Custom contact fields vs. groups

Learn more about the differences between custom contact fields and groups here.

Custom contact fields can be used to track specific details for contacts.

• Custom contact fields will appear under the “Contact info” section on the right side of a contact. You can also create custom company fields to track specific details for a company.
• Different types of custom fields can be used to track different types of information. Learn more about custom field types here.
• Custom fields can be required.
• To filter by a custom field, go to the main Contact list, select “Add a filter,” and then make the appropriate selections based on what you’d like to see. Learn more about filtering by custom field here.

Groups can be used to categorize contacts based on shared characteristics or pieces of information.

• Groups will appear near the top of the contact record. Each contact can be in more than one group.
• Groups cannot be required.
• To filter by a group, simply mouse over “Contacts” in the navigation bar and select the desired group name in the lower left side of the menu. Learn more about group filtering here.

Details to keep in mind:

• There are some situations where information could be tracked in a custom field or a group. Ultimately, the best option depends on the end goal.
• For consistent data entry, custom fields may be a better option because they can be required, and using options like dropdown fields reduce manual entry errors like typos.
• For easy access, groups may be a better option. You can access a group by mousing over “Contacts” and selecting the group name, whereas filtering by a custom field requires a few additional clicks.