Custom fields let you capture exactly the information your organisation needs on each Contact. They are grouped into sections, and they are configured centrally in Settings — no developer required. This guide covers how sections work, the options you set on a field, the calculated field types that derive their value automatically, and how values behave on a profile.
For the full list of field types and how to create them, see Creating & managing custom fields in Settings.
Where custom fields are managed
Custom fields are managed centrally in Settings → Custom fields (under Data & records) — not on individual profiles. At the top of the page, choose the record type the fields belong to: People, Organisations, Roles, Cases, Posts or Events. Each has its own set of sections and fields.
(The built-in standard fields — name, date of birth, occupation and so on — are managed separately under Settings → Profile fields.)
Managing custom fields requires the Manage Custom Fields permission on one of your user groups.
Managing sections
- In Settings → Custom fields, choose the record type (for example People or Organisations).
- Select Add new section.
- Give the section a clear, functional name (for example Membership, Engagement, Finance or Compliance).
- To make a section of repeating rows rather than single fields, turn on Data table section (see Data table sections below).
- Select Create.
Reorder sections by dragging the section's drag handle. A section can't be deleted while it still contains fields — remove or move its fields first.
Section settings
Select the cog on a section to open its settings:
- Rename the section.
- Expand this section by default — when on, the section opens ready to read and edit whenever you land on a profile. Turn it on for sections used often.
- Permissions — choose a preset (Everyone or Only me), or add specific users or user groups with an access level (for example Full Access), so a section can be view-only for some teams and editable for others.
Some accounts also have sections that automatically show or hide based on a profile's category (for example a Membership section that only appears for Members). This behaviour is configured with SwiftFox.
Adding and arranging fields
- Expand the section and select Add Fields.
- Choose a field type and give the field a name.
- Configure any type-specific options, then select Create.
Within a section you can also use Reorder Fields to change the field order and Move Fields to move fields to another section.
Options common to fields
- Description — an optional note explaining what the field is for. It surfaces as a tooltip when you hover the field's name on a profile.
- Available for reports — include the field in reporting. Not offered on every field type; where it doesn't apply it appears greyed out.
- Permissions — as with sections, set a preset or grant specific users and groups an access level, so you control who can see or edit each field.
- Move field to — move an individual field into a different section.
Text field options
When creating or editing a Text field you can:
- Enable SwiftSearch so the field is included in the global Swift Search — its value becomes searchable and is surfaced against matching contacts in the results (also available on Number fields).
- Set it to Single Line.
- Set a Character Limit.
Select field options
For a Select field you can add, reorder and disable options, set a colour on each option, turn on Allow multiple (multi-select), and turn on Colour coded so values display with their colours. Disabling an option (tick Disable option beside it) stops it being chosen when adding or editing a record, but it stays visible anywhere it's already set and remains searchable in the Lists builder — handy for retiring an option without losing existing data.
Calculated and derived fields
These field types work out their own value rather than being typed in.
Financial Summary fields
A Financial Summary field shows a live figure drawn from receipts:
- Add a field and choose Financial Summary.
- Choose Total (sum of amounts) or Count (number of receipts).
- Configure filters to control what is included — for example amount, date, effective date, subscription category, payment method, line types and financial year.
- Save. The field updates automatically as matching receipts change.
Record fields
A Record field links the contact to other records:
- Add a field and choose Record.
- Set the allowed record type(s).
- Choose whether multiple values are allowed.
- Save.
For a Record field to be usable as the source of a Linked Field, it must be single-value and reference a single record type (People or Organisations, not both).
Linked Fields
A Linked Field pulls (mirrors) a value from a related record so you can display it without re-entering it — for example showing a person's organisation's industry on their profile:
- Add a field and choose Linked Field.
- Set the Source — the Record field that points to the related record.
- Set the Target — the field whose value you want to pull through. The Target list covers the related record's standard and custom fields, including Dynamic Rules and Dynamic tags fields, so an automatically-classified value can be mirrored across too.
- Save.
Linked Fields are read-only on the record they are displayed on (shown with a small chain icon). To change the value, edit the source record or the source field. If your source Record field isn't available to choose, confirm it is single-value and references a single record type.
Formula fields
A Formula field calculates a value using maths across other numeric fields (for example Total Employees minus Current Members to show growth potential):
- Add a field and choose Formula.
- Build the expression, referencing the other fields.
- Save. The formula recalculates automatically as the referenced fields change.
Record Count fields
Available on the Organisations tab only. A Record Count field shows a live count of related People matching filters you set — see Organisation Record Count field.
Dynamic Rules fields
A Dynamic Rules field is a single-select whose value is assigned automatically by rules built in the Lists builder, so classifications like engagement level or donor status stay current without manual updates. For the full how-to — creating the field and its select options, adding rules to each value, fallback values, rule order and how values are re-evaluated — see Dynamic Rules custom field.
Note that Dynamic tags is a different thing: it is a free-form, multi-value tag field where tags are created on the fly as you type, not a rule-driven field. See Creating & managing custom fields in Settings.
Data table sections
A data table section stores structured, repeating rows on a profile (for example a member's voting history) instead of single fields:
- Add a new section and turn on Data table section, then Create.
- Expand the section and Add Fields — each field becomes a column (for example a Date column, a Text column, a Select column, a Status column).
- On the profile, use Add Row to record each entry, then Save.
Data table values are searchable in the Lists builder, so you can filter on any column.
Required columns
Any column in a data table section can be made mandatory, so a row can't be saved until it's filled in.
- Go to Settings → Data & records → Custom fields and open the People or Organisations tab.
- Expand the data table section and select the settings cog on the column you want to enforce.
- Tick Required, then Save.
On the profile, select Add Row to open the Edit Row panel. Required columns show an asterisk after the column label, and the panel notes that "Fields marked with are required." If you select Save while a required column is empty, the row isn't saved and an error lists the outstanding columns — for example "Required fields must be filled: Voting Date"*. Fill them in and save again.
Required applies to data table columns only — custom fields that sit outside a data table section don't offer it.
Single-choice columns
A Checkbox column can be limited to a single ticked row: open the column's settings cog and turn on Allow only one checked row per record. With it on, ticking the checkbox on one row automatically clears it on any other row for that record — use this where the checkbox marks one clear answer rather than allowing several rows to be ticked at once.
Editing values and using fields
Custom field values are edited on a contact's Profile tab: open the Custom fields section, select Edit to change values (or Search to find a specific field), then Save. Changes are recorded in the contact's activity log.
All custom fields appear as filters in the Lists builder, so you can build dynamic segments (for example Members with a renewal due within 30 days, or People with a certain engagement level).