Remove template fields

"There are some optional fields in our source templates that we rarely need to have a value for. If a junior bookkeeper adds values where they aren't needed, it can cause a lot of confusion. So I'd like to de-clutter the source templates where I can."

Ester, Accounts Payable at Cronus

As you streamline and customize the templates in Document Capture, there are a number of reasons to remove template fields. Firstly, unrequired fields can clutter your view in Business Central, making it harder to see all the important details. Furthermore, each optional or unrequired field carries a risk for accidentally capturing values that later cause conflicts or errors – especially when more than one person is involved in document processing.

Take a tour in the solution

In this scenario, you're working with accounts payable at the demonstration company, Cronus. You are preparing to onboard an assistant bookkeeper, so you want to simplify some of the source templates to make them more user-friendly.
To set up this, you need to remove some line fields from a source template. The steps to follow are:

• Remove source template line fields.
• Search for content previously captured in a removed line field.
• Re-add a template line field, if needed.
• Delete a master template field.

Remove fields from a source template

You can easily remove fields from a source template, such as a template for purchase invoices from a particular vendor.

• From the document card or document journal, open the Template action menu.
• Click the Remove Template Field action.
• Choose the field or fields to remove from the template, then click OK.

What is and isn’t deleted when you remove a field?

The Remove Template Field action removes the field from view in the document journal, document card, and template card, but doesn’t delete any values that you previously captured in this field. The Document Search function shows results for values that you previously captured from a removed field.

Usually, the fields you remove from a source template are originally created from the related master template. As such, you can add removed fields again from the master template list. There is a previous learning unit about adding source template fields from the master template
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Delete fields from a master template

While it’s often sufficient to remove an unwanted field from a source template, you might want to make sure that a field cannot be added again to the same or related templates. In this case, you need to delete the field from the master template.

• From the Document Categories page, select the line with relevant document category, then use the Edit action.
• On the Templates FastTab, select the line with the relevant template, then use the Edit action.
• On the Fields FastTab, select the relevant field or fields, then use the Delete action.
• A confirmation message asks you if you want to delete the template field from all related templates. A field will only be removed from source templates where it has not been previously used to capture values.

More resources

• To customize vendor template fields (Continia Docs article)
• To customize master template fields (Continia Docs article)

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