PII domains and source columns

The PII Domain cell of a table's Columns step says which kind of personal data a column holds. In a view, the PII Source cell points each column at the source column its values come from.

Set a column's PII domain

  1. Open the table and go to its Columns step. The step and its grid are covered on Edit a table's columns.
  2. Click the PII Domain cell of a column. The picker opens with a search box reading Search PII domains….
  3. Pick a domain. The options sit under their category, and None sits under General.
  4. To clear a tag, pick None. The cell reads None while no domain is set.

The search matches both the name shown in the list and the identifier behind it, so a search typed without spaces, such as dateofbirth, still finds Date Of Birth.

The cell follows the grid's edit rules: it accepts a change while the row is unlocked, and on the Source ID row it stays editable even when the row is locked. The locks and their reasons are collected on The table columns grid.

A change here is saved with the rest of the columns when the step is saved, like every other cell in the grid. What the tags mean and how the platform acts on them is set out on Column data domains, defaults and PII and PII detection.

Point a view column at its PII source

Views do not hold PII domains of their own. Instead, a view column records the source column its values come from, in the view's Columns step.

  1. Open the view and go to its Columns step; Views covers the view and its steps.
  2. Click the PII Source cell of a column. The search box reads Search PII source columns…, and the search matches the source table's name, the column's name and its PII domain.
  3. Browse the list. The options are grouped under each source table's name, with the table header staying in place while you scroll, and each column shows a chip with its PII domain.
  4. Pick the column. The cell then shows the source as tableName.columnName. To clear it, pick None.

What the source list holds

Questions, answered

Where do the PII domains come from?

The picker lists the platform's PII domain catalogue, grouped by category; None is always there to clear a tag. Column data domains, defaults and PII describes the tags, and PII detection sets what the platform does when personal data is found.

How do I search the PII Domain picker?

Type in Search PII domains…. The search matches the domain's name and the identifier behind it, and it ignores capital letters, so dateofbirth finds Date Of Birth.

What is the difference between Data Domain and PII Domain?

Data Domain is the business type of the column and decides its storage type; PII Domain is the kind of personal data the column holds. They are separate cells in the same grid.

What is the PII Source cell on a view?

It records which source column a view column's values come from. Views do not carry PII domains themselves, so the PII Source cell is how a view column points at the tagged column behind its data.

Which columns can I choose as a PII source?

Only columns that already carry a PII domain, and only from the tables the view depends on, including tables reached through other views. If a column you expect is not offered, check that it carries a PII domain and that its table is part of the view's dependencies.

What does the chip beside a source column mean?

It shows the source column's own PII domain, so you can tell the candidates apart while you search.

Why does a PII source show a number instead of a name?

The saved reference cannot be resolved to a column name, so the cell falls back to Column #<value>. Reopen the picker and pick the source column again.

Why does the source picker say "No matching PII columns"?

Your search matched none of the offered columns. Clear the search or try another table or column; the list holds only PII-enabled columns from the tables the view depends on.

How do I clear a view column's PII source?

Open the PII Source picker and pick None. The cell reads None again, and the change is saved with the step.