In Assurance, you can either remove or deactivate fields. Deactivating a field allows you to reactivate it later if needed.

In this article, you will learn about:

1. Reasons to Deactivate a Field
2. Reporting on Deactivated Fields
   1. Before Deactivating the Field
   2. After Deactivating the Field
3. Deactivating a Field on a Register Template
4. Removing a Field on a Register Template

Unable to remove a field?
A field cannot be removed if the template has been used since the field was created. For example, a form using the template has been created. This applies even if the field itself was not updated in the submission. In such cases, you must deactivate the field instead.

When to deactivate a field?
You may need to deactivate a field for various reasons, such as changing its field type. Deactivating a field only hides it from the current template. It will still be available from the Fields Library.

When to update a field?
Updates to a field will apply across all templates where it is used. Only do so if you are happy for the field to be updated everywhere it is used, taking into consideration any existing field data.

1. Reasons to Deactivate a Field

1. Field Type Changes

If a field is used in multiple templates but requires a different field type in a new template (e.g., changing from Single Select to Short Text), deactivate the field in the new template and recreate it with the new field type.

Please note
You will need to create the new field with a different name to avoid naming conflicts.

2. Renaming Fields

Fields created in Assurance are stored in a Field Library. When a field is updated, the changes will apply wherever the field is used. If you prefer not to have these updates reflected across all templates, deactivate the field in the specific template and recreate it with the necessary changes. Ensure the new field name is distinct to prevent confusion when reporting.

Please note
When creating a new field, ensure it has a distinct name from the original field. If the new field serves a similar purpose, clearly differentiate it in the title to avoid confusion when reporting. This will also help you easily locate the correct field when adding it from the Field Library to a template in the future.

2. Reporting on Deactivated Fields

Deactivating a field will retain its data in the History tab of the Form as well as in the submission PDF, if generated.

1. Before Deactivating the Field

If you need to report on the data from a deactivated field, follow these steps before deactivating the field:

1. Create a Report: Generate a report of all data in the field before deactivating it.
2. Export the Data: Export the data from the report.
3. Create a New Field: Set up a new field to capture the data.
4. Import the Data: Import the data into the new field, ensuring it matches the new field’s parameters. You only need the Key for each record and the data in the correct column (field name). Leave other columns blank.
5. Deactivate the Old Field: Finally, deactivate the old field.

2. After Deactivating the Field

If you need to report on a field after it has been deactivated, refer to our help article on How to Report on Deactivated Fields.

3. Deactivating a Field on a Register Template

1. Select the checkbox next to the field.
2. Select the Deactivate button in the top row of buttons.
3. The field is now deactivated and can be reactivated by selecting the Show Inactive button.

4. Removing a Field on a Register Template

1. Select the checkbox next to the field.
2. Select the Remove button in the top row of buttons.
3. The field is now removed from the template and cannot be added back unless re-added from the field library or recreated.