Meta fields¶

Meta Fields let you add custom fields to core forms — Container, Gate Pass, Customer, Shipping Line, Order, and Invoice — without any code changes. A form shows nothing extra for an entity type until an admin defines at least one field for it; there's no default set of custom fields shipped out of the box.

Before you start¶

Nothing strictly required, but it's most useful to define fields before your team starts creating real records of that entity type, so nothing needs retrofitting later.

Walkthrough¶

From Settings → Operations → Meta Fields, pick an entity tab across the top: Container, Gate Pass, Customer, Shipping Line, Order, or Invoice. Click Add field within a tab to define a new field:

Label (required) — the human-readable name shown on the form, e.g. "Cargo Type"
Field Key (required, auto-generated from Label, set once) — a simplified internal name generated automatically from the label, e.g. cargo_type
Field Type (required):
- Text
- Number
- Date
- Boolean (Yes/No)
- Select (single)
- Select (multiple)
Options — comma-separated list, required when Field Type is Select or Multiselect
Display Order — controls where the field appears among its siblings
Default Value — optional, its input type matches the Field Type chosen
Required field checkbox

Gate Pass-specific settings¶

When the active tab is Gate Pass, an extra section appears:

Show In — which form(s) the field appears on:
- Both forms (general)
- Gate In form only
- Gate Out form only
Editable until gate out checkbox — allows the field's value to still be changed after Gate In and before Gate Out, rather than being locked immediately
Conditional Logic — an optional rule engine: enable it, choose All or Any, then add one or more conditions referencing either a built-in gate field (Pass Type, Condition at Gate, Movement) or another meta field already defined for Gate Pass, with an operator (equals, does not equal, contains, does not contain, is empty, is not empty) and a value. The field only shows on the form when its conditions are met.

Editing and hiding fields¶

Existing fields can be edited in place. Deleting a field ("Hide") doesn't destroy history — it stops the field from appearing on forms going forward, but values already recorded on existing records are preserved.

How features connect — how meta fields intersect with Gate Pass forms and Background Jobs (shipping-line custom fields)
Gate operations — where Gate Pass meta fields actually appear
EDI — Gate Pass custom fields are also insertable as variables in EDI templates

Who can access this¶

Admin and Manager — Settings is gated to these two roles (see Logging in & roles).