Descriptors and their connection to contacts, entities and relationships

Descriptor management is where you create and maintain the custom questions, fields, and data points used across contacts, entities, relationships, documents, risk, review, and compliance.

What Descriptors Are

Descriptors are configurable fields that collect structured information. They can be simple text fields, dates, numbers, selections, checkboxes, country fields, progress fields, or other supported input types.

Once created, descriptors can be displayed in the relevant module and used for compliance, risk, review, reporting, and operational workflows.

Main Parts of Descriptor Management

Area	What It Means
Descriptor	The question or field label users will see.
Description	Optional helper text that explains what the descriptor is used for.
Module	Controls where the descriptor belongs, such as Contacts, Entities, Relationships, or Documents.
Type	The input type, such as text, date, number, select, checkbox, country, progress, or slider.
Category	Groups descriptors together so they are easier to organize and display.
Visibility	Controls which record types can see the descriptor. For example, a contact descriptor can be limited to certain contact types.
Compliance	Marks the descriptor as available for compliance policy requirements.
Risk	Marks the descriptor as part of risk scoring or risk-related review.
Review	Marks the descriptor as part of a review workflow rather than general data capture.
Client Portal	Controls whether the descriptor can appear in client-facing workflows.
PIN Locked	Marks the descriptor as sensitive so access can require a PIN.

How to Create a Descriptor

Open the descriptor settings area.
Click the add button.
Enter the descriptor question or field name.
Add a description if users need extra guidance.
Select the module where the descriptor should appear.
Select the descriptor input type.
Choose a category if the descriptor should be grouped with others.
Configure visibility, compliance, risk, review, or portal options as needed.
Save the descriptor.

Descriptor Visibility

Visibility controls whether the descriptor appears for a record at all. This is separate from compliance policy.

Example: if a contact descriptor is visible only for Administrator contacts, it will not appear for Beneficiary contacts. Compliance policies cannot require it for Beneficiary contacts because the descriptor is not visible there.

Use visibility when a descriptor only makes sense for specific contact types, entity types, relationship types, or document types.

Descriptor Types

Type	Use Case
Text	Short free-text responses.
Number	Numeric values such as counts, amounts, or percentages.
Date	Dates such as approval dates, review dates, or expiry dates.
Select	Predefined options where users choose one value.
Checkbox	Yes/no or true/false values.
Country	Country-based responses used for jurisdictional or geographic data.
Progress	Progress-based values where completion matters.
Slider	Weighted values or scaled answers, often useful for risk-related scoring.

Using Descriptors for Compliance

To use a descriptor in compliance, first mark it as included in compliance. Then configure when it is required inside descriptor compliance policies.

Descriptor settings decide where the descriptor exists.
Compliance policies decide when the descriptor is required.
A descriptor must be visible before it can be required.

Using Descriptors for Risk

Descriptors can also be associated with risk. Risk-related descriptors can support risk scoring, risk review, and risk analysis depending on how your organization has configured risk calculations.

If a descriptor is used for risk, make sure the question, input type, and answer options are clear and consistent.

Managing Select, Progress, and Slider Options

Some descriptor types require predefined options or conditions. These options determine what users can select and may also affect scoring or reporting.

Use clear option labels.
Avoid duplicate or confusing option names.
Review option weights carefully if the descriptor affects risk or scoring.
Keep inactive or outdated options clean so users do not select the wrong value.

Best Practices

Use clear, specific descriptor names.
Add descriptions when the expected answer is not obvious.
Use categories to keep descriptors organized.
Limit visibility when a descriptor only applies to certain record types.
Only include descriptors in compliance when they are truly required for compliance decisions.
Review risk descriptors carefully because they may affect scoring.
Use PIN locking for sensitive information.

Best practice: configure descriptor visibility first, then configure compliance or risk behavior. Visibility decides where the descriptor appears; compliance and risk settings decide how the descriptor is used.

Contacts Entities Relationships Settings

May 24, 2026