Creating Custom Attributes

To create a custom attribute, do the following:

1. In Billing control panel, go to System > Settings and click the Attributes link in the Operations list. The list of currently available customer attributes appears on the screen (empty by default).

2. Click Add New Attribute. The adding new attribute form is displayed. Fill out these fields of the form:

   General

   • Tags: To define the account types for which the attribute will be used, select the necessary options:

     • Personal

     • Company

     Note: To add more options, please follow Managing Attribute Tags.

   • ID: Set the unique identifier for the attribute.

     Note: If you intend to use an attribute as an email address placeholder in notification template, the attribute ID must contain the "Email" word (lowercased, with capital E). An attempt to save a notification template with an email address placeholder that does not meet this requirement will result in error.
     Example of a proper email address placeholder: Attribute ID is Additional_Email_Address, placeholder for notification template is @@Cust_Additional_Email_Address@.

   • Owner: Select an owner of the attribute. Attributes created with the owner set to provider are applicable to the objects created by the provider and all resellers. Attributes created with the owner set to a reseller can only be used by this reseller.

     Note: An object can have two attributes – provider's and reseller's. Attributes created under the provider's account are available for all resellers and customers; attributes created under the reseller's account are available to its customers.

   • Name: Type a customer attribute name into the field.

   • Value Type: Select the attribute data type from the drop-down list. When an attribute is attached, the value is validated to be of the specified data type. The following types are available:

     • INT – an attribute of this type prompts a customer to enter an integer value.
     • STR – an attribute of this type prompts a customer to enter a text up to 80 characters in length. The input box is displayed as a single line in this case.
     • STRA – an attribute of this type prompts a customer to enter a text over 80 characters in length. The input box is displayed as a text box.
     • DATE – an attribute of this type prompts a customer to enter a date. The calendar icon is displayed next to the input box.
     • PASSWD – an attribute of this type prompts a customer to enter a password.
     • NAME_LOGIN – an attribute of this type prompts a customer to enter a login name.
     • DOMAIN_NAME – an attribute of this type prompts a customer to enter a domain name.
     • STRASCII – an attribute of this type prompts a customer to enter a text in the ASCII encoding. It is useful when entering the contact information: strictly the ASCII format is required.

     Note: You can customize this field by adding more selectable values to the drop-down list. Refer to the Creating Custom Data Types section.

   • Status: Choose one of the following statuses:
     • Optional – Select this radio button to set the attribute optional.
     • Required – Select this radio button to set the attribute mandatory.
   • Applicable to: Select the attribute applicability: choose one of the following options from the drop-down list:
     • Accounts – The attribute is applicable to customer accounts.
     • Users – The attribute is applicable to users.
     • Order – The attribute is applicable to orders.
   • Active: Select this checkbox if you want to use the attribute you are creating.

   • Ask on Order Placement: This option is specific to the Order type attributes. Select this checkbox if you want the attribute value to be required on order placement. If the checkbox is cleared, the attribute value is not asked on order placement. However, if the attribute is Active, it is added to the order details, but with empty value. The attribute value can be added later by a provider if the attribute is marked as Propagated to Subscription.

     Note: For non-domain registration subscriptions, customers cannot add attribute value later.

   • Propagate to Subscription: This option is specific to the Order type attributes. Select this checkbox to propagate the attribute value to a subscription. Attributes propagated to subscriptions can be viewed and edited by a provider in the PCP.

     Note: If you select the Propagate to Subscription option, an attribute value are propagated to a subscription only during order placement. If you modify order attributes, changes will not be propagated to a subscription. You must update the respective subscriptions manually. Do it by clicking the Service Parameters button on the subscription profile's General tab.
     You can use attributes only when placing sales orders. No other order types accept them. Attributes applicable to sales orders, if propagated to a subscription, are also stored to all subsequent orders for this subscription.

   • Allowed Value: This option is applicable only to the Accounts type attributes. From the drop-down list, select the type of uniqueness of the attribute:
     • Not unique – Uniqueness is not necessary for the attribute.
     • Unique per Vendor – The attribute must be unique within a vendor system.
     • Unique globally – The attribute must be totally unique.

   User Interface

   • Group – Enter the name of the group to which the attribute belongs. Attributes can be grouped into frames on the checkout screen. Such frames have the same titles as the corresponding group names.
   • After Field – decide on the place where the current attribute will be shown in the online store wizard. The online store wizard offers a default number of fields that should be filled. The attribute you are creating now will be shown in an online store wizard as a new field. This additional attribute field will be displayed exactly under the field that you choose from the After Field list.
   • Locale Dependent – Tick this checkbox if you want the attribute value to be translated into a customer account language (if it differs from a provider language). In this case, when a customer gets a notification in the language specified in his account settings, the placeholder is replaced with the respective value retrieved from the customer language locale.
   • Input Hint – Enter a short explanation that will be shown to a customer when inputing the attribute value. For instance, enter an example of the attribute value demonstrating how to input it in the correct format.
   • Validator – Enter a regular expression that will be used to check the attribute value validity.
   • Sort Number – Enter the attribute sorting number into the field. The attributes will be listed in ascending order - the ones with lower numbers are shown closer to the top of the attributes list (if there are several attributes in a list).
   • Show in Storefront – Tick the checkbox if you want the attribute to be displayed in the online store. (If you leave the field blank, the attribute will be shown only on creating an account from PCP.)
   • Description – Enter a short description of the attribute into this field.
   • Show in List of Customers – This option is applicable only to the Accounts type attributes. Tick the checkbox if you want a column and a search field with this attribute name to be displayed in the list of customers.
   • Show in List of Resellers – This option is applicable only to the Accounts type attributes. Tick the checkbox if you want a column and a search field with this attribute name to be displayed in the list of resellers.
   • Contains sensitive data – This option defines whether the attribute will be used to collect sensitive data about new customers in the Online Store. This setting prevails over Show in Storefront. When you select the checkbox:
     • The attribute will not be shown to customers in the Online Store (even if Show in Storefront is enabled).
     • The attribute, however, will be shown in CCP because this option does not change the rest of the existing behavior of attributes in CCP/RCP/PCP.
     • A PHP fraud screening plug-in can auto-complete the attribute value with the necessary customer validation information, if the plug-in is implemented to do so.
3. Click Save to finish creating the attribute.