# Mask Field

### Overview

To enhance data security, protect user privacy, and ensure compliance with regulations such as **GDPR**, **HIPAA**, and **PCI-DSS**, MangoApps Trackers support masking of sensitive information. This feature allows you to obscure sensitive data stored in specific columns, making it unreadable to unauthorized viewers.

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### What is Masking?

Masking hides sensitive values in tracker columns by displaying them as `********` (eight asterisks), preventing users from viewing or guessing the actual content.

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### Supported Column Types

Masking is **optional** and can be enabled at the time of column creation. Once set, it **cannot be changed** later.

<div data-full-width="false"><figure><img src="/files/bryibTIFtU6GQlAEA7mI" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure></div>

Masking can be enabled for the following column types:

* Amount
* Number
* Text

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### Mask Property: Key Rules

**Masking is permanent**, once a column is created with masking enabled, this setting **cannot be turned on or off** later.

After masking is enabled, the type of a column selected cannot be changed.

**Masked columns&#x20;**<mark style="color:red;">**cannot**</mark>**&#x20;be used in or selected as:**

* Filters
* Sorting
* Grouping
* Workflow conditions

**Masked values will&#x20;**<mark style="color:red;">**not**</mark>**&#x20;appear in:**

* Emails
* News feeds
* Messages
* Push notifications

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### Form Behavior for Masked Fields

When filling out a form, the **submitter can view** the actual value in a masked field **before submission**.

<figure><img src="/files/ikEEVXxx91seteSflJdX" alt="" width="563"><figcaption></figcaption></figure>

Once submitted the value becomes permanently **hidden**.

<mark style="color:red;">After submission, this value is</mark> <mark style="color:red;"></mark><mark style="color:red;">**not viewable by anyone**</mark><mark style="color:red;">, including the submitter and network admins</mark>

The field can **conditionally be shown or hidden** using the form rule builder (but not the value).

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### Use Cases for Value Masking

<table data-full-width="true"><thead><tr><th></th><th>Use Case</th><th>Masked Field</th><th>Purpose</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><h4>Healthcare</h4><p>(HIPAA Compliance)</p></td><td>Patient Records</td><td>Social Security Number, Insurance Policy Number, Medical Record ID</td><td>Protects patient identifiers and ensures only authorized users can access this information, maintaining HIPAA compliance.</td></tr><tr><td><h4>Human Resources </h4><p>(GDPR Compliance)</p></td><td>Employee Salary Tracker</td><td>Salary Amount, Bank Account Number, National ID</td><td>Prevents sensitive compensation or personal data from being accessed or shared unintentionally, supporting GDPR requirements.</td></tr><tr><td><h4>Finance &#x26; Accounting</h4><p>(PCI-DSS Compliance)</p></td><td>Reimbursement Requests or Vendor Payments</td><td>Credit Card Number, Tax ID, Bank Details</td><td>Secures payment information and helps comply with PCI-DSS regulations by masking sensitive financial fields.</td></tr><tr><td><h4>E-commerce Operations</h4></td><td>Refund or Chargeback Requests</td><td>Transaction ID, Card Digits, Customer Bank Info</td><td>Ensures customer financial data is protected during the review and processing of payment-related issues.</td></tr><tr><td><h4>Legal &#x26; Compliance</h4></td><td>Case File Tracker</td><td>Client Confidential ID, Settlement Amounts</td><td>Maintains confidentiality of legal case information while allowing for structured data management.</td></tr><tr><td><h4>Procurement</h4></td><td>Vendor Onboarding Tracker</td><td>Tax Numbers, Contract Amounts, Bank Details</td><td>Protects sensitive vendor information from unauthorized access while enabling collaboration across departments.</td></tr><tr><td><h4>IT &#x26; Security Teams</h4></td><td>Internal Access Log Reviews</td><td>IP Address, Device Identifiers, Session Tokens</td><td>Prevents misuse of security log data while still enabling teams to audit and track system activity effectively.</td></tr></tbody></table>

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### Low-Code Tracker App Support

In low-code Tracker apps and widgets, developers can use a special `%{decrypt}` function within custom HTML/CSS to reveal masked values. However, this should **only** be used by users who are authorized to view those records.

Click [here](https://guides.mangoapps.com/user-guide/trackers/mask-field/example-mask-widget) to view an example of this function.

<figure><img src="/files/5yhZqUV656DdhfcAKq8d" alt=""><figcaption></figcaption></figure>


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