> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://guide.signspace.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://guide.signspace.com/en/managing-meta-data/add-metadata-fields.md).

# Add metadata fields

Metadata fields are required for templates, so they must be defined before creating templates. The metadata fields determine what data is collected from users. There are 5 types of metadata fields available; text, date, list, number and person.

New field is created by clicking **+New field** in the metadata fields list. The top area is the same for all the field types. The field name is filled and the field type is selected from the list. The default field type is **Text**.

<div align="left"><figure><img src="/files/nMvpX55vVolqy9WnQeCn" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

Each type has some field specific properties. If the metadata needs to be filled in free text format, select the field type **Text**, where as if you need to ensure that a value is entered in a certain way, select the field type **List** and define the entry values. The **Date** metadata type allows users to enter a date and the **Number** type is for entering a value in numeric format. The **Person** type is used when there is a need to capture a specific person or group as metadata.