---
schema: rendered-html/v1
title: "Operations with Specific CustomFieldDefaults | Developer Portal for YouTrack and Hub Documentation"
source_url: https://www.jetbrains.com/help/youtrack/devportal/operations-api-admin-customFieldSettings-customFields-fieldID-fieldDefaults.html
generated_at: 2026-06-11T15:04:16.629891+00:00
---

Feedback

Thanks for your feedback!

Was this page helpful?

YesNo

Developer Portal for YouTrack and Hub

- Developer Portal
- Apps
- MCP Tools
- YouTrack Workflows
- YouTrack Import Scripts
- YouTrack Form API
- YouTrack REST API
- Get Started with REST API
- REST API Reference
- Entities
- Resources
- Activity Items
- Issue Activities Page
- Build Bundles
- Enum Bundles
- Owned Bundles
- State Bundles
- User Bundles
- Version Bundles
- Custom Fields
- [Operations with Specific CustomField](jetbrains__com__help__youtrack__devportal__operations-api-admin-customfieldsettings-customfields.md)
- Sub-resources
- Custom Field Defaults
- [Operations with Specific CustomFieldDefaults](operations-api-admin-customFieldSettings-customFields-fieldID-fieldDefaults.html)
- Project Custom Fields
- Field Types
- Backup Files
- Database Backup Settings
- Global Settings
- Organizations
- Projects
- Telemetry data
- Global Time Tracking Settings
- Agiles
- Articles
- Assigned Roles
- Commands
- Command Suggestions
- User Groups
- Issue Link Types
- Issue Tag
- Issues
- Issue Count
- Permissions
- Roles
- Saved Queries
- Search Suggestions
- Tags
- Users
- My User Profile
- Issue Work Items
- REST API Use Cases
- REST API Troubleshooting
- Color Indices List
- Hub REST API

1. YouTrack REST API
2. REST API Reference
3. Resources
4. Custom Fields
5. [Sub-resources](#0)
6. Custom Field Defaults
7. [Operations with Specific CustomFieldDefaults](#0)

# Operations with Specific CustomFieldDefaults﻿

Last modified: 24 March 2026

This resource lets you read and update default settings of a custom field in a project.

| Resource | ``` /api/admin/customFieldSettings/customFields/{fieldID}/fieldDefaults ``` |
| --- | --- |
| Returned entity | CustomFieldDefaults. For the description of the entity attributes, see [Supported Fields](/help/youtrack/devportal/operations-api-admin-customFieldSettings-customFields-fieldID-fieldDefaults.html#CustomFieldDefaults-supported-fields) section. |
| Supported methods | - `GET`: [Read a Specific CustomFieldDefaults](/help/youtrack/devportal/operations-api-admin-customFieldSettings-customFields-fieldID-fieldDefaults.html#get-CustomFieldDefaults-method). - `POST`: [Update a Specific CustomFieldDefaults](/help/youtrack/devportal/operations-api-admin-customFieldSettings-customFields-fieldID-fieldDefaults.html#update-CustomFieldDefaults-method). |

## CustomFieldDefaults attributes﻿

Represents default project-related settings of the custom field. These settings are applied at the moment when the custom field is attached to a project. After that, any changes in default settings do not affect the field settings for this project.

### Related Resources﻿

Below you can find the list of resources that let you work with this entity.

- Custom Field Defaults

### Attributes﻿

This table describes attributes of the `CustomFieldDefaults` entity.

- To receive an attribute in the response from the server, specify it explicitly in the `fields` request parameter.
- To update an attribute, provide it in the body of a POST request.

| Field | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| id | String | The ID of the default custom field settings. `Read-only`. |
| canBeEmpty | Boolean | Indicates whether this field can have empty value in the issue. |
| emptyFieldText | String | The text that is shown as a placeholder when the field is empty. `Can be null`. |
| isPublic | Boolean | If `true`, then a user needs Read Issue and Update Issue permissions to access this field. Otherwise, the field is considered private, and Read Issue Private Fields and Update Issue Private Fields permissions are required. |
| parent | CustomField | Reference to the custom field. `Read-only`. |

## Read a Specific CustomFieldDefaults﻿

Get default settings for the field.

### Required permissions﻿

Requires read access custom field.

### Request syntax﻿

```
GET /api/admin/customFieldSettings/customFields/{fieldID}/fieldDefaults?{fields}
```

| null | The database ID of CustomFieldDefaults |
| --- | --- |

### Request parameters﻿

| Parameter | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| fields | String | A list of CustomFieldDefaults attributes that should be returned in the response. If no field is specified, only the `entityID` is returned. |

### Sample﻿

#### Sample request﻿

```
https://example.youtrack.cloud/api/admin/customFieldSettings/customFields/58-8/fieldDefaults?fields=canBeEmpty,emptyFieldText,isPublic,parent(id,name)
```

#### Sample response body﻿

```
{
  "emptyFieldText": null,
  "canBeEmpty": true,
  "isPublic": true,
  "parent": {
    "name": "Due Date",
    "id": "58-8",
    "$type": "CustomField"
  },
  "$type": "CustomFieldDefaults"
}
```

## Update a Specific CustomFieldDefaults﻿

Update default settings for the field.

### Required permissions﻿

Requires Update Project permission in all the projects where field is used. If field is auto-attached, Low-level Admin Write permission is required.

### Request syntax﻿

```
POST /api/admin/customFieldSettings/customFields/{fieldID}/fieldDefaults?{fields}
```

| null | The database ID of CustomFieldDefaults |
| --- | --- |

### Request parameters﻿

| Parameter | Type | Description |
| --- | --- | --- |
| fields | String | A list of CustomFieldDefaults attributes that should be returned in the response. If no field is specified, only the `entityID` is returned. |

### Sample﻿

Let's make the field private by default. Let's also set that it cannot be empty.

#### Sample request﻿

```
https://example.youtrack.cloud/api/admin/customFieldSettings/customFields/58-8/fieldDefaults?fields=canBeEmpty,emptyFieldText,isPublic,parent(id,name)
```

#### Sample request body﻿

```
{
  "emptyFieldText": null,
  "canBeEmpty": false,
  "isPublic": false
}
```

#### Sample response body﻿

```
{
  "emptyFieldText": null,
  "canBeEmpty": false,
  "isPublic": false,
  "parent": {
    "isAutoAttached": false,
    "name": "Due Date",
    "id": "58-8",
    "$type": "CustomField"
  },
  "$type": "CustomFieldDefaults"
}
```

- [Operations with Specific CustomFieldDefaults](/help/youtrack/devportal/operations-api-admin-customFieldSettings-customFields-fieldID-fieldDefaults.html)
- [CustomFieldDefaults attributes](/help/youtrack/devportal/operations-api-admin-customFieldSettings-customFields-fieldID-fieldDefaults.html#CustomFieldDefaults-supported-fields)
- [Read a Specific CustomFieldDefaults](/help/youtrack/devportal/operations-api-admin-customFieldSettings-customFields-fieldID-fieldDefaults.html#get-CustomFieldDefaults-method)
- [Update a Specific CustomFieldDefaults](/help/youtrack/devportal/operations-api-admin-customFieldSettings-customFields-fieldID-fieldDefaults.html#update-CustomFieldDefaults-method)

Custom Field DefaultsProject Custom Fields

- Privacy & Security
- Terms Of Use
- Trademarks
- Legal

Copyright © 2000–2026 JetBrains s.r.o.
