Contents

• Overview
• What is a Masked Field?
• How to Add the Masked Field to a Form
  • Editing a Masked Field Value
• Related Articles

Overview

This guide shows Program Admins how to set up and use the Masked Field in Next.

What is a Masked Field?

The Masked Field collects sensitive information that should stay private, such as a Social Security Number (SSN) or Social Insurance Number (SIN). As the applicant types, their entry is hidden with asterisks. The value is encrypted when stored, so no one can read it. 

• Which forms can a masked field be added to: 
   
  • Profile Forms 
  • Intake Forms 
  • Award Agreement Templates 
  • Report Forms
    📌Note: The masked field is not available on Eligibility Forms, Request Forms, or Feedback Forms.
• Who can add a masked field to a form:
   
  • Organization Owners and Client Admins: At the organization level (Profile Forms) and the program/cycle level (Intake Forms, Award Agreements, and Report Forms).
     
  • Program Owners and Program Managers: At the program/cycle level (Intake Forms, Award Agreements, and Report Forms).

⚠️Important Notes 

• Masked field values cannot be retrieved or reported on after submission. Before using this field, confirm that your organization does not need ongoing access to the data it collects. 
   
• Once submitted, values are not visible to anyone in the system — including applicants, reviewers, and admins. In exports, the field displays masked characters (e.g., *****) instead of the actual value. 
   
• If the masked field needs to be edited, it must be cleared entirely before a new value can be entered. See the Editing a Masked Field Value steps below for more details. 

How to Add the Masked Field to a Form

The Masked Field is located in the Advanced Fields section within the form builder. The example below shows a Profile Form, but the masked field can be added to an Intake Form, Award Agreement Template, and a Report Form using the same steps. 

1. In the Add Fields panel, scroll down to the Advanced Field section. Click the click the plus symbol next to Masked Field.
   
   🔍Need help getting to the Add Fields panel? See ➡️Add a Form Field. 

2. To close the Add Fields tray, click the X symbol or Close in the bottom-right corner.

3. The masked field appears in your form. Click the gear icon to set up the field’s settings. 
   
   
   📌Note: When filling out the masked field, applicants must enter the value twice. Both entries must match before the form can be submitted. They can view their entry when completing the form by clicking the eye icon
    

In the masked field settings panel, you can: 

• Require the field or make it optional
• Hide the field or make it visible
• Mark as Read Only
• Set a maximum number of characters allowed
• Specify the width of the field box

• Assign an alias to the field

  
  

🔍Looking for more information about these settings? See ➡️ Customize Form Fields.
 

Editing a Masked Field Value 

• The existing value is never shown during editing. The field must be cleared before a new value can be entered. 
   
  • Applicants: Can edit the masked field in their Profile Form (if Read Only is not enabled). 
     
  • Organization Owners and Client Admins: Can edit the field in Profile Forms and submitted Intake Forms, if application editing is enabled. They can also request revisions on the field (if Read Only is not enabled) so the applicant can edit directly.
     
    • Go to Participant Network. Click the participant’s name. In the Profile tab, click Edit Profile in the upper-right corner. Clear the values in the Masked Field, and enter new values. Click Save Changes in the upper-right corner.
      
      
       
• Program Owners and Program Managers: Can edit the field in submitted Intake Forms, if application editing is enabled. They can also request revisions on the masked field (if Read Only is not enabled) so the applicant can edit directly.

Related Articles 

➡️Understanding Form Field Types
➡️Add a Form Field
➡️Customize Form Fields

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