How to Use Custom Fields

Modified on: Thu, 16 Apr, 2026 at 6:41 AM

This article will show you how to create and use custom fields to collect and organize lead data in your HighLevel account. Custom fields let you tailor forms, workflows, and CRM records to match your unique business needs, like qualifying real estate buyers vs. sellers or tracking preferred contact methods.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

What are Custom Fields?
Key Benefits of Custom Fields
Contact vs. Opportunity Custom Fields
Organizing Custom Fields with Folders
How to Set Up Custom Fields
Frequently Asked Questions
Related Articles

What are Custom Fields?

Custom fields let you store additional information about contacts or opportunities beyond the default fields (like name, phone, email). You can use them in forms, surveys, automation workflows, and pipelines to collect and reference key data specific to your business.

Key Benefits of Custom Fields

Custom fields give you flexibility in data collection, segmentation, and automation:

Collect custom data: Capture business-specific info like lead type, budget range, or preferred contact method.
Use across tools: Deploy custom fields in forms, surveys, workflows, and pipelines for full coverage.
Personalize automations: Merge field values into texts, emails, or internal notifications for tailored messaging.
Segment contacts easily: Create Smart Lists or filter workflows based on custom field data.
Stay organized: Group related fields under folders to keep contact and opportunity records tidy.
Display critical info: Show key custom field values directly on opportunity cards or in notifications.

Contact vs. Opportunity Custom Fields

Choosing the right type of custom field is essential for keeping your data organized and functional. In HighLevel, you can create two types of custom fields: Contact custom fields and Opportunity custom fields. While they may seem similar, they serve different purposes and are used in different parts of the platform.

Contact custom fields are attached to the individual person. Use them to store personal details like lead type (e.g., buyer or seller), birthday, preferred contact method, or referral source. These fields appear in the contact record and can be used in forms, surveys, contact workflows, Smart Lists, and message personalization using merge fields.

Opportunity custom fields are linked to a specific deal or sales opportunity. Use them to capture deal-specific information such as budget range, urgency, timeline to close, or property type. These fields appear only within the opportunity record and are used in pipeline views, opportunity workflows, and deal-level reporting or automation.

Note: Once a field is created as either a contact or opportunity field, it cannot be switched.

Organizing Custom Fields with Folders

Organizing your fields keeps your data tidy and easier to use inside records.

Folders appear as sections in the record layout.
You can use folders to group related custom fields.
To create a folder:

Go to Settings > Custom Fields.
Use the object selector at the top of the page to choose the object you want to manage.
Open the Folders tab.
Click Create folder.
Enter the folder name.
Click Create.

After you create a folder, you can assign custom fields to it for better organization.

How to Set Up Custom Fields

Follow these steps to create and organize custom fields in your sub-account:

Step 1: Navigate to Settings → Custom Fields

In your sub-account, click Settings, then click Custom Fields.

Step 2: Select the object

Use the object selector at the top of the page to choose the object you want to manage.

Step 3: Open the Fields tab

Stay on the Fields tab to view existing fields and create new ones.

Step 3: Click Create Field

Click Create field on the top right of the page.

Step 5: Select a field type

Choose the field type you want to create.

Step 6: Fill in the field details

Enter the field details, including the field name and folder if needed.

Step 7: Review the Live preview

Use the Live preview panel to confirm how the field will appear.

Step 8: Create the field

Click Create custom field to save the field.

Use the Custom Fields page

The Custom Fields page includes an updated layout that helps you manage fields more efficiently.

Use the object selector at the top of the page to switch between supported objects.
Use the Fields tab to view and manage custom fields.
Use the Folders tab to create and manage folders.
Sort the table by column to find fields faster.
Use the icons in the field list to identify special field states.

Confirm the exact meaning of each field icon before publishing this article update.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I convert a contact field into an opportunity field (or vice versa)?
No. You must recreate the field under the correct object type. Field objects cannot be changed after creation.

Q: What types of fields can I create?
You can create Short Text, Long Text, Drop downs, Date Pickers, Phone, Email, Radio Selects, Checkbox Groups, URLs, and more.

Q: Why don’t my fields show in a form or workflow?
Ensure the object type matches the use case. Only Contact fields appear in forms and contact workflows.

Q: How many options can the Dropdown (multiple) custom field have?

The Dropdown (multiple) field can have a lot of options (50+) so there is no practical limit.