Custom Fields & Folders (Settings)

What you'll learn

Common Use Cases

Once you're comfortable with custom fields and folders, here's what you can start doing right away.

📝

Collect The Info That Matters To You

Build a custom field for anything you want to track that isn't already a default field, like a preferred method of contact.

📁

Keep Fields Organized

Group related custom fields into folders so they're easy to find and appear right where you want them on a contact record.

🔁

Reuse Fields Everywhere

Drop a custom field into a website form, then pull that same data into an email or text using custom values.

🔍

Track Changes With Confidence

Search for a field in seconds, drag and drop to reorder folders, and check the audit logs if a field is ever deleted.

Key definitions

Terms worth knowing

A field you create to store additional information about a contact or opportunity beyond the default fields, like first name, last name, phone number, or email. Custom fields can be used in forms, surveys, automations, workflows, and pipelines.

A way to organize related custom fields together so they show up as one labeled section on a contact record, like General Information or Additional Info. Folders and groups mean the same thing.

What a custom field is attached to, such as the contact, the opportunity, or the company. Every field you create gets linked to one object.

A code generated for every field that tells your software exactly which field it is. It's easy to copy and paste into emails, texts, or internal notes.

The way you pull a custom field's data into an email, text, or campaign so it fills in automatically for each contact, instead of you typing it in by hand every time.

An option that appears once you select one or more fields, letting you edit, delete, or move several fields into a folder all at once.

"When you start using lots of custom fields, you're going to want to have those organized, so I strongly recommend organizing them into folders that make sense for your business."

How it works

Building, Organizing, And Reusing Custom Fields

Navigate to Settings, then Custom Fields

Go to Settings and look for Custom Fields. You'll see an All Fields tab showing every field currently in your system, plus a Field Name, Object, Folder, Unique Key, and Created On for each one. You'll also see a Folders tab and a Deleted Fields tab. In the top right, two buttons wait for you: Add A Folder and Add A Field.

Choose a field type, name it, and pick an object

Select Add A Field to choose an input type: a text input like single line, multiple line, or text box list; a value like number, phone, or monetary; choosing options like dropdown single, dropdown multiple, radio select, or checkbox; a date picker; or a file upload or signature. Pick a type, give it a name, and associate it with an object, the contact, the opportunity, or the company. You can also assign it straight to a folder, called a group, right from this screen.

Create a folder to group related fields

Go to the Folders tab and select Add Folder, right next to Add A Field. Name your new folder and choose the object it belongs to, contact, company, or opportunity. A brand-new folder starts out empty. From here, select any existing field, use the bulk action Move To A Group, and choose your new folder to add fields into it.

Drag and drop to set the order you want

Double-click a folder in the Folders tab to open it and see the fields inside. Drag and drop a field to reorder it within the folder, and it saves automatically. You can also drag a whole folder up or down so it appears in a different position on the contact record, for example, moving your most important folder right underneath the default Contact section instead of at the bottom.

Pull custom fields into forms and messages

Add a custom field to a website form or any other form by dragging it in from the field list. Later, when you're writing an email, text, or campaign, look for the tag icon labeled Custom Values in the editing bar. Select Contact, then scroll to the bottom to find any custom fields tied to that contact, so the value fills in automatically instead of you typing it by hand.

Tips

Worth remembering

Organize custom fields into folders as you create them. It's much easier to stay organized from the start than to clean up a long, unsorted list later.
Use the search bar on the All Fields tab to find a field fast instead of scrolling through every field in your system.
Refresh your browser after adding or moving a field so you can confirm your changes actually saved.
Check the audit logs under Settings any time you need to see what happened to a field that was edited or deleted.
Whenever you create a field for a website form or other form, add it to a folder right away so it's easy to find and reference later.

Check yourself

Quick Knowledge Check

Four quick questions on this lesson. One attempt each, and the answer is revealed either way.

0 of 4 answered

What is a custom field used for?

What does the object on a custom field refer to?

How do you add an existing field into a new folder?

What lets you pull a custom field's data into an email or text automatically?

Apply it

Try this with your favorite AI

📝Plan the custom fields I actually need

You are helping me plan a small set of custom fields for my contacts in my software. Here is my situation: - The type of business I run: [describe] - The information I currently have no place to store about a contact: [list it] - Where that information usually comes from: [a website form, a phone call, a survey, etc.] Based on that, suggest 4 to 6 custom fields I should create, the best field type for each one (text, dropdown, checkbox, date, etc.), and which object each should attach to. Finish by asking me what I'd like to name the folder these fields should live in.

📁Design my folder structure

You are helping me organize my custom fields into folders inside my software. Here is my situation: - The custom fields I already have, or plan to create: [list them] - How I want to see information on a contact record, in order of importance: [describe] Based on that, suggest a folder structure with clear folder names, which fields belong in each folder, and what order the folders should appear in on the contact record.

Custom fields let you capture exactly the information your business needs, and folders keep all of it organized and easy to find. Build a field, group it into a folder, arrange the order with a simple drag and drop, then reuse that data anywhere with custom values, on a form, in an email, or in a text. Ready? Let's keep building on your Contacts skills next.