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Administrator Guide
Last Updated: 2024-08-23
Delete Custom Data, Fields, or Objects

Delete Custom Data, Fields, or Objects

Security:
Custom Object Management
 domain in System functional area.
Administrators can permanently remove additional data from active custom objects and fields to:
  • Prepare a custom object for deletion.
  • Create space for new data.
You can delete custom fields that you no longer need or when you've reached the active custom field limit. Before you delete a custom field, you must verify that:
  • No integrations use the custom field.
  • There's no data in the custom object definition.
Deleting a custom object might break the integration, so you must verify that no integrations are using the custom object. You can't restore a custom object once you delete it. You can't delete a custom object when:
  • Data exists for any of its custom fields.
  • One of its custom fields is configured as the Reference ID and data existed for any of its custom fields.
  • A calculated field, condition rule, or custom report is using any of its custom fields.
  1. Delete custom object data.
    1. Access the
      Delete Custom Object Additional Data
       task.
    2. Select the
      Custom Object
      . When you want to add or modify an effective-dated custom object, you must access the object using the business process. You can't delete additional data from an effective-dated custom object.
    3. (Optional) Select the
      Condition Rule
       for deleting the custom object additional data. When you leave the field blank, Workday deletes all custom object additional data.
      You can set up condition rules on the
      Create Custom Object Condition Rule
       task.
      You can't restore custom object additional data after you delete it. A background process permanently removes data for the custom object but doesn't purge it. The data remains in the audit history. You can view the
      Delete Additional Data
       event in the audit history of the primary Workday Object instance for the custom object.
  2. (Optional) Delete custom fields.
    Use one of these options to delete custom fields:
    • Remove all usages of the custom field from a custom object by accessing the
      Edit Custom Object
       report.
    • Access the
      Delete Custom Field
       task.
  3. (Optional) Delete custom objects.
    To delete a custom object:
    1. Remove all custom fields from a custom object by accessing the
      Edit Custom Object
       task.
    2. Access the
      Delete Custom Object
       task. Select the object to delete.