Custom Elements are user-defined, self-contained content objects that are built and managed by the site administrator (see the Administrator's Reference for details). Similar to Metadata forms or Simple Forms, Custom Elements are a collection of user-defined fields. The fields of a Custom Element can be any of the two dozen-plus built-in field types (for example, text-area, checkboxes, selection-list, image, mail, etc.) or a custom field type built specifically for your site's needs by a developer.
Note: You must create Custom Elements from the Site Administration Dashboard before they can be selected and inserted into pages. Once created, Custom Elements are availalable from the Element Gallery, in the category assigned at creation.
Unlike a collection of Elements on a page, custom field types are self-contained. Contributors edit Custom Element objects as forms, entering all of required data. You can optionally assign required, default, and security attributes to fields, to restrict editing or viewing.
You can choose from two rendering modes for Custom Elements:
Refer to Selecting Rendering Mode for more information about the options available for rendering Custom Element content.
Custom Elements can be rendered using Display Templates or Custom Properties. See Controlling Custom Element Rendering (Display Templates) .
Custom Elements come in two similar but unique styles: Local and Global. Each contains the same features but Local Custom Elements can be versioned because they are bound to a page.
To understand more about the similarities and differences, refer to Custom Element Types in the Administrator's Reference.
You can also populate Custom Elements using Simple Forms. For example, allowing anonymous users to add content to Custom Elements can support a large data entry project.
Refer to Using Simple Forms for Data Entry into Custom Elements for more information on this topic.
Related Links
Entering Data for Custom Elements
Datasheet Action – Edit Custom Element Data
You can download PDF versions of the Content Contributor's, Administrator's, and Elements Reference documents from the support section of paperthin.com (requires login).
For technical support:
