Help Center / Organization Setup

Custom Properties (Dimensions)

This article explains how to set up and manage custom properties (also called dimensions) in Light. Custom properties let you track extra attributes and dimensions on transactions, documents, and objects — so you can slice your data the way your business actually works.

On this page

  • What are custom properties?
  • Types of custom properties
  • Viewing custom properties
  • Creating a custom property
  • Adding values to a select property
  • Editing a custom property
  • Deactivating properties
  • Applying custom properties to transactions
  • Editing custom properties on published documents
  • Best practices
  • Related articles

What are custom properties?

Custom properties are user-defined fields that extend Light's data model to capture business-specific information. They act as dimensions for analysis and reporting. For example, you might create custom properties to track cost centers, projects, departments, or any other organizational attribute relevant to your business.

Good to know: Custom properties can be attached to many object types, including bills, contracts, invoices, journal entries, reimbursements, credit notes, customer credits, card transactions, vendors, customers, purchase orders, purchase requests, products, and accounts. Vendor, Customer, Product, and Account only support header-level properties, not line-level.

Types of custom properties

When creating a new custom property, Light currently offers these input types:

  • Single select: choose one value from a predefined list
  • Multiple select: choose multiple values from a predefined list
  • Text: free-form text entry
  • Date: date selection for time-based attributes

Note: Numeric and Boolean properties exist on older custom properties but are no longer offered when creating a new one.

Viewing custom properties

  1. Navigate to Settings (gear icon) → Custom properties (under the Records section)
  2. The list displays all custom properties with columns for Label, Internal name, Field type, Object, Level, Created at, Mandatory, and Status
  3. By default, the list is filtered to show only Active properties
  4. Use the Search bar to find specific properties
  5. Click Columns to customize which columns are displayed

Creating a custom property

  1. Navigate to Settings (gear icon) → Custom properties

  2. Click + Create property

  3. Fill in the property details:

    • Object group: select whether this property applies at the Header (entire document) or Lines (individual line items) level
    • Object: choose which object types this property applies to
    • Label: the display name for this property (e.g., "Project", "Cost Center")
    • Internal name: a system reference name (auto-generated from the label, cannot be changed later)
    • Context: optional description of the property's purpose
    • Required: toggle on if this property must be filled in
    • Input type: select the data type (Single select, Multiple select, Date, or Text)

  4. Click Create

Adding values to a select property

For single select and multiple select properties, add the available values:

  1. Open the property by clicking it in the list

  2. Scroll down to the Values section

  3. Click + Add item

  4. Fill in the value details:

    • Label: how the value appears to users
    • Internal name: system reference name
    • Context: optional description of this value
    • User groups: optionally set this value as the default for selected user groups

  5. Repeat for each value users can select

You can add values at any time, even after the property is already in use. Once a value is saved, its internal name locks the same way the property's does.

Editing a custom property

  1. Open the property by clicking it in the list
  2. Click Edit in the top-right corner
  3. Update the property fields as needed
  4. Save your changes

Internal names cannot be changed after creation.

Deactivating properties

If a property is no longer needed, you can deactivate it. Inactive properties are removed from future transactions, but historical values are retained.

  1. Open the property
  2. Click Edit in the top-right corner
  3. Toggle the Active switch OFF
  4. In the confirmation dialog, click Deactivate
  5. Click Save to apply the change

Deactivated properties show an Archived badge and status in the list. You can also archive a property directly from the list view, without opening it, using the archive action next to each row.

To reactivate a property, open it, toggle the Active switch back ON, and save.

Applying custom properties to transactions

When creating or editing a transaction:

  1. Locate the custom properties fields in the document form
  2. Fill in each required custom property marked with an asterisk (*)
  3. For select properties, click the dropdown and choose a value
  4. For text properties, enter the value directly
  5. For date properties, select the date from the calendar picker
  6. When all required properties are filled, you can save the transaction

Editing custom properties on published documents

Line-item custom properties stay editable after a document is published, on contracts, sales invoices, and customer credits. There's no need to void and recreate a document just to correct a tag.

  1. Open a published contract, sales invoice, or customer credit
  2. Enter edit mode on the line item you want to update
  3. Add a missing custom property, change an existing value, or remove one entirely
  4. Save your changes

A few things to keep in mind:

  • On contracts, header fields stay editable, but published lines only allow custom properties. After a contract is published, its header still lets you edit description, start/end dates, estimated amount, PO number, reference, net terms, renewal date, invoice lead days, and payee bank account. Line items are more restricted: once published, only their custom properties can be changed; amounts, tax codes, and descriptions on the line stay locked.
  • On sales invoices, only the PO number stays editable on the header (it's metadata with no ledger impact); everything else in the header locks after posting. Line items follow the same rule as contracts — only custom properties are editable once posted.
  • Customer credits allow a bit more at the line level. In addition to custom properties, line description, account, and tax code also stay editable post-publish for this document type.
  • The line re-locks after saving. To make further changes, re-enter edit mode on the line item.

No additional permission is required; editing follows your existing user permissions.

Best practices

  • Plan your properties before creation to keep them consistent
  • Use clear, descriptive labels that users will understand
  • Keep the number of required properties reasonable to avoid data entry friction
  • Use internal names that are code-friendly (no spaces, special characters)
  • Use the Context field to document the purpose of each property and its values
  • Review property usage periodically and archive unused properties
  • Test custom properties on a sample transaction before rolling out to your team

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