1. A computer implemented method for determining user access to custom metadata, the method comprising: receiving, at a server, a request by or on behalf of a first user of a computing environment for a first custom metadata entity, a custom metadata entity being a metadata component customized for use in the computing environment and having an entity type specifying a class or a category of the metadata component; identifying one of a plurality of association records indicating that the first user has permission to access the requested custom metadata entity, the association records stored in an association database accessible by the server, each association record of the association database identifying a user and a custom metadata entity, the association records of the association database identifying custom metadata entities of different entity types; and providing data including the requested custom metadata entity to a computing device.