---
title: "Add document record fields - EDI"
slug: "add-document-record-fields-edi"
description: "Learn how to add and configure record fields for EDI documents, ensuring proper setup for external references and mandatory fields in your integration design."
tags: ["Task topic"]
updated: 2026-03-20T07:50:38Z
published: 2026-03-20T17:44:19Z
canonical: "docs.staedean.com/add-document-record-fields-edi"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.staedean.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Add document record fields - EDI

To each document record, add the data fields which values must be exchanged. For external file-based documents, set up the fields in line with naming in the file. For **EDI** documents, fields are always of type string, to enable type conversions. This topic explains how to add record fields to an **EDI** document.

If fields are already initialized for, selected for, or copied to the record, you can review and complete the setup for these fields. To do so, skip step 6.

### Steps

1. Click **Connectivity studio - Integration Design**.
2. Click the **Documents** tab.
3. In the list, find and select the desired **EDI** document.
4. Click **Edit**.
5. In the **Records** section, in the **Record** list, find and select the desired record.
6. On the **Fields** tab, click **New**.
7. As a field name, enter a free-definable name. Usually, this is the name used in the external file. In the **Field name** field, type a value.

> [!NOTE]
> Note
> 
> The value of this field cannot have spaces.
8. As a record table, enter a free-definable name. Usually, this is the name used in the external file. The value, as entered in the **Field name** field, is the default value. You can change this value. In the **Record table field** field, type a value.

> [!NOTE]
> **Note**
> 
> The value of this field cannot have spaces.
9. Indicate if the field is a key field for the record. Select the **Key field** check box.
10. Indicate if the field is mandatory to be filled. If on processing the document, the field has no value and **Mandatory** is set to:

  - **Yes**, an error is given, and the document is not processed.
  - **Warning**, a warning message is given, but the document is processed.
  - **No**, the document is processed.

In the **Mandatory** field, select an option.
11. Set the field length carefully. Make sure the number of characters is sufficient to contain the value. If you set the length too short, the value is truncated. In the **Length** field, enter a number.
12. If you use a composite data element in a segment, you can add a specific segment tag to it. If you do so, add the segment tag to the first field of the composite data element.

In the **Segment tag** field, type a value.
13. For each document record field, you can define a qualifier. A common segment for which qualifiers are used is the address (NAD) segment. You can have different addresses in the same segment, for example, delivery address and invoice address. Use qualifiers to distinguish these addresses in the EDI file.

In the qualifier field, select the applicable qualifier. You can only use qualifiers as defined for the **EDI** type of the document.

In the **Qualifier** field, enter or select a value.

> [!NOTE]
> **Note**
> 
> You must also indicate which qualifier value is applicable for the field. To do so, on the **Ranges** tab create a range for the current field and select the applicable qualifier.
> 
> **Example:** Use the 3035 (party function code) qualifier for the NAD (name and address) segment with these values:
> 
> - DP; Delivery party; Party to which goods must be delivered.
> - IV; Invoicee; Party to which an invoice is issued.
14. Select the **Start segment** check box for the first field of a segment to indicate the start of the segment. Usually, this is the first field of a record. As a result, the segment name is added to the line before the data element for the field. The record name is used as the segment name. For example: NAD, BGM, or DTM.

Select the **Start segment** check box.
15. Select the **End segment** check box for the last field of a segment. Usually, this is the last field of a record. After this field, the defined segment terminator is applied.

> [!NOTE]
> **Note**
> 
> If the line ends with one of the separators, this separator is replaced with the segment terminator.

Select the **End segment** check box.
16. Select the **Data element** check box to indicate that the field starts a data element. Before the field, the defined data element separator is applied.

Select the **Data element** check box.
17. Select the **Sub-element** check box to indicate that the field is part of a composite data element and must be grouped together with the previous data element. Before the field, the defined composite data element separator is applied.

Select the **Sub-element** check box.
18. Sub-task: Set external references for record.

  1. In the **Line details** section, set the external references for the record.

You can indicate which of the records fields contains the unique ID of the record in the external database. In this way, you link the external ID to the record ID.

In the **External reference** field, enter or select a value.

> [!NOTE]
> **Note**
> 
> Usually, you only use this for an **ODBC** connection with CRM or if you use web services.
  2. You can indicate which of the records fields contains the revision of the record in the external database. In this way, you find and link the latest revision to the record ID.

In the **Revision field** field, enter or select a value.

> [!NOTE]
> **Note**
> 
> You can only use this field in combination with the **External reference** field.
19. Close the page.