You will need the Full Write People permission (or the equivalent write permission for the module you're editing) to perform this action.
Custom fields let churches track information specific to their needs on records that come with a fixed set of built-in fields — for example, profile records, events, groups, and contributions. Each module that supports custom fields exposes them in the same place: inside the record's edit pop-up, in a section called Custom Fields.
Warning: Adding, editing, or deleting a custom field changes the record template for everyone in your church immediately on save. There is no separate "publish" step — once clicking Save in the Add Field dialog, the field appears on every record in the module.
Adding a custom field
1. Open the edit pop-up for the record where you want to add the custom field (for example, Contacts > + Add New > Person, or any existing record's edit dialog).
2. Navigate to the tab that contains Custom Fields (for People records this is the Additional tab; other modules vary).
3. Click the + add custom field button.
4. Choose the type of data the field should store from the dropdown on the right.
Tip: See How do I design a form? for examples of each field type.
5. After picking a type, the pop-up expands to let you configure the field.
On the General tab of the configuration:
• Label (required) — the field name shown to users.
• Description (optional) — a brief explanation of what the field is for.
• Placeholder (optional) — the hint text that appears before someone types a value.
• Character Limit (optional) — the maximum number of characters that can be entered.
On the Options tab:
• Is Required? (optional) — when on, the field must be filled in before the record can be saved.
• Is Hidden? (optional) — hides the field from the form view.
• Owner Access (required) — controls how the profile owner can access this field on their own profile. (Access to other people's profiles is managed through role permissions.)
Tip: Additional configuration options appear depending on the desired field type — for example, a list of choices for dropdown fields, or date constraints for date fields.
Editing a custom field
1. Open the edit pop-up for any record in the module and navigate to the Custom Fields section.
2. Click the down arrow next to the custom field's label to open its settings.
3. Update the General or Options settings and Save.
Reordering custom fields
1. Open the edit pop-up for any record in the module and navigate to the Custom Fields section.
2. Click the Reorder button in the top-right of the Custom Fields section.
3. Drag the fields into the desired order. Changes save immediately.
4. Click Save to return to normal mode.
Tip: For People custom fields, move a field to a different section of the profile by clicking the field's label and choosing Reorder.
Deleting a custom field
1. Open the edit pop-up for any record in the module and navigate to the Custom Fields section.
2. Click the down arrow next to the custom field's label and choose the Delete option.
Controlling who can see custom fields
Visibility of custom fields is controlled by the Custom Fields tab on each role's permission set. See Limiting Access to People Custom Fields for the full breakdown.
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