When Do I use a Multi-Field Vs. Single Field Attribute

Multi-Field Attributes and Single Field Attributes are two different formats for storing your metadata. In this article, we will go over when a Multi-Filed Attribute or a Single Field Attribute is better suited for your data.

Multi-Field Attribute 

If you have multiple pieces of interconnected data related to each document a Multi-Field Attribute and need to return that document and the data, this is the right format for you! If you just need to search by one of these elements but just need to return the document, then using multiple Single Field Attributes will be your best option.

An example of interconnected data is address Information on a lease, think of the elements of those addresses:

County, State, Street, and Zip Code. A multi-field attribute would capture each of those elements in a separate field, as seen below.

The table above is how the information would appear when exported, which is different from Single Field Attributes.

Cons:

• Not available for Relational Libraries Feature
• Not available for bulk update in-app

Single Field Attributes 

Single field attribute types give you the ability to easily search and update data by the individual data points associated with the Attribute. You will have a separate Attribute for each kind of data (i.e. API, Well Number, Well Name, etc.). This method is best if you are managing your data point in another system and primarily using this data to aggregate searches. Having single field attributes will allow you to perform bulk updates to your Well info and create Relational Libraries.

Cons:

• loses the context of the other related well information.
• More Attributes to Review

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