---
title: "How do I configure Luminesce entity providers to read/write properties?"
slug: "how-do-i-configure-luminesce-entity-providers-to-readwrite-properties"
tags: ["property", "identifier", "luminesce "]
updated: 2026-04-29T10:54:32Z
published: 2026-04-29T10:54:32Z
canonical: "support.lusid.com/how-do-i-configure-luminesce-entity-providers-to-readwrite-properties"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://support.lusid.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# How do I configure Luminesce entity providers to read/write properties?

By default, Luminesce providers for built-in [entities](/v1/docs/what-is-an-entity) such as portfolios, instruments and transactions do not know anything about your [custom properties](/v1/docs/properties), so columns (fields) representing these properties cannot be displayed in the catalog for entity providers out-of-the-box.

> [!NOTE]
> **Note:** You can read/write properties independently of entities using a small set of dedicated property providers. [See a list](/v1/docs/readwrite-lusid-investment-data-lusid#properties).

The same is true for entities that support [user-specified identifiers](/v1/docs/what-is-an-entity), for example custom entities, persons and legal entities. Note that under-the-hood, an identifier is defined as a [property type with a 3-stage key](/v1/docs/how-do-i-create-a-property-type).

You can configure a read/write entity provider pair to 'inline' properties and/or identifiers in order to interact with them in the same way as standard entity data fields. Consider the following example of the `Lusid.Person` and `Lusid.Person.Writer` provider pair (the catalog is the same for both):

- Out-of-the-box on the left, the catalog lists the standard data fields for person entities: **Description**, **DisplayName** and **LusidEntityId**.
- Once configured on the right, the catalog additionally lists the **Address** property and the **PortManId** and **TraderId** identifiers (you may need to click the refresh button, highlighted in red):

![](https://cdn.document360.io/d575ad81-c0ed-4980-bbd1-d59ac5c3de82/Images/Documentation/image(45).png)

> [!NOTE]
> **Note:** Configuring `Lusid.Person` configures `Lusid.Person.Writer` at the same time, and *vice versa*. The change affects your entire domain, so every user who wants to use those providers.

You can now use:

- `Lusid.Person` to retrieve property and identifier values.
- `Lusid.Person.Writer` to create, update and delete property and identifier values. For more information on nuances of writing different kinds of property to LUSID entities, see [this article](/v1/docs/using-luminesce-to-write-different-kinds-of-property-for-lusid-entities).

## Understanding which entity providers you can configure

You can configure most read/write entity provider pairs, including (though not limited to):

- Portfolios and portfolio groups
- Transactions and holdings
- Instruments of any asset class
- Legal entities and persons.

To see a full list, run the following query:

```sql
select distinct Name, Description from Sys.Registration where Name like 'Lusid.%.Factory';
```

An entry in the table of results means you can pass the name of that provider (for example, `Lusid.Instrument.FxOption`) to the `Sys.Admin.Lusid.Provider.Configure` provider (see below).

## Using the `Sys.Admin.Lusid.Provider.Configure` provider

This provider enables you to configure a read/write entity provider pair. It has the following syntax:

```sql
select * from Sys.Admin.Lusid.Provider.Configure
where Provider = '<configurable-entity-provider>'
and Configuration = <table-of-configuration-data>
and WriteAction = '<action>';
```

where:

- `&lt;configurable-entity-provider&gt;` is the catalog name of a provider that supports configuration (you can supply either the reader or the writer).
- `&lt;table-of-configuration-data&gt;` is, at a minimum, a table with one column containing 3-stage property keys, one row per property/identifier.
- `&lt;action&gt;` is either:
  - `Set` to add the table of properties/identifiers to the provider, removing any existing. This is the default if `WriteAction` is omitted.
  - `Modify` to add the table of properties/identifiers to the provider, retaining any existing.
  - `Remove` to remove the table of properties/identifiers, retaining any ones not specified.
  - `Reset` to factory-reset the provider, removing all properties/identifiers.

The table of configuration data can optionally have the following additional columns to enrich the catalog. If omitted, `Sys.Admin.Lusid.Provider.Configure` automatically extracts information from the underlying property type. Consider the following example table for the `Lusid.Person` provider:

| **Mandatory column** | **Optional columns** |
| --- | --- |
| **Key** | **Name** | **Description** | **IsMain** | **AsAt** |
| `Person/Manager/Address` | `Address` | `A property representing the address of the person` | `False` | `Latest` |
| `Person/PortfolioManager/ManagerId` | `PortManId` | `An identifier for this person as a portfolio manager` | `True` | `#2022-01-01 09:00:00#` |
| `Person/Trader/TraderId` | `TraderId` | `An identifier for this person as a trader` | `True` | `Latest` |

Note the following:

- If you do not specify a **Name** then the display name of the underlying property type is used. Note names must be unique in the catalog, so the ability to alias is useful.
- If you specify a **Description** it appears in a tooltip next to the field in the catalog to help provider users understand the expected data.
- If you specify `True` for **IsMain** then a reader provider returns the field in queries that begin `select ^ from Some.Provider`. This has no impact on a writer provider. The default is `False`.
- If you specify an **AsAt** datetime then information is extracted from an old underlying property type. The default is to use the latest property type.
- If the underlying property type has a [complex data type](/v1/docs/what-is-a-data-type) with a unit schema (for example, `iso4217CurrencyAndAmount`), then you can specify a separate **Key** for each part using dot notation, to create two fields in the provider. For example, to represent a `Person/Salary/Amount` property that has this two-part data type:

| **Key** | **Name** | **DataType** | **Description** |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| `Person/Salary/Amount.Value` | `SalaryAmount` | `Decimal` | `The amount of the salary` |
| `Person/Salary/Amount.Unit` | `SalaryCurrency` | `Text` | `The currency of the salary` |

## Configuring an entity provider for the first time

The following example query adds an **Address** property and **PortManId** and **TraderId** identifiers to the catalog for the `Lusid.Person` provider (and `Lusid.Person.Writer`), and also confers friendly column names, 'main' status, and tooltips. Since the `WriteAction` parameter is omitted, `Set` is assumed:

```sql
@keysToCatalog = values
('Person/Manager/Address', 'Address', False, 'A property representing the address of the person'),
('Person/PortfolioManagers/ManagerId', 'PortManId', True, 'An identifier for this person as a portfolio manager'),
('Person/Traders/TraderId', 'TraderId', True, 'An identifier for this person as a trader');

@config = select column1 as [Key], column2 as Name, column3 as IsMain, column4 as Description from @keysToCatalog;

select * from Sys.Admin.Lusid.Provider.Configure
where Provider = 'Lusid.Person'
and Configuration = @config;
```

## Updating an entity provider

The following query uses `WriteAction = 'Modify'` to add a new property to the catalog for `Lusid.Person`, retaining the three added above. Only the property key is specified, so the column name inherits the display name of the underlying property type, the field is not considered 'main', and no tooltip is provided. Since the table of data resolves to exactly one column and one row, a [scalar variable](/v1/docs/understanding-the-luminesce-sql-query-syntax#variables) can be passed in:

```sql
@@keysToCatalog = select 'Person/Manager/PhoneNumber' as [Key];

select * from Sys.Admin.Lusid.Provider.Configure
where Provider = 'Lusid.Person'
and Configuration = @@keysToCatalog
and WriteAction = 'Modify';
```

The following query uses `WriteAction = 'Remove'` to remove one of the identifiers from `Lusid.Person`. Only the property key is required:

```sql
@@keysToCatalog = select 'Person/Traders/TraderId' as [Key];

select * from Sys.Admin.Lusid.Provider.Configure
where Provider = 'Lusid.Person'
and Configuration = @@keysToCatalog
and WriteAction = 'Remove';
```

## Factory-resetting an entity provider

The following query uses `WriteAction = 'Reset'` to remove all properties and identifiers from `Lusid.Person`. No property keys are required:

```sql
select * from Sys.Admin.Lusid.Provider.Configure
where Provider = 'Lusid.Person'
and WriteAction = 'Reset';
```

You can see a list of all currently-configured entity provider pairs by running the following query:

```sql
select distinct Name, Client from Sys.Registration where Name like 'Lusid.%' and Name not like '%CustomEntity%' and Client is not null;
```