# Accessing custom user fields via JavaScript/plugin API

**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/accessing-custom-user-fields-via-javascript-plugin-api/239035
**Category:** Development
**Created:** [September 14, 2022, 9:21pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/accessing-custom-user-fields-via-javascript-plugin-api/239035 "2022-09-14T21:21:57Z")
**Posts on this page:** 3
**Page:** 1

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Karpfen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/karpfen/32/261352_2.png) [@Karpfen](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Karpfen)
#### Post date: [September 14, 2022, 9:21pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/accessing-custom-user-fields-via-javascript-plugin-api/239035/1 "2022-09-14T21:21:57Z")

</div>

Hello, I was trying to implement [Our solution for blurring NSFW content - #5 by bartv](https://meta.discourse.org/t/our-solution-for-blurring-nsfw-content/124584/5) - but unfortunately the code did not work anymore.  
I am kind of stuck here and i couldn’t find any documentation for the discourse JavaScript API in general or how to retrieve custom user fields.

I tried adding the linked code snippet to the header.html section in my site’s theme.  
The object accessible in JavaScript `const user = api.getCurrentUser();` seems to contain a property `custom_fields` not `user_fields` as it is in the referenced posting.

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/meta/original/4X/f/c/a/fca6013f5f32e19a44727f6ad5fae8016094adaf.png)

However it is empty, or i don’t know how to properly query/fill it. I’m getting the feeling i would need an actual Ruby plugin to access this data.

I would really appreciate any help on this issue, or guide how to specifically get the same functionality working again.  
The feature i need is adding a custom css-class to the body depending on a custom user field.

Thanks for reading o/

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![pfaffman](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/pfaffman/32/120154_2.png) [@pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman)
#### Post date: [September 15, 2022, 9:31pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/accessing-custom-user-fields-via-javascript-plugin-api/239035/2 "2022-09-15T21:31:28Z")

</div>

If you look at the .json output of a user profile, you’ll see the `user_fields` record (like [https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman.json](https://meta.discourse.org/u/pfaffman.json), except there are no custom fields here). That’s where the user fields that you add in the UX are (they are actually a special kind of `user_custom_field`. The `user_custom_fields` do not seem to be in the user record in a topic stream. I’m not sure if they were once there and are now gone (this would probably be a bug). You need to make sure that your user fields are visible in those settings (show on user card, maybe?).

From what I see now, you need to create a plugin that will add those custom fields to the serializer.

If you could use groups instead of your custom user field, you might solve your problem.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

### Author: ![Karpfen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/meta/user_avatar/meta.discourse.org/karpfen/32/261352_2.png) [@Karpfen](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Karpfen)
#### Post date: [September 16, 2022, 8:20pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/accessing-custom-user-fields-via-javascript-plugin-api/239035/3 "2022-09-16T20:20:37Z")

</div>

> That’s where the user fields that you add in the UX are (they are actually a special kind of `user_custom_field`

I see, that explains the variable naming. Thank you.

I think the `/u/user.json` endpoint only exposes public fields since it is publicly accessible. Due to the nature of the issue, i doubt people would want their NSFW preferences exposed on their user card. Thus i will look into using groups as a workaround first 😃