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Custom Fields

Thomas
  • Updated

Your organization is unique and so are your contacts! That's why you can create your own Custom Fields on a Contact Profile. This allows you to collect and manage any information for contacts that isn't captured in our default fields.

Use the Custom Fields tool to create and manage as many custom fields as you need! To manage custom fields, navigate to Organization Settings > Custom Fields Tab. 

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Create a Contact Section

When you create a new Custom Field, you'll need to specify a section name for the field(s) you'd like to add to the contact profile. By default, Keela has the following sections on a Contact Profile - General Updates, Personal Info, Admin, Contact Info, Websites, Associations. We'd recommend choosing a unique name to avoid any confusing duplicates!

(1) Select Create Contact Section

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Add a Contact Section Name - This will appear as the header to all the new fields in that section.

 

Add a Custom Field

Once a Contact Section has been created, you'll be able to start adding custom fields to that section. In the section, click Add Custom Field to get started.

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An information box will appear so you can enter the Custom Field Name and Type.

 

Custom Field Types

  1. Single-line Text - Recommended for a single-line text field.
    • For example, if you had a custom field for 'favorite color', this would be an appropriate field. Answer example: 'blue'
  2. Multi-line Text - Recommended for multi-line text inputs.
    • For example, if you had a custom field for 'how we know them', this would be an appropriate field. Answer example: 'we met John when we went to a gala dinner with his sister Connie'
  3. Number - Used to record numerical information.
    • For example, Number of dogs fostered; the number of people in an organization
  4. Simple Date - Ability to choose MM/DD/YYYY from a dropdown
    • For Example, Date Joined 10/21/2011
  5. Date & Time - Ability to choose Date and Time from a calendar dropdown
    • For Example, Date Joined 10/21/2011 08:30:AM
  6. Image - Ability to upload an image to the field.
    • For example, photo contest submission
  7. Files - Ability to upload a file to the field.
    • For example, Volunteer waiver
  8. Yes/No - Recommended for questions that can only have a yes or no response.
    • For example, 'donor wishes to remain anonymous' Answer example: ⦿ Yes ⦾ No
  9. Multiple Choice (Single Select) - Recommended when you want multiple-choice options, where only one option can be selected.
    • For example, if you had a custom field for 'preferred contact method', this would be an appropriate field. Answer example: '⦿ snail mail ⦾ email ⦾ phone'
  10. Multiple Choice (Multi-Select) - Recommended when you want multiple-choice options, where multiple options can be selected at a time.
    • For example, if you had a custom field for 'volunteer interests', this would be an appropriate field. Answer example: '⦿ delivering meals ⦿ grant writing ⦾ kitchen staff'

 

Editing a Contact Section

To Edit a Contact Section, click Actions to the right of the section header. You can Rename, adjust the placement within the contact profile and Delete a Contact Section. 

Important - If you delete a Contact Section all data associated with that section on the contact profile (all custom fields) will be permanently removed from the Keela system.

 

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Managing a Custom Field

 To edit a Custom Field, select the corresponding action to the direct right of the custom field.

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mceclip8.png Edit 
mceclip9.png Delete
mceclip10.png Re-Order (by clicking and dragging the field to another position within the same contact section)

 

Editing a Custom Field

After a custom field is created, you will only be able to edit the name of the custom field. You will not be able to change the answer-type.

If you want to change the answer-type, it would require creating new custom fields and importing information into the new fields. See the steps below: 

1) Export your contact data 

2) Create new Custom Fields for each existing Custom Field in Keela that you want to change the answer type for.

3) Re-import your Custom FIeld data into the new custom fields you created.

4) Delete the old custom fields once you successfully updated the new custom fields you created.

 

Deleting a Custom Field

If you delete a custom field all data associated with the field on the contact profile will be permanently removed from the Keela system.

What's Next?

If you'd like to continue your Custom-Field-learning-journey, we've got a lot more resources to help you get a really strong understanding of how to use these in the system: