Overview
Data Categories allow schools to classify forms and files so that access to sensitive student information can be controlled on a per-user basis. By assigning categories to these elements, schools can ensure that staff members only see the data they are permitted to access.
Available categories: General, Academic, Financial, Learning Support, Legal, Medical, Wellbeing, Restricted, and Sanction Report.
If no data category is explicitly assigned to a form or resource, it defaults to General.
How permissions work: Staff permissions are configured per user through their permission groups, which determine which categories they can view.
For example, a staff member without the "Medical" category permission will not see medical forms or files, even if they have general access to a student profile. As a result, the same student profile may display different forms and files depending on the viewing staff member's category permissions.
For more information on managing department and user permissions, please refer to this guide.
Forms
A form can be assigned to one or more data categories.
Only staff members with permission for the relevant categories will be able to see that form and its data on a student profile.
Navigate to Settings > Forms, click on the form's name to access the Form Editor.
Files
File Upload Fields
File upload fields can be tagged with one or more data categories.
Files uploaded into those fields are only visible to staff members whose permissions include the assigned category.
Document Submission Checklist Items
Document Submission type checklist items can also be tagged with data categories.
At least one data category must be selected — a checklist item cannot be saved without one.
The categories assigned to a checklist item determine which staff members can see the files uploaded into it. A staff member without permission for the selected category will not see those files on the student profile.
When categories are set or changed on a checklist item, those categories are automatically applied to all files already uploaded into that item. This means that changing the category retroactively affects existing uploads.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: If a form is set to General but a file upload field within it is set to Legal, which data category does the uploaded file get?
A: The uploaded file will be assigned the Legal category only — the form's data category does not apply to files uploaded through a file field.
When a file is uploaded, it inherits its data categories from the field's own category setting, not from the form it belongs to. If the field is set to Legal, the file is tagged as Legal, regardless of the form's General category.
As a result, a staff member needs the Legal data category permission to see that file in the Files section — General access alone is not sufficient.
Q: Does changing the data category of a File Upload field or Document Submission checklist item retroactively update the categories on files already uploaded?
A: Yes, it does — for both Document Submission checklist items and File Upload fields on forms. Whenever the data category is saved, the system immediately syncs the new categories to all existing uploaded files associated with that item or field.
So changing a Document Submission checklist item from General to Academic will update all previously uploaded files under that item to Academic as well. The same applies to File Upload fields on forms.