Add, edit, or delete custom properties in SharePoint Server user profiles
APPLIES TO: 
2013 2016 2019 Subscription Edition 
SharePoint in Microsoft 365
The Manage Profile Service page of a User Profile service application in SharePoint Server is a central location for managing available user profile properties and creating new properties. You need to be a member of the Farm Administrators SharePoint group or a Service Application Administrator for the User Profile service application to make changes.
You can supplement default user profile properties with additional properties to track key information that is not otherwise available. Key business needs might encourage you to create new properties that associate users with important business processes. For example, a sales department can create a specific sales role property to share with a particular audience or audiences. Custom user profile properties can be edited to better suit business needs or they can be deleted when no longer needed.
Add a user profile property
Perform the following procedure to create a user profile property.
To create a new user profile property
On Central Administration, in the Application Management section, click Manage service applications.
On the Manage Service Applications page, click the link for the User Profile service application.
On the Manage Profile Service page, in the People section, click Manage User Properties.
On the Manage User Profile Properties page, click New Property.
On the Add User Profile Property page, in the Property Settings section, in the Name text box, type a name to be used by the User Profile service application for the user profile property.
In the Property Settings section, in the Display Name box, type the user profile property name that will be displayed to all users.
Note
If you use multiple languages in your deployment, you can provide alternative display names for each language by clicking Edit Languages. In the dialog, click Add Language, select a language from the menu, and then type the display name in the new language. You can add display names for any of the available languages. The display name that appears depends on the language of the operating system on the computer of the user who views the property.
On the Type drop-down list, click the data type for the property.
Note
If you select string (Multi Value), the property will be permanently set as a multivalued property. You cannot change this setting after you click OK. You can only delete the property and add it again as a new single value property.
In the Length box, type the maximum number of characters that are allowed for values for this property.
Click to select Configure a Term Set to be used for this property to associate the profile property with a managed metadata term set and select a term set from the drop-down list.
In the Sub-type of Profile section, select the Default User Profile Subtype to associate the default user profile subtype with this user profile property.
In the User Description section, in the Description box, type the instructions or information that is displayed to users about this user profile property.
Note
If you use multiple languages in your deployment, you can provide alternative display names for each language by clicking Edit Languages. In the dialog, click Add Language, select a language from the menu, and then type the display name in the new language. You can add display names for any of the available languages. The display name that appears depends on the language of the operating system on the computer of the user who views the property.
In the Policy Settings section, select the policy setting and default privacy setting that you want for this property. Click to select User can override box to enable users to override these settings.
In the Edit Settings section, select whether users can edit values for this property.
In the Display Settings section, specify if and how the property will be viewed by users.
In the Search Settings section, select the Alias check box, the Indexed check box, or both, depending on the kinds of searches that you want to be associated with this user profile property.
Note
The Alias check box is unavailable unless the Default Privacy Setting is set to "Everyone".
Note
If you mark a property as indexed, a search for values of that property returns that user profile. For example, if the telephone number property is indexed, a search of telephone numbers finds the employee with that number. If you mark a property as aliased, the property is a suitable alias for this user. For example, if you search for all documents by John Kane, the result returns documents that were written by johnkane@contoso.com and Jonathan Kane if profile properties are marked with those values as aliases.
In the Property Mapping for Synchronization section, click Remove to delete or change an existing mapping.
In the Add new Mapping section, specify the source data connection, attribute, and synchronization direction for the mapping. When you are finished, click Add.
Click OK.
Edit a user profile property
Perform the following procedure to edit a user profile property.
To edit a user profile property
On Central Administration, in the Application Management section, click Manage service applications.
On the Manage Service Applications page, click the link for the User Profile service application.
On the Manage Profile Service page, in the People section, click Manage User Properties.
On the Manage User Profile Properties page, in the Property Name column, select the user profile property that you want to change, and then, in the dropdown menu, click Edit.
On the Edit User Profile Property page, locate the element or elements of the user profile property that you want to change and edit them.
When you are finished, click OK.
Delete a user profile property
Perform the following procedure to delete a user profile property.
To delete a user profile property profile property by using Central Administration
On Central Administration, in the Application Management section, click Manage service applications.
On the Manage Profile Service page, in the People section, click Manage User Properties.
On the Manage User Profile Properties page, in the Property Name column, select the user profile property that you want to remove, and then, in the dropdown menu, click Delete.
In the dialog, verify that you have selected the correct user profile property, and then click OK.
See also
Concepts
Administer the User Profile service in SharePoint Server
Plan profile synchronization for SharePoint Server 2013
Other Resources
Delegate administration of User Profile service applications or features in SharePoint Server