# Customizing Login Identifier

If your application has a need to use something other than `email` or `username`, you may specify any valid column within the `users` table that you may have added.

This allows you to easily use phone numbers, employee or school IDs, etc. as the user identifier.
You must implement the following steps to set this up.

This only works with the Session authenticator.

!!! note

    By default, Shield requires users to register their email and password.
    Further customization is required beyond the steps on this page to remove
    emails from user registrations.

## Create Migration File

Create a [migration](http://codeigniter.com/user_guide/dbmgmt/migration.html) that
adds a new column to the `users` table.

## Change $validFields

Edit **app/Config/Auth.php** so that the new column you just created is within the
`$validFields` array.

```php
public array $validFields = [
    'employee_id'
];
```

If you have multiple login forms on your site that use different credentials, you
must have all of the valid identifying fields in the array.

```php
public array $validFields = [
    'email',
    'employee_id'
];
```

## Update Validation Rules

!!! warning

    This is very important for security.

You must write new **Validation Rules** and then set them using the
[Customizing Validation Rules](./validation_rules.md#login) description.

!!! note

    Not only the Validation Rules for **login**, but also the rules for
    [registration](./validation_rules.md#registration) should be updated. If you do
    not add the new **Validation Rules**, the new field will not be saved to the database.

## Customize Login View

1. Change the `login` view file in the **app/Config/Auth.php** file.

    ```php
    public array $views = [
        'login'                       => '\App\Views\Shield\login',
        // ...
    ];
    ```

2. Copy file **vendor/codeigniter4/shield/src/Views/login.php** to **app/Views/Shield/login.php**.
3. Customize the login form to change the name of the default `email` input to the new field name.

    ```php
    <!-- Email -->
    <div class="mb-2">
        <input type="text" class="form-control" name="employee_id" autocomplete="new-employee-id" placeholder="12345" value="<?= old('employee_id') ?>" required>
    </div>
    ```