Top Tips for Setting up Custom Fields: 


GOLDEN RULES - DO:


1. Plan your custom fields before you start to create them, think about what information you want to collect and how you would like the custom fields displayed inside your CRM account. 



2. First decide on what information you want to capture and for which tag groups do you want to collect this information?   


For example if a contact is tagged as a 'new-lead' do you want to record how they heard about your business? 


3. Do you want to capture certain data in custom fields for reporting purposes?


4. Separate out questions and what data you want to capture for a sales pipeline compared to customer aftercare and associate to the correct tag groups i.e. prospect or customer etc.   


That way depending on how the contact is tagged different custom fields will be displayed. 


5. Add a comma between lines of text in drop down menus formats to place the new drop down option item onto a separate line as shown below: 




6. Put a comma at the end of drop down text box to create an empty line.   If you do not do this then the first option in the drop down menu will show as the default rather than the un-selected empty line.


7. Choosing All contacts means that the custom fields will show on every contact.


8. You can apply a custom field to multiple tags so that selected custom fields will apply to these tags only as shown below:



Please Note: Be careful when setting up a custom field to be associated to multiple tag groups - as if your contacts have these tags applied to their record the custom field will be repeated and data will duplicate.  

It is therefore better to set up each custom field and link each field to one tag group at a time.  Please click here to see some guidance on this.


9. Buttons – can be used to set up trigger actions i.e. Reports, trigger Email/SMS, Letters etc – speak to our support team for more information.


10. When creating custom fields as a row format,  a blank field will appear at the end.  You need to enter a number – this will determine the number of rows – number range minimum 2 – maximum 5 (as shown below):



Below is an example of a custom field set up as a row to record multiple information: 


11. Set up hyperlinks using the associated people or associated businesses by going into Global Settings and then go down to global fields – choose associated contacts or associated organisations. 


You can change the name title to Referral from: this enables you to associate your contacts with other contacts or organisations in your database by using hyperlinks to connect contacts together. 



The contacts can then by connected by using a hyperlink as shown in the example below: 




GOLDEN RULES - DO NOT :


1. Put £, $ etc signs inside the custom fields – place these in the custom field heading. If you want to pull out the figures data later then it needs to be just numerical, especially if it is to be added up etc.


2. Do not place unusual characters such as /, * % etc inside a custom field box – always have this outside in the heading.


3. Change the custom field formats, i.e. change the field from a text to a drop down once you have started to add data as it will lose all of your data entries.


4. Leave spaces between commas to separate words for drop down menus.


5. Do not forget to add a comma at the end of the text box on a drop down custom field in settings – this creates a blank line so that the first option on the drop down menu does not show as default selection.


For more advice on setting up custom fields inside your CRM account please contact our Support Help desk.