In Create your first data classification we made a data module, Service Properties, and left it empty. This guide fills it, following the Record Schemas and Topics episode of the video series.
We’ll define a record schema, create a topic for one particular property, add a record to that topic and fill it in, and see why Atlas says the topic still needs an owner.
The structure in one paragraph
A classification is the blueprint. A record schema, built from data schemas, says what you keep on file. A topic is one individual thing. A data record holds what you know about it. Service Properties is the classification; 42 Juniper Lane is a topic; its address, lot and gate live in a data record made from the Property Profile record schema.
1. Create a record schema
Inside the Properties module, choose New, then Record Schema. The form has three fields:
- Data Classification shows where this record schema will live. It’s fixed to the module you came from.
- Name is required — Property Profile.
- Description is required too, so anyone who finds it knows what it’s for.
Creating it only names the record schema. Its fields come next.
2. Attach data schemas
Open the new record schema from the list, and in the Schemas section choose Edit. Pick a data schema — Service Address first, then Site Details for the lot, the irrigation and the gate.
- Only published versions can be attached.
- Each arrives with its version number, so you always know exactly which version a record schema collects.
Below, each schema has its own layout section, and the Preview shows the record as it will look once it’s filled in. Layout works here just as it does for forms on the Basic tier.
A record schema always belongs to exactly one classification, while the data schemas inside it can be reused by any record schema. See What is a record schema?
3. Create a topic
Go back to the module and choose New, then Topic. The form is short:
- Classification is fixed to Properties.
- Name is required — 42 Juniper Lane.
- External ID is optional, for cross-referencing: if this property also exists in another system, put that system’s identifier here so the two can always be matched.
- Properties are free-form pairs of a label and a value, for anything you want to see at a glance. The tutorial adds a zone and a visit day.
Choose Create, and the topic appears in the module. External IDs and topic properties covers those two fields in depth.
4. Look inside the topic
Open the topic, and this is its own location. Everything that belongs to 42 Juniper Lane is listed here: its data records, its samples, and any resources nested inside it.
The New menu is built from what the classification defines. Property Profile is there, marked as a new data record — so choosing what to create and choosing what it’s made from are the same decision.
5. Fill in a record
Choose Property Profile. Atlas creates the record and opens it. Basic Info holds its name, and the Document section is the record itself.
- Choose Edit. You’re filling in the form the record schema describes, one data schema at a time.
- Service Address first — street and city are required.
- Continue to Site Details and give the lot size.
- Review, then Submit.
The document now shows what you entered, and anyone who opens this record sees the same layout.
6. Give it an owner
Open Unassigned Topics in the navigation, and there’s 42 Juniper Lane, marked as waiting for an owner. Topics created by an administrator belong to no user group — and a topic nobody manages is a problem, because the work it raises reaches nobody. Assign a group binds it to a team that will answer for it. See Why every topic needs an owner.
How this maps to what you built on Basic
If you came from the Basic tier, the pieces line up neatly:
| On Basic | On Enterprise |
|---|---|
| Data schemas | The same data schemas, reused |
| A form composing schemas | A record schema composing schemas |
| Form layout | Record schema layout sections |
| A submission | A data record attached to a topic |
| — | A topic: the individual thing the record is about |
The important addition is the topic. On Basic, a submission stands alone. On Enterprise, records belong to the customer, property or asset they describe, so history accumulates in one place.
Planning a topic’s records
A topic often holds more than one record. For a property, that might be:
- Property Profile — the stable facts: address and site details.
- Service Visit — one record per visit, accumulating over time.
- Inspection — one record per inspection.
Ask whether information is stable (a profile) or event-like (a visit). Stable facts belong in a profile record that gets updated; events belong in a new record each time. Measurements repeated over time belong in samples instead — see Samples and aggregations.
Troubleshooting
My data schema isn’t in the list when attaching. Only published versions can be attached. Publish the schema first.
The New menu inside a topic doesn’t show what I expect. The menu is built from what the classification defines. If a record schema is missing, check it was created inside this classification.
The topic shows under Unassigned Topics. Topics created by an administrator belong to no user group. Use Assign a group to bind it to the team that will answer for it.
I need the same record type in two classifications. A record schema belongs to exactly one classification. Create one in each, built from the same shared data schemas.
Frequently asked questions
Is a topic the same as a record? No. A topic is the thing; a record is what you know about it. One topic can have many records.
Can I add properties to a topic later? Topic properties are free-form label-and-value pairs and can be maintained as things change. For information that needs structure and validation, use a record instead.
What is the External ID for? Cross-referencing with other systems — see External IDs and topic properties.
Does layout work the same as on Basic? Yes. Each attached schema has its own layout section, and the Preview shows the record as it will look once filled in.
Recap
- Record schema — what you keep on file, built from data schemas.
- Topic — one individual thing.
- Data record — what you know about it.
- Owner — the user group that answers for it.
