How to Map Fields

Unito syncs work items between tools and fields between work items. Did you know you can also customize field mappings to your use case? Here's how.

What does this article cover?

• What is a field mapping in Unito?
• How to create a new mapping
• How do I delete a field mapping in Unito?
• How to change field flow direction
• Why can't I change flow direction for some mappings?
• How to customize an existing mapping
• Why can't I map users?

What is a field mapping in Unito?

Field mappings represent the details of each item in sync in your connected tools. Imagine the details of a task: title, description, assignee, attachment, etc. Unito lets you sync applicable fields between work items (e.g., tickets, spreadsheet rows, contacts, etc.) so that information in one connected tool is always up-to-date with information in your other connected tool(s). Here's what that can look like in Unito's flow builder:

It's a bit like translation. Many fields are similar enough — such as comments or due dates — that you can tell Unito to map them automatically before selecting your fields manually. Once you reach the screen pictured above though, you'll have to choose individual field mappings. 

Here's how it works:

How to create a new field mapping

Not seeing a mapping your use case needs? Find the + Add mapping button at the top of your field mappings and click on it. Scroll all the way to the bottom of your field mappings, and you'll see two dropdown menus allowing you to select a new field.

Pick your first field, and Unito will automatically narrow the list down to the fields it can actually be mapped to. Once you've chosen your two fields, you can change flow direction for that mapping.

Remember that some fields — like the description footer — can be mapped to multiple fields, while others can only be mapped once. If the field you want to map is in the later category, you'll either have to delete it or re-map it.

How do I delete a field mapping in Unito?

To delete a field mapping in Unito, simply move your cursor over the mapping you want to remove and select the trash can icon on the right. 

How to change field flow direction

Each field has its own flow direction controls, similar to the main flow direction between tools. which way information moves. In one-way field mappings, data will move from the source field to the destination field.

With two-way mappings, there's a back-and-forth of information between tools: any change in one will be reflected in the other and vice-versa.

To change the flow direction of a field mapping, simply select the directional arrows you prefer:

Why can't I change flow direction for some mappings?

When you set up flow direction for your field mappings, you'll find that some of them are greyed out.

That's because they can only go one way.  Sometimes, this is due to technical limitation in the tools themselves. Other times it may be because there simply is no native field in the destination tool that matches the source. In those cases, a workaround is to sync those fields to the description footer.

In the example above Attachment → Description footer occurs because the destination tool has nowhere to put the attachment other than the footer.  Since there aren't really any changes you can make in the description footer that would affect the original attachment, it doesn't make sense to have two-way updates here.

Here are a few examples of field mappings that can only be one-way:

• Any mappings including a description footer

• Mappings that include the name of a board, project, or repository

• A mapping including an issue number

The exact mappings affected by this will depend on the tool pairing you're syncing. To test this out, just add a new mapping.

How to customize an existing mapping

There are two ways you might want to customize your field mappings:

1) Change one of the synced fields, but not both. All you need to do is click on one of the drop-downs for an existing field mapping, and change it accordingly. Once you save your flow, Unito will simply begin mapping your new fields according to the rules you've set.

2) Add an additional layer of customization. For example, you can customize a mapping that labels or tags between work items with more precision. You can do this with any field mapping with a cog (or gear) icon beside the fields. When you click on that icon, you'll see values within that field mapping. These are the different states or statuses for your labels, tags, etc.

In the example above, I've built a flow between two Trello boards and told Unito that my red label in one board should match with the red label in another. There are a few things you can do here to customize this kind of mapping further:

• Add a new pair: When you click on + Add more labels & labels you can add a new pair of mappings, and choose labels from both drop-downs, just like when you add a regular mapping.

• Delete a pair: When you hover over a pair of mappings, a trash can will appear on the right, similar to main field mappings. Click on it to delete a mapping.

• Build a group pairing: Did you know you can map multiple labels from one board to a single label on another? All you need to do is click on the plus sign on either side and add the label you want to map under the right group.

Why can't I map users?

Users and assignees can't be mapped at the field mapping stage. To map users, you need to go to your workspace settings. All you need to do is click on the profile icon in the top-right of the screen and click on Members & active users.

To learn more about mapping users, check out this article.