Custom Fields
Custom fields store contact information that is specific to your business. Use them for structured values such as company size, contract value, renewal date, service interest, or preferred contact method.
Open custom fields
- Open the client account you want to configure.
- Go to CRM > Fields.
- Review the existing fields or select New field.
Custom fields belong to the current account. This lets each client account use its own qualification and reporting data.
Create a field
Enter:
- Name: The label shown to users, such as
Renewal date. - Key: The stable snake_case identifier, such as
renewal_date. Cleo generates this from the name, and you can edit it before saving. - Description: A short explanation of what the value means.
- Type: The format and validation applied to the value.
- Required: Whether the field must contain a value.
The key must begin with a letter, contain only lowercase letters, numbers, and underscores, and be no longer than 50 characters.
renewal_date remains clear across forms, filters, and exports. report_column_3 does not.Choose a field type
| Type | Use it for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Text | Notes or longer unstructured values | Current business challenge |
| Single-line text | Short identifiers and labels | External customer ID |
| Integer | Whole-number quantities | Employee count |
| Decimal | Values that may contain fractions | Monthly contract value |
| Yes/No | A true or false state | Has signed consent |
| Date | A calendar date | Renewal date |
| Select | One value from a controlled list | Lead source |
| Multi-select | Several values from a controlled list | Services of interest |
Use Select or Multi-select when the field will be filtered or reported frequently. Controlled options prevent spelling variations from splitting one category into several values.
Add select options
For a select or multi-select field:
- Choose the field type.
- Enter an option label.
- Add the option.
- Repeat for each allowed value.
- Review the generated values before saving.
Keep options mutually understandable. If Agency, Marketing agency, and Digital agency mean the same thing to your process, use one option rather than all three.
Edit a field
Open CRM > Fields, find the field, and select its edit action. You can update the name, description, required state, and relevant options.
Treat changes to a field key or type carefully. Existing filters and imported data may depend on the original definition. If the meaning has changed, creating a new field can be clearer than reusing the old one.
Delete a field
Use the delete action from the field list and confirm the operation. Before deleting, check whether the field is used by contact filters or shared working processes.
Deleting a field removes the structure the team uses to interpret its values. Export any data that must be retained before deletion.
Use fields consistently
Write a short definition for fields used in qualification or reporting. Include who updates the value, when it becomes required, and what each option means.
For guidance on deciding between custom fields and labels, read CRM Tags. For database maintenance, use the CRM Data Cleanup checklist.