diff --git a/scripts/apps/vocabularies/controllers/VocabularyEditController.tsx b/scripts/apps/vocabularies/controllers/VocabularyEditController.tsx
index badd5300d3..ed0db373e0 100644
--- a/scripts/apps/vocabularies/controllers/VocabularyEditController.tsx
+++ b/scripts/apps/vocabularies/controllers/VocabularyEditController.tsx
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ export function VocabularyEditController(
 
     const fields = getFields();
 
-    $scope.customFieldTypes = Object.keys(fields).map((id) => ({
+    $scope.customFieldTypes = Object.keys(fields).filter((id) => fields[id].private !== true).map((id) => ({
         id: id,
         label: fields[id].label,
     }));
diff --git a/scripts/core/superdesk-api.d.ts b/scripts/core/superdesk-api.d.ts
index 6c8e7d217f..46c0c1e0d0 100644
--- a/scripts/core/superdesk-api.d.ts
+++ b/scripts/core/superdesk-api.d.ts
@@ -3359,6 +3359,10 @@ declare module 'superdesk-api' {
         editorComponent: React.ComponentClass<IEditorComponentProps<IValueOperational, IConfig, IUserPreferences>>;
         previewComponent: React.ComponentType<IPreviewComponentProps<IValueOperational, IConfig>>;
 
+        /**
+         * Allows for the field to be hidden from custom field type config
+         */
+        private?: boolean;
         /**
          * Must return `true` if not empty.
          */
diff --git a/scripts/extensions/broadcasting/src/authoring-fields/subitems/index.tsx b/scripts/extensions/broadcasting/src/authoring-fields/subitems/index.tsx
index e76a2771e0..db51b12c17 100644
--- a/scripts/extensions/broadcasting/src/authoring-fields/subitems/index.tsx
+++ b/scripts/extensions/broadcasting/src/authoring-fields/subitems/index.tsx
@@ -17,15 +17,21 @@ export type ISubitemsValueOperational = Array<ISubitem>;
 export type ISubitemsValueStorage = ISubitemsValueOperational;
 export type ISubitemsFieldConfig = never;
 export type ISubitemsUserPreferences = never;
+export type ISubItemsFieldType = ICustomFieldType<
+    ISubitemsValueOperational,
+    ISubitemsValueStorage,
+    ISubitemsFieldConfig,
+    ISubitemsUserPreferences
+>;
 
-export function getSubItemsField()
-: ICustomFieldType<ISubitemsValueOperational, ISubitemsValueStorage, ISubitemsFieldConfig, ISubitemsUserPreferences> {
+export function getSubItemsField(): ISubItemsFieldType {
     const field: ReturnType<typeof getSubItemsField> = {
         id: SUBITEMS_FIELD_TYPE,
         label: gettext('Subitems'),
         editorComponent: Editor,
         previewComponent: Preview,
 
+        private: true,
         hasValue: (valueOperational) => valueOperational != null && Object.keys(valueOperational).length > 0,
         getEmptyValue: () => [],