> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.zarms.cloud/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Add your own fields with custom fields

> Add the fields your company needs, such as customer name or project type, to cards and boards. How to create a field, choose a type, set required fields and defaults, and deactivate or delete fields you no longer use.

When the built-in fields on cards and boards (status, assignees, deadlines, priority, and so on) aren't enough, add your own with **custom fields**. For example, create fields such as "Customer name", "Project type", or "Quoted amount" to match how your team works.

Who can do this: Owners and Managers

## Create a field

**1. Open custom fields**

Open **Settings** (the gear) in the right nav, choose **Team settings**, and open the **Custom
fields** tab of the admin console.

**2. Choose where to add it**

In the **Fields on Cards** or **Fields on Boards** section, click **Add field**.

**3. Set the label and type**

Enter the name shown in the app in **Label**, an English name in **Key**, and choose a **Type**.

**4. Add it**

Set options, a default, help text, and whether it's required if you need them, then click
**Add**.

The **Key** is the name that the API and AI agents use to refer to the field. It starts with a lowercase letter, followed by letters and digits (for example `clientName`). Once a field holds even one value, you can't change its key or type, so decide them carefully up front.

## Choose a type

| Type | Good for |
| - | - |
| Free text | Customer names, case numbers, and so on. Up to 2,000 characters |
| Number | Quoted amounts, quantities, and so on. Decimals are allowed |
| Date | Delivery dates, contract dates, and so on. No time of day |
| Single select | Project type and other fields with one fixed choice |
| Multi select | Target products and other fields with several fixed choices |
| Checkbox | Yes/no fields such as "Invoiced" |
| Member | One person in the team, such as the sales rep |

For select types, write one **option** per line. If you write `value=label`, such as `high=High`, the app shows the label. Values can't contain commas.

If you're unsure, use a select type for anything that can be a fixed list. It makes filtering and totals easier later. With free text, people write the same thing in different ways, and the values don't line up.

## Required fields and defaults

* **Required**: People must fill in the field when they create a new card and when they edit and save custom fields. On existing cards, they can still save other changes with the field left empty.
* **Default**: The value used when nothing is entered. For multi select, separate the values with commas.
* **Help text**: Shown below the input. Add it to fields where people might not know what to enter, so the values stay consistent.

## Where your fields appear

* **Card details**: At the bottom of the left side ([Find your way around the card details](https://help.zarms.cloud/en/cards/detail.md)).
* **Board settings**: Board fields appear in the board settings ([Change board settings](https://help.zarms.cloud/en/boards/settings.md)).
* **Filters**: You can filter cards by card fields ([Filter and bulk edit](https://help.zarms.cloud/en/boards/filter-and-bulk-edit.md)).
* **Spreadsheets**: The import template includes a column for each field ([Import and export with spreadsheets](https://help.zarms.cloud/en/boards/spreadsheets.md)).

Use the arrows in the list to change the order of the fields. Cards and boards show them in the same order.

## Clean up fields you no longer use

Click **Deactivate** on a field's row to hide its input. Values already entered stay and appear as read-only. To use the field again, click **Activate**.

**Deleting** a field also removes every value stored in it on cards and boards. You can't undo this. If you've only stopped using a field, deactivating it is safer than deleting it.

## Troubleshooting

* **You can't change the key or type**: The field already holds values. To change them, delete the field and create it again. The stored values are deleted too.
* **A key is rejected**: If you see that the key "is reserved and cannot be used", ZARMS already uses that name. Choose a different key.
* **There's no Custom fields tab**: Only Owners and Managers can open the admin console. Ask an admin to add the field.


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