Custom file fields vs. general file uploads

Learn more about the difference between custom file fields and uploading files to a contact directly.

Custom file fields are for specific files that you always or almost always collect.

• A custom contact file field will appear on the right side of the contact, under the “Contact info” section. A custom pipeline file field will instead appear within the pipeline item and on the pipeline report.
• A file field is best when you often collect the same files from contacts and would like to more easily identify which file is which.
• For example, if you have a new client questionnaire that could be saved to a file field on the contact. If you have a quote or contract, that could be saved to a file field within the pipeline.
• You can filter by whether a custom file field is empty or not, to pull up all of the contacts that have, or don’t have, a file uploaded to that field.
• Not sure how to create a custom field? Learn more here.

General file uploads are for files that you’d like to track for a contact, but that you don’t always collect.

• A general file upload will appear at the top of a contact record. If you have more than one uploaded file, they’ll be ordered alphabetically.
• Upload a general file to a contact by mousing over “Attach an item” and selecting “File” in the dropdown.
• A general file upload is best when you’d like to keep track of a file, but you don’t always collect files from your contacts.
• For example, if you have a client that shared a specific document or image with you that you’d like to preserve you can upload that to their contact record directly.
• General file uploads are visible on the individual contact, but you cannot filter for contacts with a general file upload.
• Not sure how to upload a file? Learn more here.

Details to keep in mind:

• There are some situations where files could be uploaded to a custom field or to a contact generally. Ultimately, the best option depends on the end goal.
• For easy visibility to a wide range of files, uploading to a contact may be a better option because the files will appear in the middle of the contact.
• For more consistent file uploads, a custom file field may be a better option. A custom file field allows you to label file uploads with the field name, and you can filter to determine if you’re missing a particular file.