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Workspace admins and the user who connected a source can change its fields. Users with Can use on the source can add its data to channels, but can’t change its fields. See Manage source access.
05 Source Fields A source’s fields hold the structured details that come with each data point, such as a ticket’s tags, a review’s rating, or a survey’s NPS score. Every channel that uses the source gets the same fields to filter by, and Dashboards uses NPS and CSAT fields to chart scores. Learn more about Sources →

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Where fields come from

A source has one set of fields, made up of the fields from all of its datasets. Dovetail creates them as data comes into the source. There’s no field step when you create a source. You can rename fields named after a tool’s own key or a long survey question to make them easier to read. When two datasets in a source send the same field, the source keeps one field for both. For survey sources, you choose surveys (or Pendo guides), not questions. Dovetail analyzes the answers to every open-text question in the surveys you select, and turns each score or choice question into its own field. Channels use the source’s fields as they are. A channel can’t rename, retype, or hide a source’s fields, so a change on the source shows up in every channel that uses it.

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Rename fields and change field types

  1. In the sidebar, select Sources, then select the source to open it.
  2. Select Source actions (•••) → Reconfigure fields.
  3. To rename a field, edit its name in the Name column.
  4. To change a field’s type, open the type menu in the Field column and choose a type.
  5. Select Save.
Changes apply everywhere the source is used, and can take up to an hour to reach data points that are already imported.
  • Renaming a field doesn’t affect saved filters.
  • Later syncs keep the names and types you set.
  • You can’t add, hide, delete, or reorder a source’s fields.
Changing a field’s type removes any saved filters that use the field.

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Field types

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NPS and CSAT scores for Dashboards

To chart scores in Dashboards, a field must use the NPS or CSAT type. Set the type on the source that feeds the channel, and every channel that uses the source gets the field with that type.
  • Survey sources. Dovetail sets the NPS or CSAT type on a score question when it can reliably recognize it. Check the types after the first sync, and change any score question that arrived as another type, such as Rating. Dashboards doesn’t use Rating fields for NPS or CSAT charts.
  • Snowflake, API, and Zapier sources. Dovetail doesn’t set the NPS or CSAT type for these sources. Numeric Snowflake columns and numeric metadata values arrive as Number, so change the field to NPS or CSAT yourself.
  • Scales. Dashboards supports NPS on a 0–10 scale and CSAT on a 1–5 scale.

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If a channel is missing from a widget

If an NPS or CSAT widget’s From list leaves out the channel you want, check that:
  • The score field uses the NPS or CSAT type on the source. After a type change, allow up to an hour.
  • The scores use the scale Dashboards supports: 0–10 for NPS and 1–5 for CSAT.
  • You have access to the channel. Widgets list only channels you can open.

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Troubleshooting

The source has no fields yet. Fields appear after the source’s first sync. Check the source’s status in Manage a source. For an API or Zapier source, fields appear once data points with metadata are sent to it. You can’t find Reconfigure fields. Only workspace admins and the user who connected the source can change its fields. Ask one of them to make the change. A change to Single select or Multi select fails. Select fields have limits on the number and length of options. If the field’s existing values don’t fit, keep its current type or choose a type that doesn’t use options.

Sources

How sources import customer data for the whole workspace.

Manage a source

Sync, pause, reconnect, or delete a source and its datasets.

Dashboards

Chart NPS, CSAT, and sentiment over time.

Channel setup

Add a source’s datasets to a channel.