# Conditional Meta Data Fields

**URL:** <https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/conditional-meta-data-fields/68937>\
**Category:** DEVONthink\
**Created:** [January 11, 2022, 11:26pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/conditional-meta-data-fields/68937 "2022-01-11T23:26:32Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 8\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![ararrocks](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@ararrocks](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/ararrocks)\
**Post date:** [January 11, 2022, 11:26pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/conditional-meta-data-fields/68937/1 "2022-01-11T23:26:32Z")

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hi there, and happy new year

I was wondering if there is a way to make custom Meta data fields only show conditionally.

I have some receipts I want to have Meta data corresponding to insurance Details. on those I’d like to see say fields a, b …up until… h

then I have files where I want to See fields m till p

and then some files where I need fields x,y,z

so I don’t want to have a-v fields on that last file. would make it horrible to change values or quickly check stuff.

any way to do this?

thanks!

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**Author:** ![ararrocks](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@ararrocks](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/ararrocks)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2022, 12:44am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/conditional-meta-data-fields/68937/3 "2022-01-12T00:44:14Z")

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Hi, there is an option to create custom meta data fields in the preferences. These show in the inspector.

It’s just that _all_ of those fields show on _all_ files.

I want just _some_ of the fields on _defined_ files (like clicking a checkbox-field reveals more fields for example. Or if a tag is set. Or all files in a certain group. Something like that. 😉 )

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**Author:** ![BLUEFROG](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/bluefrog/32/135_2.png) [@BLUEFROG](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/BLUEFROG)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2022, 11:27am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/conditional-meta-data-fields/68937/4 "2022-01-12T11:27:04Z")

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No, currently this is not an option in DEVONthink. Perhaps in a future release.

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**Author:** ![ararrocks](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@ararrocks](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/ararrocks)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2022, 11:52am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/conditional-meta-data-fields/68937/5 "2022-01-12T11:52:16Z")

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i did search the forum last night with some different search terms and found that this is requested by a few other users already some time back as well.

its really an amazing feature to have custom meta. but really using this feature leads to a lot of meta fields - most probably not used on all files.

would be really amazing to have this in a future update. thank you!

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**Author:** ![DTLow](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/dtlow/32/18161_2.png) [@DTLow](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/DTLow)\
**Post date:** [January 12, 2022, 11:19pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/conditional-meta-data-fields/68937/6 "2022-01-12T23:19:21Z")

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> [@ararrocks](#):
>
> It’s just that _all_ of those fields show on _all_ files.

fwiw When processing records in my inbox, I use an applescript for assistance  
The script presents the metadata based on note type  
For example;  
. receipts get a budget category and vendor (tags)  
. tasks get a status (label), an optional project id (tag) and optional due date (metadata)

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ararrocks](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@ararrocks](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/ararrocks)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2022, 7:30am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/conditional-meta-data-fields/68937/7 "2022-01-13T07:30:50Z")

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that kind of sounds like what I would like to do. would you mind sharing? I’m novice in apple script. thank you!

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**Author:** ![DTLow](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/user_avatar/discourse.devontechnologies.com/dtlow/32/18161_2.png) [@DTLow](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/DTLow)\
**Post date:** [January 13, 2022, 4:53pm UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/conditional-meta-data-fields/68937/8 "2022-01-13T16:53:57Z")

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> [@ararrocks](#):
>
> would you mind sharing? I’m novice in apple script.

I posted sample code at [How to group Smart Groups / Rule for DTTG based on tags? - #6 by DTLow](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/how-to-group-smart-groups-rule-for-dttg-based-on-tags/68861/6)

For specific selection lists, here is sample code  
I populate variable notetypeList with a choice of options

```auto
set theNoteTypes to (choose from list notetypeList with prompt "Specify Note Type" with multiple selections allowed)
repeat with theNoteType in theNoteTypes

```

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![ararrocks](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/letter_avatar_proxy/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@ararrocks](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/u/ararrocks)\
**Post date:** [September 1, 2023, 9:27am UTC](https://discourse.devontechnologies.com/t/conditional-meta-data-fields/68937/9 "2023-09-01T09:27:51Z")

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havent been here in a while.

any updates on custom meta data fields depending on tags/rules/filetype etc?

i was wondering if spliting into different databases would help this?

what i want to do is:  
i have a bunch of medical bills i have to send to various insurers to pay me back. but it needs to happen in sequence. first state, then private… and i need to keep track somehow. their websites and upload forms and feedback loops are horrible and i loose track and then in the end i loose money, because the process is so hideous. so i try to do this in devonthink. dont know if this is even the right place to do this…  
but i dont want to have all that metadata of insurers issue numbers and payout sums and stuff on all my pdfs …

how would you keep track of something like that?

thanks!