Create and manage attributes
Learn to create, track, and manage attributes in Attio.
Attributes are customizable data points added to your records in Attio. An example attribute might be a record’s location, where they work, or when your last email interaction was with them.
System and custom attributes
Attio has system attributes for each object, which are built-in attributes automatically created by Attio. System attributes are not able to be archived or deleted, though you can customize which attributes are shown on record pages. You can also create your own custom attributes for additional data points you need to store.
Enriched attributes
Companies and people records have a set of system enriched attributes that auto-populate based on data sourced about your records. In addition, Attio populates communication intelligence attributes using data from email and calendar sync, as well as phone calls and in-person meetings added to records.
Note: Access to certain enriched attributes will depend on your Attio plan. Learn more about the different plans available.
Create a new attribute
Choose an object vs. list attribute
Before creating a new attribute, decide whether it should be an object attribute or a list attribute.
Object attributes
List Attributes
Which one should you use?
Navigate to settings
Once you’ve decided whether it will be an object or list attribute, navigate to the attribute settings:
From attribute settings, click Create attribute. Alternatively, click + Create new attribute when adding an attribute to a table or kanban view to create the attribute without leaving the view.
Give the attribute a name, and optionally, a description.
For a video walkthrough of creating object attributes, see Attio Academy.
Choose an attribute type
There are several different attribute types to choose from, depending on the type of data you want to track:
AI attributes
Text, Select, and Multi-select attributes have an additional option, AI Autofill. To learn how to leverage AI to automatically generate attribute data, see AI attributes.
Default values
Add a default value if you want each new record or list entry to be pre-populated with a specific value for the attribute by default.
Attribute value options
Certain attribute types like single and multi-select provide a dropdown with options to choose from so that you don’t need to manually type the value out each time (a bit like a multiple choice question in a form).
Click Options and + Create option to add the values users will be able to choose from. Reorder options by clicking and dragging the ::: icon. Click the colored circle next to an option to customize the color. X removes an option.
Note: Deleting an option (removing it and saving changes) will delete any input data that already exists. You won't be able to get this back.
Unique and required attributes
Custom objects have two additional options for attributes: Required and Unique. Deals, Users, and Workspaces standard objects also have the Unique option.
Making an attribute Required means filling out the attribute will be mandatory whenever a new record is created for the object. Enabling the Unique option will make it so that the content of the attribute can only appear once, meaning no two records can have the same value for the attribute. This can be helpful in preventing duplicate records in your workspace.
Manage attributes
To manage attributes, navigate to attribute settings for the object or list.
Edit, duplicate, archive, or restore an attribute
Select the ⋮ icon to the right of an attribute to edit, duplicate, archive, or restore the attribute if it is archived.
Reorder attributes
Reorder attributes by clicking and dragging the ::: icon.
The order of the attributes on this page will determine the order of attributes shown when you go to add a new record to your list (unless you are using a template). The order can also impact which attributes show on record pages. See Configure record pages for more information.