Custom Fields

Custom fields let you extend your CRM beyond default contact properties like name, phone, and email. Capture business-specific data such as lead source, budget range, service interest, or project timeline. Use them to segment audiences, trigger workflows, personalize messaging, and surface critical details on opportunity cards. Every custom field you create becomes available across forms, surveys, automation sequences, pipelines, and reporting tools.

Field Types at a Glance

The platform offers multiple input types to match different data collection needs. Choose the right type to ensure data consistency and enable filtering, reporting, and automation.

Text Fields

Short Text provides a single-line input for brief identifiers like “Lead Source,” “Job Title,” or “Company Name.” Long Text creates a multi-line area for extended content like “Project Description,” “Special Requirements,” or detailed notes.

Selection Fields

Dropdown creates a single-select menu where users pick one option from your predefined list. Perfect for “Lead Type,” “Service Interest,” or “Budget Range.” Dropdown (Multiple) allows selecting several options from the list, useful when someone might choose multiple services or categories. Radio Select displays options as radio buttons for a single selection, best for 3-5 visible choices like “Priority Level.” Checkbox Group shows multiple checkboxes for several selections, ideal for “Communication Preferences” or “Days Available.”

Date and Contact Fields

Date Picker provides a calendar interface for selecting dates like “Preferred Start Date,” “Birthday,” or “Follow-up Date.” Phone creates a formatted phone field for secondary numbers like “Office Phone” or “Emergency Contact.” Email validates email addresses for additional contacts like “Billing Email” or “Assistant Email.”

Other Types

URL validates web addresses for fields like “Website,” “Portfolio Link,” or “Social Media Profile.” File Upload allows attaching documents or images such as “Insurance Documents,” “Property Photos,” or “License Copy.”

Contact Fields vs Opportunity Fields

The most critical decision when creating a custom field is choosing the correct object type. This choice is permanent and cannot be changed after creation.

Contact fields attach to the person. Use them for personal details, communication preferences, lead qualification, or any information that stays with the individual across multiple deals. Examples: “Preferred Contact Method,” “Lead Type,” “Referral Source,” “Communication Preferences.”

Opportunity fields attach to a specific deal. Use them for deal-specific information like budget, timeline, urgency, project details, or anything unique to this particular sales opportunity. Examples: “Budget Range,” “Timeline to Close,” “Decision Maker,” “Project Type.”

Ask yourself: “Does this information describe the person or the deal?” The answer determines the object type. If you select the wrong type, you must recreate the field from scratch and manually migrate any existing data.

Where Custom Fields Work

Once created, custom fields become available across multiple platform areas for data collection and automation.

Forms and Surveys: Add custom fields to any form or survey using the form builder. When someone submits, the data automatically populates in their contact record under the appropriate group. The Quick Add and Edit feature lets you add and modify custom fields without leaving the form builder.

Workflows: Use custom fields as trigger conditions to start sequences when specific values are set. Deploy them as filter conditions to branch logic based on field data. Reference field values in merge tags within texts, emails, and notifications using syntax like {{custom_fields.field_name}}. Use the Update Contact Field action to modify values mid-sequence.

Smart Lists: Create Smart Lists filtered by custom field values to segment your database. Build lists like “All leads interested in HVAC services” or “High-budget opportunities” for targeted campaigns and specialized nurture sequences.

Opportunity Cards: Configure which opportunity custom fields display directly on cards in pipeline board view. Navigate to pipeline settings and customize which fields appear prominently, surfacing critical deal information like “Budget Range” or “Timeline to Close” without opening the full record.

Organizing with Field Groups

Field groups (also called folders) organize custom fields into logical sections within contact and opportunity records. Instead of one long list, groups create collapsible sections that keep related information together.

Create new groups in Settings > Custom Fields > + Add Folder. Name them based on purpose: “Lead Qualification,” “Service Preferences,” “Project Details,” “Financial Information,” “Communication Settings.” When creating a new custom field, assign it to the appropriate group immediately. For existing fields, use bulk actions to move multiple fields between groups at once.

Group fields by purpose, not alphabetically. A “Lead Qualification” group might contain dropdown, text, and checkbox fields all related to qualifying intent and fit. Limit groups to logical categories, aiming for 5-8 maximum. Too many groups create as much visual noise as no groups at all. Name groups from the user’s perspective: “Contact Preferences” is clearer than “Communication Data.”

Pro Tips

Plan before creating. Map out what information you actually need to capture and why. Every field adds complexity to forms, records, and reporting. Create fields that serve a specific purpose in your sales process, automation workflows, or segmentation strategy.

Use structured fields for reporting. Structured fields like dropdowns, checkboxes, and dates are easier to report on than open text fields. If you plan to analyze responses or automate based on values, use selection fields with predefined options rather than free-form text.

Name descriptively. Use clear names that make purpose obvious at a glance. Avoid abbreviations or internal jargon. “Emergency Contact Phone” beats “Phone Type.” “Preferred Start Date” beats “Date.” Stay consistent with naming patterns across all fields.

Set prefill values strategically. The Prefill Value option defines a default that automatically appears in forms and surveys unless manually changed. If most contacts are from one country, set “Country” to that default. Users can override if needed, but it speeds up form completion.

Audit regularly. As businesses evolve, some fields become obsolete. Check field usage reports to identify fields that haven’t been populated in months. Before deleting unused fields, confirm they’re not referenced in workflows or automations. Consolidate redundant fields to reduce clutter.

Common Questions

Can I convert a contact field into an opportunity field or vice versa?

No. Object type is permanent after creation. You must recreate the field under the correct object type if you made a mistake. Export existing data before deletion so you can manually migrate values to the new field.

What happens to data if I delete a custom field?

All data stored in that field is permanently deleted. Export the data first if you might need it later. Check all workflows and automations for references to the field before deletion to prevent broken logic.

How do I reference custom fields in messages?

Use merge field syntax to insert custom field values into emails and texts. The exact syntax appears when you click the merge field picker in the message editor. It typically follows the format {{custom_fields.field_name}} where field_name matches your field identifier.

Can I change dropdown options after creation?

Yes. Edit the field in Settings > Custom Fields, add or remove options as needed, and save. Existing data isn’t affected unless you remove an option currently in use. If you delete an option, contacts with that value will show blank for that field.

What’s the difference between custom fields and custom values?

Custom fields store information about specific contacts or opportunities. Custom values are location-wide variables that work like constants, storing information like business name, address, or policy details that apply universally rather than per-contact. Use custom fields for contact or opportunity data, custom values for business-wide information that doesn’t change by record.