Custom field types

Learn more about different custom field types to determine which option is best for your needs.

Not sure how to add a custom field? Learn how to add a custom contact field here or a custom pipeline field here.

Text boxes accept any entry, including letters and numbers, and is best if there's a wide variation in the values of the field.
A single-line text box field is a good option if you need some flexibility, but won't have much text to enter.
Examples: "Partner name," "Children's names," or "Hobby" fields.

Text areas accept any text, including letters and numbers. Line breaks can be added to break up larger entries.
A multi-line text area field is a good option if you need some flexibility, and will have a large amount of text to enter.
Examples: "Special considerations," "Additional requests," or other specialized note area fields.

Number fields only accept numerical entries, and allow you to sort and filter by amount.
Number fields will automatically be formatted using American or European number formatting.
A number field is a good option if the only entries will be numbers (no letters or special characters).
Examples: "Account ID" or "Client ID" fields.

Currency fields allow you to track a specific currency amount. Currency fields only accept numerical entries, and will automatically add the selected currency symbol to the field.
A currency field is a good option to track monetary values or amounts.
Examples: “Total cost,” “Amount spent,” or “Value” fields.

Date fields only accept dates with both a month and day, or with a month, day, and year. Date fields can appear on the calendar, which can be helpful to keep an eye on upcoming dates.
A date field is a good option for tracking important dates.
Examples: "Spouse's birthday," "Client anniversary," or "Contract expiration date" fields.

Dropdown lists have a pre-entered list of options to choose from, and help avoid typos when dealing with a small number of options. You can choose one entry from the options for this field.
A dropdown list is a good option if only one value will be selected, but there are a larger number of entries to choose from.
Dropdown lists can also be color-coded so that each option has a selected color.
Examples: "Lead source," "Priority" or "Type of plan" fields.

Radio lists have a pre-entered list of options to choose from, and help avoid typos when dealing with a small number of options. You can only choose one entry from the options for this field.
A radio list is a good option if the field values are more limited, because all options will be displayed on your screen before you make a selection.
Radio lists can also be color-coded so that each option has a selected color.
Examples: "Yes/No" questions, "Lead source", "Priority" or "Type of plan" fields.

Checkbox lists have a pre-entered list of options to choose from, and help avoid typos. Tick off multiple options to select more than one entry in this field.
A checkbox list is a good option if the field values are limited, and you'll often need to select more than one value.
Checkbox lists can also be color-coded so that each option has a selected color.
Examples: "Product" or "Service" fields.

Contact link fields allow you to search existing records for a name, and once selected the name will appear as a link. Click on that link to go straight to the other record.
A contact link field is a good option if you need to create a link with another contact or company.
Examples: "Referred by," "Family members," or "Vendors" fields.

File fields allow you to upload one or more files from your computer to a file field. Files will appear by name, and you can select the file to access it again.
A file field is a good option if you need to track specific files or documents.
Examples: "Quote," "Contract," or "Job pics" fields.

There are some situations where tracking the exact same info might use different field types, depending on the end goal.
If you want to track the lead source, you could use either a dropdown list or a radio list. Both of those options allow you to pre-enter options that you’ll select later. A radio list will show all options at once, and is best if you have a limited number of sources. If you have a larger number of sources, or if screen space is more limited, a dropdown is a better option.
If you want to track the product of a sale, you could use either a dropdown list or a checkbox list. Both of those options allow you to pre-enter options that you'll select later, the difference is whether your customers buy one product at a time, or if they buy more than one product at a time.
If you want to track the value of a sale, you could use a currency field or a dropdown list. If you want to have a specific amount, you can use a currency field. If you want more of an estimate, you can instead use a dropdown list with a range of values for each option (like, 1-500, 501-1,000, etc).
If you want to track client ID numbers, you could use a number field or a single-line text box. If your ID numbers include only numbers, and you'd like number formatting, you can use a number field. If your ID numbers include numbers and letters, or if you don't want to have number formatting, you can use a single-line text box instead.

Help center