field visibility

Choose who can see a custom field, from Total access members only to anyone a file is shared with.

Admin Checked in Starchive on October 13, 2026

Some details are for everyone, some for staff only. Every custom field has a visibility that decides who sees it: here, Rights Notes is kept to Total access members.

Set a field’s visibility

  1. Click Custom Fields in the left rail and double-click a field to open its page.
  2. Click the visibility button beside the field’s name. It shows the current level.
  3. Choose one:
    • Restricted: Only Total Access members can view this field.
    • Limited: All members of this Starchive can view this field.
    • Public: Anyone can view this field. Only useful when sharing files.
The Rights Notes field's page with its visibility menu open: Restricted, only Total Access members can view this field; Limited, all members; Public, anyone, only useful when sharing files.

What each level hides

VisibilityMembers with Total accessOther membersPeople who open a share link
RestrictedSee itDo not see it: not in Custom Fields, not in a file’s detailsDo not see it
LimitedSee itSee itDo not see it
PublicSee itSee itSee it, under each file

A Limited member’s Custom Fields screen lists only the fields they can see: four here, without Rights Notes.

Custom Fields as a Limited member sees them: four fields, Cleared for Publication, Original Date, Physical Location and Subject. Rights Notes, a Restricted field, is not listed.

Good to know

  • The change takes effect on the member’s next page load.
  • A field’s visibility is first chosen when it is created; see Fields and tags.
  • On a share link, a Public field appears under the file, for example an Original Date; see Share settings.
How this page was checked

Physical Location was switched from Limited to Restricted. Signed in as a Limited member, the field had gone from Custom Fields (three fields listed) and from a scan’s details. It was then switched back to Limited. Rights Notes, shown above, is Restricted throughout. The share-link column comes from Share settings.

Questions

Does changing a field's visibility change its values?

No. The values stay on the files; only who can see them changes.

Which visibility should a rights or restrictions note have?

Restricted, if only staff with Total access should read it; Limited, if every member should. Public only when people you share files with should see it under each file.

Does a change show a confirmation?

No message appears. The button beside the field's name shows the new level straight away.