Updated January 6, 2026
Custom fields make Dubsado your system. In addition to the default fields for basic contact and project info (i.e. contact's name, project date, etc.), you can add your own custom fields so that you can capture all the information you need.
Form fields, contact or project fields, and smart fields
The term field is used in a few ways around Dubsado. Here's a quick breakdown:
Form field: An element on a Dubsado form where contacts can type in or select a response. Short answer and date select fields can be mapped to a contact or project field.
Contact or project field: The location within a contact profile or project where information gets stored, for example, the
client first namefield stores the contact's first name. This article covers creating custom contact and project fields.Smart field: A text placeholder that will populate with the information stored in its corresponding contact or project field. Smart fields are used to autofill emails and forms with existing information.
Whatever the contact enters in the form field that's been mapped to a contact or project field can be populated in an email or form using a smart field.
Contact vs project custom fields
When you create a custom field, you will have two options on where the information will be stored — contact profiles or projects.
Custom contact fields
A custom contact field will store information within the contact profile. If a contact has more than one project with you, the same contact information will show in every project, so only store information in a custom contact field that is not project-dependent. For example, birthdays, family details, or children’s names.
Any new contact field will get added to already created contact profiles. You may need to refresh Dubsado to see the custom contact field available in all contact profiles. The custom field may not appear in the project sidebar because only fields with information saved will show in the project sidebar.
Custom project fields
A custom project field will store information within a project. This is perfect for project-specific details because the information will not be tied to the contact, so it can be different from project to project. For example, project budget, wedding colors, or number of guests.
Any new project field will get added to already created projects. You may need to refresh Dubsado to see the custom project field available in all projects. The custom field may not appear in the project sidebar because only fields with information saved will show in the project sidebar.
Create a custom field
To create a custom field:
Go to Settings ➔ Custom fields
Click either the +New Contact field button or the +New Project field button.
Give your custom field a Name.
Select a Type for your custom field:
If the information will be text or numbers, choose short answer.
If the information will be a date, choose date.
Click Create.
Save information in a custom field
After you create a custom field, it will be available on all the contact profiles or projects in your brand. Information can now be saved in the field when a contact submits a form or through manual entry.
Map a field on a form
Mapping a field on a form tells Dubsado where to save the information entered by your contact. When your contact submits the form, the response in that field will automatically be stored in the location where you've mapped it.
For example, let's say you created a custom project field for guest count. You can add a short answer field to a form and map it to your custom project field for guest count. This will save whatever the contact types in that field as the guest count on the project when they submit the form.
When you created your custom-mapped field, you selected which type of field it would be. In order to map a form field to your custom field, you need to add the correct element to your form:
If your custom field type is short answer, use a short answer form field.
If your custom field type is date, use a date select form field.
To learn more about mapping form fields, check out this article.
Manually enter information in a custom field
In some cases, you may prefer to enter information manually. It's quick and easy! Just open the project where you would like to fill in one or more custom fields.
If it's a custom contact field:
Click on the pencil icon in the Contact section of the project details tab or sidebar.
Scroll to the bottom of the contact profile to find the custom fields.
Enter the information and click Save.
⛔ Heads up! You are editing the contact profile, so the information will update across all projects attached to this same contact.
If it's a custom project field:
In the project details tab or sidebar, click on the pencil icon in the Custom fields section under Project info.
Enter the information in the relevant fields and click Save changes.
Only fields with information saved in them will be shown in the project sidebar. If you don't see the new info in the sidebar after saving, refresh Dubsado.
FAQ
Can I use a smart field to autofill information from a custom field in a form or canned email?
Yes! When you create a custom field, a corresponding smart field will be created, too. You'll find the smart field under Contact or Project in the smart field menu, depending on where you choose to create the field.
For more information on using smart fields, check out this article.
Can I create a custom-mapped field for free response, checkbox, or dropdown questions?
No. The only form fields that can be mapped at this time are Short Answer and Date Select.
I created a custom date field. Will the date appear on my calendar?
No. Dates stored in custom fields will not create events on your calendar.
Can I use custom fields to trigger workflows?
No. Custom fields will not trigger automation in a workflow at this time.
Can I create a report by filtering a custom field?
Yes, you can create a CSV file that includes custom fields. To do this, go to the Projects page and click Export. A popup will appear and at the bottom of the popup, you’ll see all custom fields listed.