Custom fields help you add more information about your contacts.
How Do Custom Fields Work in Canopy?
Custom fields let you capture and store contact information that isn’t included by default in Canopy.
Why This Matters
Custom fields help firms track important details—such as referral sources or onboarding data—so teams can make better marketing, sales, and service decisions. They’re especially useful when onboarding new clients or analyzing how clients find your firm.
Table of Contents
What Are Custom Fields?
Custom fields allow you to add additional data points to contacts that aren’t already built into Canopy.
Common use cases include:
Referral source tracking
Marketing attribution
Client categorization
Onboarding or intake details
For example, a referral-specific custom field can help you identify where new clients come from and improve client acquisition strategies.
Create a Custom Field
To create a custom field:
Navigate to Settings > Custom Fields.
Click Create Custom Field.
Enter a field name.
Select a field type.
Choose whether the field applies to:
Individuals
Businesses
Both
Click Create.
Custom Field Types
Canopy supports the following custom field types:
Text Input
Single-line, free-form text
Best for alphanumeric data
Date
Select a date from a calendar
Dropdown Select
Choose one option from a predefined list
Example: months of the year
Multi-Select
Choose multiple options from a predefined list
Example: states or jurisdictions
Best Practices for Using Custom Fields
Use Text Input fields for structured data such as routing or account numbers.
Create dedicated fields for referrals, such as Referral Source, to improve reporting and filtering.
Keep field naming consistent so data is easy to understand and maintain over time.
Note: You must have the appropriate permissions to view and edit global custom field settings. If options are unavailable, contact your administrator.
Where Custom Fields Appear
Once created, custom fields appear when you create or edit a contact.
Fields are displayed in the contact window near the bottom.
The input type matches the field configuration (text, date, dropdown, or multi-select).
Custom fields can also be used to:
Filter client lists
Organize contacts
Segment clients by attributes such as referral source
Editing a Custom Field
Custom fields can be edited—but with important limitations.
You can:
Rename a custom field
Change which entity types the field applies to (individuals, businesses)
You cannot:
Change the field type (for example, from text to dropdown)
Important:
If you remove an entity type from a field (for example, removing businesses), all data for that field will be permanently removed from affected contacts. This action cannot be undone.
This same limitation applies to Canopy’s default Source / Referral field, which cannot be modified or unlocked. Creating your own custom referral field provides more flexibility.
Deleting a Custom Field
You can delete a custom field if it’s no longer needed.
Deleting a field removes it and all associated data from every contact.
This action cannot be undone.
Use caution before deleting custom fields, especially those used for reporting or historical tracking.
Summary
Custom fields give your firm flexibility to track the information that matters most—beyond Canopy’s defaults. When set up thoughtfully, they improve onboarding, reporting, and client organization while supporting long-term data accuracy.
Need Help?
Contact Support or ask Penny, our AI Support Bot, for assistance.