# What is this code add\_to\_serializer in all these plugins
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/what-is-this-code-add-to-serializer-in-all-these-plugins/58913
**Category:** Development
**Created:** [March 12, 2017, 5:07am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/what-is-this-code-add-to-serializer-in-all-these-plugins/58913 "2017-03-12T05:07:15Z")
**Posts on this page:** 7
**Page:** 2
### Author:  [@Cyrine](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Cyrine)
#### Post date: [August 22, 2020, 3:01pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/what-is-this-code-add-to-serializer-in-all-these-plugins/58913/23 "2020-08-22T15:01:36Z")
If possible, can you please share the link of the plugin that you were working on at that time?
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### Author:  [@Mgcs](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Mgcs)
#### Post date: [January 12, 2021, 4:05am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/what-is-this-code-add-to-serializer-in-all-these-plugins/58913/24 "2021-01-12T04:05:33Z")
Thanks for the great explanations. Am I right to assume that it would be possible to use add\_to\_serializer, something like op\_likes? I’m not sure why this happens, but I can only have access to the op\_likes\_count when I order by it (as in order=op\_likes), but I wanted to have such numbers without having to order by it.
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### Author:  [@Stanzilla](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Stanzilla)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2021, 9:45pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/what-is-this-code-add-to-serializer-in-all-these-plugins/58913/25 "2021-01-21T21:45:08Z")
Is there also a way to use it from JavaScript? I’m currently looking at [`showOpLikes` doesn't work right away, but after clicking back and forth - #6 by pfaffman](https://meta.discourse.org/t/showoplikes-doesnt-work-right-away-but-after-clicking-back-and-forth/143546/6) which was closed.
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### Author:  [@merefield](https://meta.discourse.org/u/merefield)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2021, 9:49pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/what-is-this-code-add-to-serializer-in-all-these-plugins/58913/26 "2021-01-21T21:49:45Z")
> [@Stanzilla](#):
>
> Is there also a way to use it from JavaScript?
No, you can’t change an API from a client 🙂
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### Author:  [@riking](https://meta.discourse.org/u/riking)
#### Post date: [January 21, 2021, 9:58pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/what-is-this-code-add-to-serializer-in-all-these-plugins/58913/27 "2021-01-21T21:58:11Z")
> [@net\_deamon](#):
>
> ```plaintext
> # I guess this should be the default @ discourse. PR maybe?
> add_to_serializer(:user, :custom_fields, false) {
>
> ```
This should absolutely not be the default. Not all user custom fields should be displayed to the user (e.g. see Staff Notes).
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### Author:  [@jimkleiber](https://meta.discourse.org/u/jimkleiber)
#### Post date: [April 3, 2023, 5:15pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/what-is-this-code-add-to-serializer-in-all-these-plugins/58913/28 "2023-04-03T17:15:11Z")
I wonder if “add to serializer” could be a checkbox when creating a custom user field in the UI. And then the PR could be to check if the custom user field has add to serializer and then if so, add it.
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### Author:  [@Lhc\_fl](https://meta.discourse.org/u/Lhc_fl)
#### Post date: [August 2, 2024, 11:07am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/what-is-this-code-add-to-serializer-in-all-these-plugins/58913/29 "2024-08-02T11:07:44Z")
5 posts were split to a new topic: [Adding to user serializer does not work for the current user object](https://meta.discourse.org/t/adding-to-user-serializer-does-not-work-for-the-current-user-object/319809)
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