diff --git a/src/auth/auth.service.ts b/src/auth/auth.service.ts
index 2acdbccc8..fa201b7b5 100644
--- a/src/auth/auth.service.ts
+++ b/src/auth/auth.service.ts
@@ -140,14 +140,12 @@ export class AuthService {
 
     if (!userSettings) {
       Logger.log(
-        `Adding default settings to user ${user.username}`,
-        "UserSettingsInterceptor",
+        `Adding default settings to user ${user.username} with userId: ${user._id}`,
+        "postLoginTasks",
       );
       const createUserSettingsDto: CreateUserSettingsDto = {
         userId,
-        filters: [],
-        conditions: [],
-        columns: [],
+        frontendSettings: {},
       };
       await this.usersService.createUserSettings(userId, createUserSettingsDto);
     }
diff --git a/src/users/dto/update-user-settings.dto.ts b/src/users/dto/update-user-settings.dto.ts
index d0159c39b..a9cca316e 100644
--- a/src/users/dto/update-user-settings.dto.ts
+++ b/src/users/dto/update-user-settings.dto.ts
@@ -1,12 +1,7 @@
 import { ApiProperty, PartialType } from "@nestjs/swagger";
-import { ScientificCondition } from "../schemas/user-settings.schema";
-import { IsArray, IsNumber } from "class-validator";
+import { IsNumber, IsObject, IsOptional } from "class-validator";
 
 export class UpdateUserSettingsDto {
-  @ApiProperty()
-  @IsArray()
-  readonly columns: Record<string, unknown>[];
-
   @ApiProperty({ type: Number, required: false, default: 25 })
   @IsNumber()
   readonly datasetCount?: number;
@@ -15,13 +10,14 @@ export class UpdateUserSettingsDto {
   @IsNumber()
   readonly jobCount?: number;
 
-  @ApiProperty()
-  @IsArray()
-  readonly filters: Record<string, unknown>[];
-
-  @ApiProperty()
-  @IsArray()
-  readonly conditions: ScientificCondition[];
+  @ApiProperty({
+    type: "object",
+    additionalProperties: { type: "array", items: {} },
+    required: false,
+  })
+  @IsOptional()
+  @IsObject()
+  readonly frontendSettings?: Record<string, unknown[]>;
 }
 
 export class PartialUpdateUserSettingsDto extends PartialType(
diff --git a/src/users/schemas/user-settings.schema.ts b/src/users/schemas/user-settings.schema.ts
index b6ebf6a7d..9a629abe7 100644
--- a/src/users/schemas/user-settings.schema.ts
+++ b/src/users/schemas/user-settings.schema.ts
@@ -23,14 +23,6 @@ export class UserSettings {
 
   id?: string;
 
-  @ApiProperty({
-    type: [Object],
-    default: [],
-    description: "Array of the users preferred columns in dataset table",
-  })
-  @Prop({ type: [Object], default: [] })
-  columns: Record<string, unknown>[];
-
   @ApiProperty({
     type: Number,
     default: 25,
@@ -52,23 +44,13 @@ export class UserSettings {
   userId: string;
 
   @ApiProperty({
-    type: [Object],
-    default: [],
-    description: "Array of filters the user has set",
-  })
-  @Prop({
-    type: [{ type: Object }],
-    default: [],
-  })
-  filters: Record<string, unknown>[];
-
-  @ApiProperty({
-    type: [Object],
-    default: [],
-    description: "Array of conditions the user has set",
+    type: "object",
+    additionalProperties: { type: "array", items: {} },
+    default: {},
+    description: "users preferred ui settings in dataset table",
   })
-  @Prop({ type: [{ type: Object }], default: [] })
-  conditions: ScientificCondition[];
+  @Prop({ type: Object, default: {}, required: false })
+  frontendSettings?: Record<string, unknown[]>;
 }
 
 export const UserSettingsSchema = SchemaFactory.createForClass(UserSettings);
diff --git a/src/users/users.controller.spec.ts b/src/users/users.controller.spec.ts
index 1d8f16b33..580e154cb 100644
--- a/src/users/users.controller.spec.ts
+++ b/src/users/users.controller.spec.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { UsersController } from "./users.controller";
 import { UsersService } from "./users.service";
 import { UpdateUserSettingsDto } from "./dto/update-user-settings.dto";
 import { Request } from "express";
+import { UserSettings } from "./schemas/user-settings.schema";
 
 class UsersServiceMock {
   findByIdUserIdentity(id: string) {
@@ -26,11 +27,13 @@ class UsersServiceMock {
 const mockUserSettings = {
   _id: "user1",
   userId: "user1",
-  columns: [],
   datasetCount: 25,
   jobCount: 25,
-  filters: [{ LocationFilter: true }, { PidFilter: true }],
-  conditions: [{ field: "status", value: "active", operator: "equals" }],
+  frontendSettings: {
+    filters: [{ LocationFilter: true }, { PidFilter: true }],
+    conditions: [{ field: "status", value: "active", operator: "equals" }],
+    columns: [],
+  },
 };
 
 class AuthServiceMock {}
@@ -72,11 +75,11 @@ describe("UsersController", () => {
     const result = await controller.getSettings(mockRequest as Request, userId);
 
     // Assert
-    expect(result).toEqual(mockUserSettings);
-    expect(result?.filters).toBeDefined();
-    expect(result?.filters.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
-    expect(result?.conditions).toBeDefined();
-    expect(result?.conditions.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    expect(result?.frontendSettings).toEqual(mockUserSettings);
+    expect(result?.frontendSettings?.filters).toBeDefined();
+    expect(result?.frontendSettings?.filters.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
+    expect(result?.frontendSettings?.conditions).toBeDefined();
+    expect(result?.frontendSettings?.conditions.length).toBeGreaterThan(0);
   });
 
   it("should update user settings with filters and conditions", async () => {
@@ -85,17 +88,26 @@ describe("UsersController", () => {
 
     const updatedSettings = {
       ...mockUserSettings,
-      filters: [{ PidFilter: true }],
-      conditions: [{ field: "status", value: "inactive", operator: "equals" }],
+      frontendSettings: {
+        filters: [{ PidFilter: true }],
+        conditions: [
+          { field: "status", value: "inactive", operator: "equals" },
+        ],
+        columns: [],
+      },
     };
 
     const mockRequest: Partial<Request> = {
       user: { _id: userId },
     };
 
-    const expectedResponse = {
+    const expectedResponse: UserSettings = {
       ...updatedSettings,
       _id: userId,
+      userId: userId, // Ensure all required properties are included
+      datasetCount: updatedSettings.datasetCount,
+      jobCount: updatedSettings.jobCount,
+      frontendSettings: updatedSettings.frontendSettings,
     };
 
     jest
@@ -108,10 +120,10 @@ describe("UsersController", () => {
       updatedSettings,
     );
 
-    expect(result).toEqual(updatedSettings);
-    expect(result?.filters).toBeDefined();
-    expect(result?.filters.length).toBe(1);
-    expect(result?.conditions).toBeDefined();
-    expect(result?.conditions.length).toBe(1);
+    expect(result?.frontendSettings).toEqual(updatedSettings);
+    expect(result?.frontendSettings?.filters).toBeDefined();
+    expect(result?.frontendSettings?.filters.length).toBe(1);
+    expect(result?.frontendSettings?.conditions).toBeDefined();
+    expect(result?.frontendSettings?.conditions.length).toBe(1);
   });
 });