Skip to main content
Documentation
Documentation
Administrator Guide
Last Updated: 2025-11-14
Steps: Set Up Custom Objects

Steps: Set Up Custom Objects

Security:
Custom Object Management
 domain in the System functional area.
Custom objects are business objects that you create to capture data that's unique to your organization. You can configure security domains for custom objects, and you can use custom objects in business processes and reports. A custom object is a set of custom fields that you can configure to suit your environment. Custom objects enable you to record additional data for which there’s no Workday-delivered field.
You can create custom objects with up to 200 active custom fields. Inactive custom fields don't count toward that limit.
When you have more than 100 custom fields for an effective-dated business object, some fields might be truncated when you view them in an approval step. To avoid truncated fields, configure multiple approval steps or create a separate business process using Workday Extend.
  2. Access the
    Create Custom Object Condition Rule
     task to define condition rules for custom object validations.
    Enter the rule in the
    Source External Field or Condition Rule
     field. The rule can be any Workday-delivered field on the extended Workday business object or any custom field on the custom object. You must activate a new custom field on the extended business object to use a rule in a custom validation.
  3. Access the
    Create Custom Field Type
     task.
    1. Select the custom field type.
    2. Enter a unique
      Custom Field Type Name
      .
      You can always edit the name of a custom field type, but you can't change the field type after the custom field is used.
    3. Enter a unique
      Web Service Alias
      .
      Workday uses the alias to refer to the custom object in web services. Enter a valid XML element that:
      • Includes alphanumeric characters only.
      • Starts with a character that isn't a number or punctuation.
      • Doesn't contain spaces or special characters.
      Once the field type is in use, you can't modify the web service alias.
  7. (Optional) Add a
    UI Visibility Rule
    .
    1. Select
      Custom Object
      Edit
      OK
       from the related actions menu of your custom object.
    2. On the
      Edit Custom Field
       task, select a rule from the
      UI Visibility Rule
       prompt. If no condition rules are available, create one for your custom object.
View or modify additional data for:
  • An effective-dated custom object that extends an effective-dated Workday object. From the related action menu of the custom object select either:
    • Additional Data
      View All As Of
       to view.
    • Additional Data
      Edit All As Of
       to modify.
    For each effective-dated custom object that extends an effective-dated Workday object, complete an
    Edit Additional Data
     step on
    Edit Additional Data
     business process.
  • A noneffective-dated custom object. From the related action menu of the custom object select either:
    • Additional Data
      View All
       to view.
    • Additional Data
      Edit
       to modify.