---
title: "Displaying Unlicensed Assignees in BigPicture Gantt Charts Using Custom Fields"
canonical: "https://support.appfire.com/space/SUPPORT/3642556424/Displaying%20Unlicensed%20Assignees%20in%20BigPicture%20Gantt%20Charts%20Using%20Custom%20Fields"
format: markdown
---
**Internal support guide** — Use this article when a customer asks whether information for assignees who are not licensed Jira users can be displayed in a BigPicture Gantt chart.

# Problem

Customers may want to display an assignee’s name or other identifying information in the BigPicture Gantt chart when that person does not have a licensed Jira user account. They may ask whether a custom field can be used instead of a user-picker or account-based field.

# Symptoms

- The customer wants to show an unlicensed person’s name in a Gantt chart.
- The person cannot be selected through a Jira user-based field because they do not have a licensed account.
- The customer has found guidance recommending a single-line text custom field and wants confirmation that it is supported.

# Prerequisites

- Jira administration access to create and configure a custom field.
- Permission to configure the field’s contexts and schemes.
- Access to the relevant Jira projects and BigPicture spaces.
- A BigPicture Gantt module where columns can be configured.

# Solution

## Step 1: Create a single-line text custom field

Ask the customer to create a new Jira custom field using a single-line text type. The field should store the person’s name or other display text directly rather than referencing a Jira user account.

**Expected result:** The new field accepts text values, including the name of an individual who does not have a licensed Jira account.

## Step 2: Configure the field for the required Jira projects

Ensure the custom field is properly configured for the relevant projects. Confirm that the field is included in the necessary field contexts, field schemes, and screens or configurations used by those projects.

**Expected result:** The field is available in the intended projects and can be populated on the relevant Jira issues.

> ⚠️ A field that exists globally may still be unavailable in a specific project if its context, scheme, or project configuration does not include that project.

## Step 3: Populate the field

Enter the unlicensed assignee’s name, or the other text that the customer wants to display, in the new field on the relevant Jira issues.

**Expected result:** The text is stored as a standard Jira field value and does not depend on the person having a Jira user account.

## Step 4: Add the field to the BigPicture Gantt view

1. Open the relevant BigPicture Gantt chart module.
2. Open the **Views** dropdown.
3. Select **Add Column**.
4. Search for the new single-line text custom field.
5. Add the field to the visible columns.

**Expected result:** The custom field appears as a column in the Gantt chart, and its text value is displayed for viewers with access to the chart.

## Verification

1. Open an issue in one of the configured projects and confirm that the text field contains the expected value.
2. Return to the BigPicture Gantt chart and verify that the field is available in **Add Column**.
3. Confirm that the column displays the stored text for the relevant task or issue.
4. If the field is missing or blank, recheck the project context, field schemes, permissions, and whether the Gantt view is using the expected project or space.

> ✅ **Support conclusion:** Yes. A properly configured single-line text custom field can be added to a BigPicture Gantt chart and can display text such as the name of an unlicensed person. Because the field stores plain text rather than a Jira account reference, the displayed value does not require the person to be a licensed Jira user.

# Preventive Guidance

- Recommend a clear field name that explains the purpose, such as **External Assignee Name** or **Resource Display Name**.
- Document the expected format for values so names remain consistent across issues.
- Use a user-picker field when Jira account-based assignment, mentions, permissions, or automation is required; a text field only stores display information.
- When troubleshooting availability, verify the field configuration before investigating BigPicture itself.
- Remind customers that field visibility and chart access still depend on Jira and BigPicture permissions.

# Support Handling Notes

For similar cases, confirm the customer’s intended outcome first: displaying a name as text is different from assigning work to a Jira user account. If the customer needs notifications, permissions, mentions, or account-based reporting, the text-field approach may not meet the requirement.

For the field configuration background, refer to the BigPicture documentation: [Concept of a field](https://support.appfire.com/space/DLP/2211645821/Concept+of+a+field?utm_source=htmlredirect&utm_medium=confluence).