How to Add Meta Field Documentation

Meta Fields allow organizations to capture and manage custom visitor attributes and usage metadata. Proper documentation of these fields is essential for maintaining data consistency, improving collaboration across teams, and ensuring that everyone understands how each field should be used.

Why Document Meta Fields?

As the number of Meta Fields grows, it becomes increasingly important to provide clear definitions and usage guidelines. Well-documented fields help:

• Reduce confusion and duplicate field creation
• Ensure consistent data collection practices
• Improve reporting and segmentation accuracy
• Simplify onboarding for new team members
• Support governance and compliance initiatives

Creating a New Meta Field

To create a Meta Field:

1. Navigate to Meta Fields.

2. Click Add Meta Field.

   Complete the required information:

   • Key – A unique identifier used by the system.
   • Label – A human-readable name displayed to users.
   • Description – Documentation explaining the field's purpose and usage.
   • Color – A visual identifier to help categorize fields.
3. Click Create to save the new Meta Field.

Writing Effective Meta Field Documentation

The Description field serves as the primary documentation area for a Meta Field. Every description should answer the following questions:

Purpose

What information does this field capture?

Expected Values

What data format or values are allowed?

Usage

How is the field used within the platform, such as in segmentation, automation rules, reporting, or personalization?

Example

Provide a sample value to help users understand the expected input.

Documentation Example

Key: interest_outdoor

Label: Outdoor Interest

Description:

Purpose: Tracks whether a visitor has demonstrated interest in outdoor activities.

Expected Values: true  or false

Usage: Used for audience segmentation, personalized content delivery, and targeted marketing campaigns.

Example: true

Recommended Documentation Template

When creating new Meta Fields, use the following structure:

Purpose

Describe what the field represents.

Expected Values

List valid values, formats, or accepted data types.

Usage

Explain where and how the field is used.

Example

Provide one or more sample values.

Best Practices

• Use descriptive, business-friendly labels.
• Follow consistent naming conventions such as snake_case  for keys.
• Clearly define accepted value types (String, Number, Boolean, Date, etc.).
• Include examples whenever possible.
• Avoid abbreviations that may be unclear to future users.
• Review and update documentation whenever field requirements change.

Maintaining a Central Data Dictionary

For organizations managing a large number of Meta Fields, consider maintaining a centralized data dictionary in a documentation platform such as Confluence, Notion, or an internal wiki. The data dictionary should mirror the information stored in Meta Field descriptions and serve as the authoritative reference for field definitions, ownership, and usage standards.

Consistent Meta Field documentation improves data quality, enhances collaboration, and ensures that metadata remains understandable and actionable across the organization.