Custom fields help you add more information about your contacts.
Custom Fields help you add source information about your contacts for marketing, sales, and service processes - this is especially useful as you are onboarding a new client.
For example, a referral-specific custom field can help you track the sources of new clients efficiently, providing insights for targeted marketing or improving customer acquisition strategies.
You can add any custom fields you wish to include information about a contact that’s not already in Canopy.
To get started:
Navigate to Settings > Custom Fields in Canopy.
Click on Create Custom Field.
In this window, you’ll give the field a name and a type.
Field types include:
Text Input: a single line of free-form text.
Date: select a date from a calendar.
Dropdown Select: select an item from a list you create.
Example: Months of the year
Multi-Select: select multiple items from a list you create.
Example: states or jurisdictions
Then you can set the field to be for individuals, businesses, or both. Then hit Create!
Best Practice: We recommend using custom fields to store information such as routing and account numbers. To do so, select Text to enter alphanumeric characters here. Another example: for referrals, you might create a "Referral Source" field to track how your clients found you.
Note: You will need the required permissions to view and edit global custom field settings in Canopy. If options are unavailable, contact your administrator.
Once you’ve created the fields, they appear as interactive options when you create or edit a contact. Those appear in the contact window towards the bottom, where you can add whatever options of input you selected.
Additionally, custom fields like referral sources can be used for organizing and filtering client lists, making it easier to sort and view clients based on how they were referred.
Editing a Custom Field
You might be wondering if you can edit a custom field. The answer is YES.....and no.
You can rename a custom field at any point, but you cannot change or edit the field type. You can also change which entities this field will apply to.
For example, if you had a field that was applied for both individuals and businesses, and you want to change it to individuals, any business clients you have will lose that field and its data from those records. THIS CANNOT BE UNDONE. So be careful!!
This limitation also applies to the default Source/Referral field in Canopy, which cannot be modified or unlocked for customization. Creating a custom referral field can offer greater flexibility in managing your referral data.
You may also delete a custom field, but doing this will remove the field and its data from any contacts with it. As before, this cannot be undone!