Custom fields store information that VipeCloud's standard fields don't cover, and they shape how your data imports, filters, reports, and triggers automations. Create them before any major import, since imports and forms can only fill fields that already exist.
Should I Use a Standard Field or a Custom Field?
VipeCloud includes standard fields for the information you'd expect on a business card: name, email, phone number, company, and job title. Use a custom field for anything beyond those that reflects how your business tracks information.
Before you create a custom field, check the standard fields to confirm one doesn't already cover it. Plan how the data should flow across contacts, opportunities, and accounts before you build your fields.
How to Access Custom Fields
You can reach the Fields page from Settings, from the CRM navigation, or from the Get Started page.
From Settings:
Click the gear icon in the bottom-left navigation.
Click Customize under the Account section.
On the Customize Your CRM Setup page, expand the object you want to manage (Contact, Opportunity, or Account).
Click Fields.
From the CRM navigation:
Click CRM in the left sidebar.
Click Customize.
On the Customize Your CRM Setup page, expand the object you want to manage.
Click Fields.
From the Get Started page:
Click the Custom Fields quick link.
For a full overview of the Customize Your CRM Setup page, see Settings: Customize Your CRM Setup.
How to Edit Standard Fields
The Fields page is organized by object type and has two tabs: Custom Fields and Standard Fields. Contacts are used as the example in this article. Account and Opportunity fields work the same way.
On the Fields page, click the Standard Fields tab.
Drag a field up or down to change its order.
Click the pencil icon next to a field to edit it.
Field label name - the name shown for the field.
Required - see Field Settings below.
Unique - see Field Settings below.
Hidden - hides the field.
Create card placement - see How to Choose Where a Field Appears on the Create Form below.
Standard fields can't be deleted, and you can't create new ones.
How to Create a Custom Field
On the Fields page, click Create Custom Field.
Choose a field type. Pick the type by the shape of the data, not the purpose of the field.
Field types:
Currency - strictly formatted numeric values for dollar amounts.
Checkbox - yes/no values.
Date - calendar-based date selection.
Dropdown - single-select from predefined options.
Picklist - multi-select from predefined options.
Lookup - a link to another record. Users pick the record from a searchable list that only shows records they already have access to.
Number - numeric values only.
Percent - percentage values.
Text - single-line free-form text.
Text Area - multi-line text for notes or comments.
Link - clickable URL.
Pick the type by the shape of the data, not the purpose of the field. Text fields accept any format, which makes them useful when parsing leads from sources with inconsistent formatting. Unstructured data limits filtering and reporting, though: “NYC” and “New York City” don’t match as the same value. Use a Dropdown or Picklist when consistency matters.
Ways to add Dropdown and Picklist options:
Add options one at a time.
Add a numeric range (1-5 or 1-10).
Paste options in bulk from a list or CSV. You can use AI to generate a list of options and paste it in.
Each Dropdown option has a lightning bolt button showing how many automations are tied to that option, and a plus button to create a new one. Options you add show both buttons right away. For more on running automations from a Dropdown value, see How to Run Automations When a Contact Moves to a Board Stage.
For more on Lookup fields, including filtering by them, see How to Use Lookup Fields to Link Records and View Related Contacts.
Field Settings: Required, Unique, and Categories
These settings appear when you create or edit a custom field.
Required - a contact can't be created or imported without a value in this field. Required fields block imports when the data is missing, so use them only when your team needs data entry enforced.
Unique - no two contacts can share the same value. Common uses are account numbers, external IDs, and opportunity order numbers. Email and mobile phone are already unique by default. During imports, unique fields prevent duplicates the same way email matching does.
Field Categories - groups related custom fields together on the record. See How to Organize Your Custom Fields with Categories.
How to Choose Where a Field Appears on the Create Form
Create or edit a custom field.
Select an option from the Create Card dropdown.
Click Save.
Create Card options:
Create Card: Basic - the field appears prominently on the main contact creation form. Use it for fields you fill in almost every time you add a contact by hand.
Create Card: Custom Field - the field sits in a separate dropdown at the bottom of the form. Use it for set-and-forget fields or fields that only log information.
Required fields are added to the Basic section automatically. On the Fields page, each field shows its setting as a badge, such as Create Card: Basic.
How to Choose Where a Field Appears on the Record
The Display On Item Records In setting controls where the field appears on the record itself. It's separate from the Create Card option, which only affects the contact creation form.
Create or edit a custom field.
Select an option from the Display On Item Records In dropdown.
Click Save.
Display options:
Custom Field category - the field stays with its category, wherever that category is set to display. This is the default.
Details card (with standard fields) - the field leaves its category and displays with the standard fields in the Details card.
On the Custom Fields tab, a field set to the Details card shows a Record: Details Card badge. It also appears on the Standard Fields tab with a Custom Field badge, where you can drag it into any position among the standard fields. Each field's display location is set individually, so moving one field doesn't move others in the same category. To move a whole category to the Details card at once, see How to Organize Your Custom Fields with Categories.
How to Control Who Can See a Field
The visibility setting on a custom field controls which users can see it across the account. It matters most on multi-user accounts where certain data should only be visible to specific people.
Create or edit a custom field.
Choose a visibility option.
Inherit from category - the field uses its category's visibility. This is the default for new fields, and the label shows the inherited value in parentheses, such as "Inherit from category (All Users)".
All Users - everyone on the account can see the field.
Specific Teams - only the teams you select can see the field. A team selector appears when you choose this option.
Record Owner Only - only the user who owns the record can see the field.
Every field belongs to a category. A field you haven't assigned is in Core Fields, which defaults to All Users, and most accounts can leave it that way. Admins always see every field. A restricted field is hidden entirely from users without access, not locked or greyed out.
How to Map a Contact Field to Opportunities and Accounts
Map To connects a contact custom field to a matching field on Opportunities, Accounts, or both. If you’re unsure whether to map a field, map it.
Create or edit a contact custom field.
Under Map To, select Opportunities, Accounts, or both.
To keep the values in sync, check Link Mapped Fields.
To fill in existing records now, check Copy Current Contact Values to Existing Opportunities/Accounts.
Click Save.
How each option works:
Map To - copies the contact’s value to an opportunity or account only when that field is empty. It never overwrites a value.
Link Mapped Fields - keeps the contact, opportunity, and account values matched. A change on any one updates the others. Existing values stay as they are until one is edited or you run the copy option.
Copy Current Contact Values to Existing Opportunities/Accounts - fills in existing opportunities and accounts in one pass, using each record’s primary contact. With Link Mapped Fields on, it also overwrites values that differ.
Should I Use a Custom Field or a Tag?
Custom fields:
Apply account-wide and are shared by all users.
Are structured and consistent.
Work best for reporting, filtering, and automations.
Tags:
Are user-specific and only visible to the user who created them.
Are useful for personal workflows or temporary organization.
For a tag-like field that is structured and visible to everyone, use a Picklist custom field.
Key Notes
Only admins can create, edit, or manage custom fields. Sub-users can view and use them but can't change them.
Custom fields apply account-wide. All users share the same fields.
Create custom fields before the forms and imports that depend on them.
To require a field on a form only, set the requirement in the form's settings instead of making the field Required.
Renaming a Dropdown or Picklist option on a mapped field renames it on the mapped contact, opportunity, and account fields too, along with the records that hold that value.