# Setting Up a Custom EDI Repository
In this document, we are going to walk through the steps on configuring a custom repository in your EDI flows for accommodating any customizations in the standard EDI validation rules.
### **Creating a custom repository**
1. From the toolbar, go to *File > New > EDI Custom Repository*
2. Now, select the relevant EDI dialect and version to modify the EDI schema rules
3. The EDI repository divides the EDI standard schema into 4 hierarchies: *Transaction Sets, Segments, Composite Elements* and *Elements*. Each of these can be modified and saved to create a new ‘custom’ version. As an example, we will look at two use cases,
1. In Loop 2100A, change the character limit on NM105 (middle name) from 25 to 50 characters.
2. In Loop 2100 A, remove the pair dependency where if either NM108 or NM109 are null, it requires all other fields to be present
{% tabs %}
{% tab title="Case a" %}
1. Identify the relevant message, *834\_HIPAA* and navigate to the segment where the change is required: *LOOP\_2000 > LOOP\_2100A > NM1*
2. Move to the *Segments* tab and find *NM1*. Click on the top green node of *NM1*
3. Here, we see the pair dependent rule is defined. Select the rule and delete it.
4. Click on save. This adds a new segment *NM1 custom* to the list
5. Go back to the *Transaction Sets* tab and select the new NM1 custom segment from the dropdown menu.
6. Click save, this adds a new custom 834\_HIPAA transaction which can be used to apply to the new changes
{% endtab %}
{% tab title="Case b" %}
1. Navigate to *Segment NM1* and select *NM105*
2. Go to the *Elements* tab and search for element number *1037*.
3. Change the maximum length to 50 from 25
4. Click save, this adds a custom 1037 element to the list.
5. Go back to NM1 custom message and select NM105
6. Select the new custom 1037 element from the dropdown menu and save changes.
7. Since this NM1 custom is already added to our custom 834\_HIPAA custom transaction, both case a and b will be applicable when using the custom transaction.
{% endtab %}
{% endtabs %}
8. Save the custom EDI repository and add this to your trade partner profile used in the parser
4. Next, specify this partner profile in the parser. In the messages drop down you will see the custom transaction set we had created.
5. Select it for the modified rules to be applicable.
This concludes the documentation for using a custom EDI repository in Astera.
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