Custom Objects

What custom objects are

Custom objects let you define entirely new record types, with the fields and views you specify — for data that does not fit any built-in module. Records are then created and managed like any other list in the platform.

Defining an object type

1. Go to Settings → Custom Objects and click New Custom Object.
2. Set the singular and plural labels. These are what appear throughout the interface, so get them right first time.
3. Add the fields: name, type, and whether each is required.
4. Save.

Working with records

Open the object from the menu to see its records. New Record creates one using the fields you defined, and the search box filters the list.

Custom objects or custom fields?

• Use custom fields when you are adding data to an existing record — an extra field on a company or a ticket.
• Use a custom object when the thing is a record in its own right, with its own list and lifecycle.

Adding twelve custom fields to companies to describe something that is really its own entity is a sign you want an object.

Changing a definition

Adding fields is safe. Removing a field removes the data held in it across every record of that type, and that cannot be undone — export first if there is any doubt.

Tip: Model the object on paper before creating it. Renaming a label is easy; restructuring records after people have entered hundreds of them is not.