Custom fields let you capture and store the information that matters most to your business. Beyond Dubsado's default fields for contact and project details, you can create your own fields to track anything from wedding colors to project budgets.
Form fields, contact or project fields, and smart fields
The word "field" gets used in a few different ways in Dubsado. Here's a quick breakdown before diving in:
Form field: An element on a Dubsado form where contacts can type in or select a response. Only short answer and date select form fields can be mapped to a contact or project field.
Contact or project field: The storage location in a contact profile or project where information is saved. For example, the
contact first namefield stores the contact's first name. This article covers creating custom contact and project fields.Smart field: A text placeholder that autofills with the value stored in its corresponding contact or project field. Smart fields are used in emails and forms to insert saved information automatically.
The three work together: whatever a contact enters in a form field that's been mapped to a contact or project field can then be inserted into emails or other forms using a smart field.
Contact vs. project custom fields
Custom fields come in two scopes. Which one you choose determines where the information is stored and how it behaves across projects.
Custom contact fields
Custom contact fields store information on the contact profile. If a contact has more than one project with you, the same contact field values appear in every project for that contact — so only use contact fields for information that isn't project-specific. Birthdays, family details, and children's names are good examples.
When you create a new contact field, it's added to all existing contact profiles automatically. You may need to refresh to see it. Keep in mind that only fields with saved data display in the project details.
Custom project fields
Custom project fields store information on individual projects. Because the values are tied to the project rather than the contact, they can differ from project to project. This makes them ideal for project-specific details like budgets, wedding colors, or guest counts.
When you create a new project field, it's added to all existing projects automatically. As with contact fields, you may need to refresh to see it, and only fields with saved data display in the project details.
Create a custom field
Custom fields are created and managed in Settings ➔ Custom fields. The page is divided into two sections: Contact fields and Project fields. Each section lists your existing fields in a table and includes a button to add new ones.
To create a custom field:
Navigate to Settings ➔ Custom fields.
Click New client field (in the Contact fields section) or New project field (in the Project fields section).
Enter a name in the Field name field.
Select a field type: Short answer for text or numbers, or Date for dates.
Click Create.
To edit an existing field, click its row in the table. The edit modal lets you rename the field, change its type, or click Delete to remove it entirely.
You can drag and drop fields in the table to reorder them. The order here determines the order they appear in the project details and on forms.
Save information in a custom field
Once you create a custom field, it becomes available across all contact profiles or projects in your workspace. There are two ways to populate it: through form mapping or through manual entry.
Map a field on a form
Mapping a form field tells Dubsado where to store the response when a contact submits the form. When a contact fills out a mapped form field and submits, the value is automatically saved to the corresponding contact or project field.
For example, if you created a custom project field for guest count, you can add a short answer field to a form and map it to that field. When the contact submits the form, their response is saved as the guest count on the project.
The form field type must match the custom field type:
A Short answer custom field requires a short answer form field.
A Date custom field requires a date select form field.
For step-by-step instructions on setting up a mapping, see Map a form field.
Manually enter information in a custom contact field
Open the project for the contact you want to update.
Click the pencil icon on the Contact card in the project details.
Scroll to the bottom of the contact profile to find the custom fields.
Enter the information and click Save.
Editing a contact field updates the contact profile. The change applies across all projects for that contact.
Manually enter information in a custom project field
Open the project you want to update.
In the project details, find the Custom fields section under Project info.
Click the pencil icon next to Custom fields.
Enter your information in the Edit custom project fields modal.
Click Save Changes.
If you don't see your newly entered data in the project details right away, refresh the page. Only fields with saved data display there.
Display custom fields on the Projects page
You can add custom project fields as columns on the main Projects page, making it easy to scan field values across all your projects at once.
Go to the Projects page.
Click the Manage button (gear icon) at the top of the project list.
Under the Custom Fields column, toggle individual custom fields on or off to control which ones appear in your project table.
If no custom fields exist yet, the panel will prompt you to create them in Settings.
FAQ
Can I use a smart field to autofill information from a custom field in an email or form?
Yes. When you create a custom field, a corresponding smart field is automatically created alongside it. You can find it under Contact or Project in the smart field menu, depending on which type of field you created. For more on inserting smart fields into your content, see Personalize form templates with smart fields. You can also refer to the Smart field reference guide for a full list of available smart fields, including custom ones.
Can I create a custom field for free response, checkbox, or dropdown form fields?
No. Only Short answer and Date select form fields can be mapped to custom fields. Other form field types — including checkboxes, dropdowns, and free response fields — cannot be mapped.
I created a custom date field. Will the date appear on my calendar?
No. Dates stored in custom fields do not create events on the Events page.
Can I use custom fields to trigger flows?
No. Custom fields cannot trigger automation in a flow.
Can I export custom field data?
Yes. Go to the Projects page and click the Export CSV button (download icon). The exported file can includes all custom field data for your projects.