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Identify the Symptom

Custom field issues typically present in one of these ways:
SymptomLikely CauseJump to
Column is completely emptyMissing domain model propertyStep 1
Column does not appear at allMissing sheet configuration columnStep 2
Values display but cannot be editedRead-only flag or permission issueStep 4
Field type renders incorrectlyType mapping mismatchStep 3
Edits do not persist after saveProperty name mismatch with PolarionStep 5

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Step 1: Verify the Domain Model Property

Custom fields must be declared as properties on the correct entity type in the domain model YAML. If the property is missing, the column will appear blank even though work items contain values in Polarion. Open your domain model file and confirm the custom field is listed under the appropriate entity type: 
domainModelTypes:
  - name: SystemRequirement
    polarionType: systemRequirement
    properties:
      - name: description
      - name: severity
      - name: priority
      - name: c_verificationMethod    # Custom field property
Polarion custom fields use the c_ prefix by convention (e.g., c_riskLevel, c_verificationMethod). The property name in the domain model must match the field ID, not the display label. Confirm the exact field ID in Administration > Work Items > Custom Fields.
If the custom field belongs to a different Polarion work item type than the entity’s default, make sure the polarionType mapping is set correctly. When the domain model entity name differs from the Polarion work item type ID, specify polarionType to establish the mapping: 
domainModelTypes:
  - name: DesignOutput
    polarionType: designOutput    # Maps to Polarion type ID
    properties:
      - name: c_designCategory

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Step 2: Verify the Sheet Configuration Column

After confirming the domain model property exists, verify that a corresponding column is defined in your sheet configuration. Both the model property and the sheet column are required for the field to appear. diagram Add the column to the sheet configuration using the property name as the column key: 
columns:
  c_verificationMethod:
    title: "Verification Method"
    width: 150
For custom fields on related entities (accessed via an expansion path), use the full binding path through the relationship: 
columns:
  systemRequirements.systemRequirement.c_verificationMethod:
    title: "Verification Method"
    width: 180
New users often jump straight to multi-level configurations with custom fields on related entities. Start with a minimal single-entity setup and verify each custom field works before extending to relationships. This approach makes it much easier to isolate which part of the configuration is causing problems.

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Step 3: Verify Type Mapping

Powersheet automatically maps Polarion field types to appropriate data types through the metadata system. If your custom field appears but renders incorrectly (for example, a date showing as plain text), check that Polarion recognizes the field type correctly. The automatic type conversion supports these Polarion types:
Polarion TypeMapped BehaviorCommon Issue
StringText inputRenders correctly by default
IntegerNumeric inputEnsure saved value is numeric
Float / CurrencyDecimal inputCheck decimal precision in Polarion
BooleanCheckbox toggleValue must be true or false
Date / DateOnlyDate pickerFormat mismatch if field type changed
TextRich text / multi-lineMay need formatter for display
If your custom field uses an enumeration type, the enum values in Polarion must be correctly defined. Powersheet reads the allowed values from the Polarion type system. If the dropdown is empty or shows unexpected options, verify the enum definition in Administration > Enumerations for the correct work item type and project scope.

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Step 4: Check Read-Only Status

If the column appears but cannot be edited, check these areas in order: 1. Column-level isReadOnly flag Verify the column is not explicitly set to read-only in the sheet configuration: 
columns:
  c_verificationMethod:
    title: "Verification Method"
    width: 150
    isReadOnly: false    # Default is false; remove or set explicitly
The isReadOnly property defaults to false. If you do not set it, the column is editable. If someone set isReadOnly: true for debugging and forgot to revert it, the column will silently become read-only.
2. Entity type permissions Check that the entity type’s permissions in the domain model allow editing. Navigate to Administration > Nextedy POWERSHEET > Domain Models and confirm the entity type does not restrict write access for the current user’s role. 3. Expansion path columns Columns that display properties from related entities via an expansion path are read-only by default. Editing through expansion paths requires explicit configuration of the relationship’s write behavior. 4. System fields Built-in fields like id and outlineNumber are always read-only regardless of configuration.

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Step 5: Debug Save Failures

If you can edit a custom field in the sheet but changes do not persist after saving, the issue is usually a mismatch between the property name in the domain model and the actual Polarion custom field ID. Check the browser console for error responses during save. Powersheet returns structured error information with a message field describing what went wrong and an HTTP statusCode. Common save failure causes:
  1. Property name typo — The name in the domain model must match the Polarion field ID character-for-character, including the c_ prefix and exact casing
  2. Wrong entity type — The custom field is defined on a different Polarion work item type than the one mapped by polarionType
  3. Field not enabled for the project — The custom field exists globally but is not enabled for the current project’s work item type configuration
If all custom field columns are blank across the entire sheet, verify that the sources.model property in your sheet configuration matches the name of your custom domain model file. A common mistake is leaving the default value when you have created a model with a different name. The model name in sources must match exactly.
sources:
  model: my-custom-model    # Must match your .yaml model file name

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Step 6: Multi-Item Custom Fields

When an entity type links to multiple work item types (for example, SystemRequirement links to both DesignOutput and DesignVerification), the second linked column must use multiItem: true in the sheet configuration. 
columns:
  designOutputs.designOutput.c_status:
    title: "Design Output Status"
    width: 120
  designVerifications.designVerification.c_status:
    title: "Verification Status"
    width: 120
    multiItem: true    # Required for second linked entity column
Omitting multiItem: true on the second linked column is one of the most common configuration mistakes during initial setup. The column will either not display data or throw errors without a clear indication of the root cause.

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Verification

After applying your fixes, reload the Powersheet widget in Polarion and confirm:
  • ✅ The custom field column appears with the correct title
  • ✅ Existing values from Polarion display in the column
  • ✅ You can edit a value, save, and see it persisted when refreshing
  • ✅ The field type renders with the appropriate control (text input, date picker, dropdown, checkbox)
Use the Review Mode toggle to verify changes before saving. Review mode highlights modified cells and rows, letting you confirm that your custom field edits are tracked correctly before committing them to Polarion.

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See Also

Ticket insights: Partner configuration issues (model connection, custom fields, multi-item columns); incremental configuration guidance.