Set up custom fields

A custom field is a slot for information Exabloom doesn’t track out of the box. Every field is defined by four things: the object it attaches to, its type, a name, and an optional group it sits in. Once defined, the field becomes available to fill in on every record of that object — and to filter, display and automate on.

Custom fields live in one place: Settings → Custom Fields, under CRM Configuration. The page has two tabs — All Fields lists every field you’ve made, and Groups manages the sections they fall into. Two buttons sit top-right: Add Field and Add Group.

The first and most important choice is which object the field describes. There are five: Contact, Lead, Organisation, Appointment and Calendar. For most teams the live decision is the first two.

A reliable test: would the answer be the same across every opportunity this person ever has? If yes, it belongs on the Contact (preferred language, postal code). If it changes per deal — the subject they’re enquiring about, a per-quote budget — it belongs on the Lead.

The type decides how the field is entered and read. There are eight:

Two of them — Single Select and Multi Select — let you define a fixed list of options. Single Select allows one choice; Multi Select allows several on the same record. Choose these whenever the answer should come from a tidy menu rather than free text, so it stays consistent and easy to filter.

Add Field opens the dialog. Here’s every input, in order:

• Field Name — what your team reads. It must be unique for that object and cannot contain a comma; the form turns red and blocks saving if it does.
• Object — from Step 1. Editable while creating, locked after.
• Group — which section it sits in. Defaults to None (Unassigned); the list shows only groups for the object you picked.
• Unique Key — generated for you from the name (e.g. “Budget range” → Lead.Budget_Range) and read-only. This is the handle you use in placeholders and the API.
• Type — from Step 2.
• Options — only appears for the two select types. Type an option and press Enter (or the + button) to add it; each shows as a removable chip.
• Required Field — a toggle, off by default. Turn it on to “prevent saving records without this field.”

Groups are named sections that keep related fields together — and they’re how those fields get organised in the Lead Info panel. Every workspace starts with a set of default groups per object: a Contact has Contact Info, while a Lead has Lead Info, Product, Note and Others.

You don’t have to use them — a field can stay None (Unassigned) and still works everywhere. Groups are about tidiness: when you have a dozen lead fields, grouping them into Product, Notes and so on keeps the panel readable instead of one long list. Create new groups with Add Group on the Groups tab — each group also belongs to one object.

A field you create doesn’t just sit in Settings — it threads through the product. Once defined, the same field can show up in four places:

• The Lead Info panel beside every conversation, where its group becomes a section. You control order and visibility there — see Customise the Lead Info panel.
• A pipeline’s Data Fields — each pipeline chooses which lead and contact fields (custom ones included) reps see and can edit. See Build your sales pipeline & stages.
• Forms and the create dialogs — add a custom field to a capture Form, or to the New contact / New lead forms, to collect it at the source.
• Workflow filters — automations can branch or target on a custom field’s value, so you can route “Budget range > 500” differently.

Open any field from the All Fields tab to edit it. You can change the name, the group, the type, the options and the required toggle at any time — only the object stays locked.

A few fields most teams end up wanting, with the object and type that fit best.

• Object first, and forever. The object can’t be changed after you save. Decide contact-vs-lead before you create the field.
• No commas in names. The form blocks them, and a duplicate name on the same object is rejected too.
• Required can block saves. A required field must be filled wherever its record is created — including imports. Require sparingly.
• Groups are optional. A field works fine as None (Unassigned); groups just keep the panel tidy.
• Deleting is destructive. It wipes every stored value and removes the field from forms and pipelines. Hide instead of delete when in doubt.
• Pick the tightest type. Numbers and dates sort and filter; the same data as Text doesn’t. Selects keep answers consistent.