---
title: li-user-needs
description: "User needs metadata feature for dashboard, editor and creation-flow."
---
Added in: [`release-2025-01`](/operations/releases/release-2025-01/)

## Supported Features

| Feature | Supported |
| ------- | :-------: |
| Document | ✔ |
| Media | ✗ |
| Include | ✗ |
| Document Creation Flow | ✔ |
| Push Message | ✗ |
| Usage Log | ✗ |
| Table Dashboard | ✔ |
| Display Filter | ✔ |
| Search Indexing | ✔ |
| System Metadata | ✗ |
| Planning System | ✗ |
| Webhook Conditions | ✗ |

## Description

This plugin allows newsrooms to categorize Livingdocs articles based on the [*User Needs Model 2.0*](https://smartocto.com/blog/explaining-user-needs).
__User Needs__ provide an easy and intuitive way to align content creation with audience-focused goals.  
By considering these needs during story planning or writing, newsrooms can create articles that better resonate with their audiences, leading to increased interaction and engagement.  
The categorization can also be leveraged for algorithmic content placement on pages, ensuring articles are delivered more effectively and with greater relevance.
Additionally, it helps identify which needs are currently most significant to users, providing actionable insights for editorial strategy.

Within Livingdocs, authors can select one of the eight user-need categories for their articles. 
Depending on where the plugin is configured, user needs categories can be selected
- in the creation-flow panel
- in the editor metadata panel
- in the dashboard.

Categories can be edited or removed at any time in both the editor and the dashboard.
Furthermore, filtering articles based on user needs can be enabled in the dashboard, helping teams streamline content discovery and analysis.


## Default UI

User Needs in the __metadata panel of the editor__: 

![User Needs plugin in the metadata form](/reference/document/metadata/images/li-user-needs-meta.png)

User Needs in the __dashboard__: 

![User Needs plugin in the Table Dashboard](/reference/document/metadata/images/li-user-needs-dashboard.png)

User Needs as __display filter__:

![User Needs plugin as Display Filter](/reference/document/metadata/images/li-user-needs-display-filter.png)

User Needs in the __creation flow panel__:

![User Needs plugin in Creation Flow](/reference/document/metadata/images/li-user-needs-creationd-flow.png)

## Storage Format

```js
<String> // 'engage' | 'update' | 'educate' | 'perspective' | 'divert' | 'inspire' | 'connect' | 'help'

```

## Content Type Config

```js
{
  handle: 'myContentType',
  // ...
  metadata: [
    {
      handle: 'userNeeds',
      type: 'li-user-needs',
      config: {
        index: true,                                                // optional, default: false
        hideFromForm: false,                                        // optional, default: false
        required: false,                                            // optional, default: false
        requiredErrorMessage: 'Provide a value',                    // optional
      },
      ui: {
        label: {de: 'Nutzer:innen- Bedürfnisse', en: 'User Needs'}  // optional, can also be string
        config: {
          readOnly: false,                                          // optional, default: false
        }
      }
    }
    // ...
  ]
}
```

## Additional Config

[Table Dashboard](/reference/project-config/editor-settings/llms.txt#example-table-dashboard) config:

```js
columns: [
  // ...
  {
    label: {de: 'Nutzer:innen- Bedürfnisse', en: 'User Needs'},   // can also be a string
    metadataPropertyName: 'userNeeds',
    editable: true,
    minWidth: 200,
    growFactor: 1,
    priority: 2
  }
  // ...
]
```
**Display Filter** config: 

```js
displayFilter: [
  {metadataPropertyName: 'userNeeds'}
]
```

**Creation Flow** config: 

```js
paramsSchema: [
  {
    handle: 'liUserNeeds',
    type: 'li-user-needs',
    ui: {
      label: {de: 'Nutzer:innen- Bedürfnisse', en: 'User Needs'},   // optional, can also be a string
      config: {
        readOnly: false                                             // optional, default: false
      }                                     
    }
  }
]
```