Overview
Custom fields are data fields in your database that are specific to your organisation. After creating them in the system, you can use them in subscription forms, imports, filters, and for message personalisation.
How to Create a Custom Field
To use custom fields, you first need to create them in the system by:
- Go to: Database Management > Custom Fields. You can also view, edit or delete your existing custom fields from here.
- Click on the orange Add Custom Field button in the top-right corner of the screen.
- Fill out the following properties for your custom field:
- Custom Field Name: Your chosen name for this field. Use one that’s easy to identify.
- Field Type: Set the field type by choosing the correct type from the dropdown. Your options here are:
| Type | Description |
|---|---|
| Single-line text | A field for text used to enter basic short text answers (255-character limit). E.g: name, surname, city, country, department, company, etc. |
| Multi-line text | This is for longer-text fields, where the subscriber needs to write longer sentences, like what their experience was with a product or at an event. |
| Date | Here, a calendar pops up, allowing your contact to select a date. |
| Whole number | A number-only field limited to 10 digits, e.g. client code or account number. |
| Decimal number | Stores decimal numbers limited to 10 digits, e.g. the value of a requested refund. |
| Large number | Stores large numbers greater than 10 digits, e.g. an ID number. |
| Multiple choice | A checkbox that allows the contact to select more than one option. For example, when answering the question “How many of these options relate to you?” For more info on multi-value custom fields, see the section below. |
| Single choice | This creates a drop-down list that lets the contact select only one option, e.g. your contact’s country or industry. |
-
- Visibility: Make this field visible on your profile if you want a contact to be able to modify the field when updating their profile.
- Click Save
For single and multiple-choice field types, you’ll need to specify the options you’d like your audience to choose from. To do this:
- Type the name of the choice option
- Click the green plus sign to the right of this field – this will create another field option
- Repeat as necessary or click the red minus button to deleted options you don’t need
Multi-Value Custom Fields
Multiple-value custom fields allow subscribers to select more than one response on a subscription form item.
Importing Multi-Value Custom Fields
To import a Multi-Value Custom Field, ensure that the data you’re importing has this custom field included as a column, so the system can detect it correctly.
Creating Filters for Multi-Value Custom Fields
To create a filter for your multi-value custom field:
- Go to Database Management > Filters
- Click the orange Create Filter button in the left-hand panel
- In the filter tabs, select Custom Fields
- Select the toggle of the custom field you want to create a filter for
- Set a condition for your multi-value custom field from the drop-down lists to the right. You can select more than one option for the value and the filter will work according to the condition. The filter conditions you can choose are:
- One of: Filters for one of the selected values
- All of: Filters according to all of the selected values
- None of: Filter is set for none of the selected values
Applying a Custom Field
Once you’ve created your custom field, you can apply it in:
- Subscription forms
- Imports
- Filters
- Personalisation
Custom Fields in Subscription Forms
You can include your custom field in the second step of subscription form creation (the drag-and-drop subscription form builder) by:
- Selecting Custom Fields from the field type drop-down on the Fields tab in the panel on the left-hand side
- Scrolling to find your custom field
- Dragging-and-dropping it into the form
Now, when a new contact subscribes, they will be asked to complete this field in the form.
Custom Fields in Imports
To include custom field data when importing your contacts:
- Create the custom field before you start the import.
- Format the source file so the custom field data is in its own column.
When you do the import, the system will automatically pick up the custom field and ask you to assign it to the relevant column.
Custom Fields in Filters
Filters allow you to segment your database into groups, based on their data, so you can send customised communications to different audiences. Once you’ve created a custom field, use it to create filters so you only send messages to subscribers who meet specific criteria.
To learn more about creating filters, read our Filters section.
Custom Fields for Personalisation
Personalisation allows you to send highly relevant, personally meaningful messages by using unique information associated with the recipient (common use: greeting a contact by name).
Custom fields can be used for this too, for cases like sending contacts their account numbers, product codes, or membership numbers.
Custom Field Limits
Please be aware that there is a limit to the number of custom fields you can create in the system. These limits are enforced by MySQL and vary according to the type of custom field you create. Using single-line custom fields will cause you to reach the limit faster than other fields as you can have no more than 250 characters at any one time.