Attributes
Custom contact attributes extend the Apteco standard data model by letting you store custom information against contact records. Whilst the Apteco data model includes standard fields (Individual ID, FirstName, DOB, Email, Address, etc.), attributes let you capture any additional data relevant to your organisation and store this information against either an individual or a contact point relating to a specific record.
You can add attributes to:
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Individuals
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Email addresses
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Mobile numbers
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Landline numbers
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Addresses
Unlike a User Defined Table (UDT), attributes integrate directly into your data model. Once you define an attribute, any data source can update it, ensuring you maintain a single, current version of each piece of information.
Prerequisites
To use attributes you must have:
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Access to Orbit connect
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A configured data source
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Data containing custom fields not included in the standard data model
Example use cases
Pet and animal information for charities
Store pet ownership data alongside donor profiles to personalise communications and segment audiences. Record attributes such as pet type, pet name, and pet age under **Individuals**. When donors update their information through different channels like website, events, or phone, all sources automatically update the same attributes.
Loyalty programme physical characteristics
Capture physical characteristics from your loyalty programme data without creating complex table joins. Use attributes to store information such as height, eye colour, and clothing size against individual records. This allows your retail team to access and segment customers by these characteristics directly in audience selection, making it easier to personalise product recommendations and targeted offers.
External system identifiers and reference data
Map custom identifiers from external systems into your Orbit data model as attributes. Store source system IDs, vendor reference numbers, or legacy database keys against contact records. This enables quality data synchronisation across multiple systems whilst keeping your customer records unified.