---
title: "Policy Custom Attributes"
slug: "policy-custom-attributes"
updated: 2026-01-11T16:24:59Z
published: 2026-01-11T16:24:59Z
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.plainid.io/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Policy Custom Attributes

Policy Custom Attributes enhance management processes and improve visibility by allowing you to tailor metadata to your specific needs, leveraging the generic custom Attributes for greater flexibility. This feature enables users to define **custom Attributes** at the Environment level, supporting a more adaptive Policy experience. These Attributes are configured at the Environment level and are reflected in the **UI**, **PDP**, and **Policy Code**.

## Managing Policy Custom Attributes

### Creating Policy Custom Attributes

To manage additional metadata for your Policy (optional), you first need to configure custom Attributes. You can **create**, **update**, or **delete** these Attributes directly from the **Environment Settings**. Custom Attributes can be managed both *before and after* a Policy is created, offering flexibility in their implementation.

**To create and manage Policy Custom Attributes**:

1. Select an Environment from the Environment dropdown.
2. Click on **Environment Settings**.  

![image.png](https://cdn.document360.io/726c7002-05a9-480e-b986-42c9e8824acd/Images/Documentation/image%28260%29.png)
3. In the **Environment Settings** screen, select **Policy Custom Attributes**.
4. Click **New Attribute**.
5. Input a **Display Name**. This is the name that appears in **Policy Details**.
6. Input a **Policy Custom Attribute ID**. This ID is used in **Policy Code** and **PDP**.
7. Specify the **Attribute Type** (String or Numeric).
8. Enable or disable the **Value List** toggle. If **enabled**, the Attribute can be selected from a predefined list. If **disabled**, it allows free-text input.
9. Define whether the Attribute is **Required**.
10. Set a **Default Value**.
11. Specify whether the Attribute can be updated.
12. Set Attribute as **Singular** or **Multi** **Value**.
13. Define the **Maximum length (strings)** or **Maximum Value (numeric attributes)**.
14. Enable or disable the Attribute for the **PDP** to determine if it is included in evaluation responses.
15. Select whether the Attribute should be used **locally** or **globally**. Refer to [Local and Global Attributes](/v1/docs/policy-custom-attributes#local-and-global-attributes) for more information.
16. Click **Create** to finalize the configuration.

#### Policy Custom Attribute Display Order

After creating Policy Custom Attributes, you can drag and drop Attributes to customize their order in the list to control the Attribute display order.

#### Local and Global Attributes

Local and Global Attributes determine how Import Policies behave when utilizing Management APIs.

- **Local**: Scoped to the current Environment. All Attribute values are applied during Rego evaluation within that Environment.
- **Global**: Shared across all Environments. Policies reference the evaluated values consistently across multiple Environments.

For additional details, see [Structured Rego](/apidocs/structured-rego).

### Editing Policy Custom Attributes

To ensure that your edits take effect in the Policy, the Policy itself needs to be edited and saved **after** saving the Policy Custom Attribute changes.

**To edit a Policy Custom Attribute**:

1. Select an Environment from the Environment dropdown.
2. Click on **Environment Settings**.
3. In the **Environment Settings** screen, select **Policy Custom Attributes**.
4. Click **Edit**.
5. Modify the relevant fields.
6. Click **Save**.

### Deleting Policy Custom Attributes

Once a Policy Custom Attribute is deleted, the Attribute value is removed from all Policies.

**To delete a Policy Custom Attribute**:

1. Select an Environment from the Environment dropdown.
2. Click on **Environment Settings**.
3. In the **Environment Settings** screen, select **Policy Custom Attributes**.
4. Hover over the Policy Custom Attribute you wish to delete.
5. Click the **trash icon**.
6. A warning message appears. Click **Delete** to confirm.

---

These Attributes are configured at the Environment level and are reflected in the **UI**, **Policy Code**, and **PDP**.

**Policy Authoring** As part of the Policy Authoring experience, you can manage Custom Attributes (metadata) from the **UI** under the **[Policy Details](/docs/managing-policies)** section or the **Policy Code** in the `customAttributes` section, which contains the **Attribute names and their defined values**.

**Enriching the PDP** When Attributes have been enabled for use in the PDP appear in the UI, they can be included in the PDP response by **enabling `includeAccessPolicy` parameter in the code** as well. This allows for the inclusion of **permission metadata** in the PDP response, providing insights into the applied Policies. Custom Attributes are also displayed in the **Structured Rego** Policy metadata section.

See the relevant API for more information on permission metadata in the response.

### Preset Custom Attributes

**Preset Custom Attributes** include Attributes that extend Policy metadata with additional governance and compliance context. These Attributes help standardize how Policies are classified and reviewed, without affecting enforcement behavior. These Attributes are managed per Policy and are intended for governance, visibility, and reporting purposes only. They do not impact Policy evaluation or runtime enforcement.

The following Attributes are **automatically added** to both **new and existing Environments**. No manual setup or migration is required:

- **Regulatory Tags** – Used to associate Policies with regulatory or compliance domains (for example, GDPR or HIPAA).
- **Policy Score** – Used to represent an internal classification or assessment of a Policy based on tenant-defined criteria.

*Note: These Attributes cannot be deleted. You can, however, modify their order. PlainID provides a list of values that **can be modified**.*

Some Attributes, such as **Regulatory Tags**, may be populated automatically when AI features are enabled. When AI is not enabled, all attributes remain fully available for manual use and editing. To enable AI capabilities, refer to [AI Platform Capabilities](/v1/docs/ai-platform-capabilities).

> For more information, refer to [Policy Metadata](/v1/docs/policy-metadata).