Considerations

The Field Label is the name that appears for a field in an open record. And, through the magic of Field Management, you can change the label to call it something else in that open record.

If you have the Catholic version of the Platform, we updated some Field Labels throughout the system so you can do your church your way.

But regardless of which version of the Platform you have, you can change Field Labels. This may see like a great and exciting feature, but you should exercise extreme caution.

• Changing a Field Label changes how it displays in an open record. It does not change how it displays anywhere else in the Platform. Want to take this customization to the next level? Start working through the Label Customization checklist for a seamless User experience.
• Changing a Field Label is record-dependent. That means that you need to change the Field Label every single time it displays in an open record. So if you wanted to change the "Nickname" field to "Goes By," you'd need to add a Field Management record for every single "Nickname" in an open record.
• In addition to changing the Field Label for every page, you must change it for every sub-page. Again, depending on the field you decide to relabel, this is time-consuming.

Consequences

In addition to the considerations above, changing a Field Label has consequences. Some are good, like having the field appear exactly how you want it, and some are not so good.

• You can't change default field lists, so default Page Views show the old Field Label if it is a column header or you need to edit the default Page Views and alias the column headers.
• Other Platform applications do not honor Field Label changes, so the original field name still displays in reports, Life Apps, Widgets, and Check-In Suite.
• Relabel fields in the Platform to enjoy a custom experience, but nothing else matches your system, like webinars and videos, learning activities, and this Help Center (including instructions and screenshots).
• It becomes more difficult for Support to help resolve any issues you might have because your system won't match theirs.
• It might confuse your more casual Users because what they see in an open record won't match other things they see.

While none of these consequences are a reason to not change Field Labels, we recommend exercising extreme caution when making this strategic decision. And if you change your mind after changing some Field Labels, simply delete the relevant Field Management record and everything returns to it's original, as-deployed names.