Skip to main content

Customize Your Chuff CRM with Custom Fields

Chuff provides standard fields for managing your contacts and companies, like names, emails, and company sizes. However, we understand that every business is unique! Custom Fields allow you to extend your Chuff CRM to perfectly match your specific workflow and track the information that matters most to your business.

Think of custom fields as adding new, personalized data slots to your contact or company profiles. This means you can track anything from a lead's "Funnel Stage" to a company's "Account Tier" or a contact's "Preferred Communication Channel," ensuring Chuff works exactly how you need it to.

How Custom Fields Work (Behind the Scenes)​

While you don't need to be a technical expert to use custom fields, understanding a little about how they work can be helpful.

At its core, your Chuff CRM stores information about people and companies. When you add a custom field, you're essentially telling Chuff: "I want to track this new piece of information for all my [People/Companies], and here's the type of data it will be (e.g., text, number, true/false)."

Chuff then makes sure that whenever you add or update a person or company, any data you enter for your custom fields is valid and stored correctly. If you try to put text into a field that's set up for numbers, Chuff will politely let you know there's an issue!

If you decide to rename a custom field, Chuff is smart enough to update that name everywhere it appears across your existing records. If you delete a custom field, Chuff will also remove that data from all your contacts or companies, keeping your CRM clean and organized.

Key Concepts​

To make the most of custom fields, here are a few important concepts:

  • Data Model: In Chuff, your main "data models" are People (your contacts and leads) and Companies (the organizations they belong to). When you create a custom field, you'll decide whether it applies to People, Companies, or both. For example, "Lead Source" might apply to a Person, while "Industry Vertical" might apply to a Company.
  • Field Name: This is the label for your custom field that you'll see in Chuff. Choose clear and descriptive names like "Sales Stage," "Next Follow-up Date," or "Customer Lifetime Value."
  • Field Type (Data Type): This is crucial! It defines the kind of information your custom field will hold. Setting the correct type ensures data consistency and helps Chuff validate entries. We'll cover the available data types in detail below.
  • Validation: Chuff automatically checks the information you enter into custom fields against the defined field type. This helps prevent errors and ensures your data is reliable. For instance, if you create a "Number of Employees" field and set its type to "Integer," Chuff will ensure only whole numbers are entered.

Usage: How You'll Use Custom Fields​

Custom fields are integrated directly into the Person and Company profiles within Chuff. Here's how you'll interact with them:

  1. Defining Custom Fields:
    • You'll likely find a dedicated section in your Chuff settings or administration area (e.g., "Settings" -> "Custom Fields").
    • Here, you can create new custom fields. For each new field, you'll specify:
      • Its Name (e.g., "Deal Stage").
      • Which Data Model it applies to (e.g., "People" or "Companies").
      • Its Type (e.g., "String" for text, "Boolean" for a yes/no choice).
  2. Entering Data:
    • Once a custom field is defined, it will appear on the relevant Person or Company profile pages.
    • When you create a new person/company or edit an existing one, you'll see your custom fields ready for you to fill in information.
    • For example, if you created a "Preferred Product" custom field for People, you would see a box for "Preferred Product" when editing a person's profile.
  3. Viewing Data:
    • The data entered into custom fields will be visible directly on the Person and Company profile pages.
    • You can use this information to better understand your contacts and companies, inform your outreach, and segment your data.
  4. Updating Custom Fields:
    • You can modify the values of custom fields on individual records just like any other standard field.
    • If you need to change the definition of a custom field (e.g., rename it), you would do this in your Chuff settings. Chuff will automatically update existing records to reflect the new name.
  5. Deleting Custom Fields:
    • If a custom field is no longer needed, you can delete it from your Chuff settings.
    • Important: Deleting a custom field will also remove all the data associated with that field from every Person or Company record. Be sure you no longer need that information before deleting a field.

Data Types for Custom Fields​

Choosing the correct data type for your custom field is essential for ensuring data quality and usability. Chuff supports several common data types:

  • String (Text): For any kind of text-based information. This is ideal for short notes, specific product names, or open-ended responses.
    • Examples: "Lead Source" (e.g., "Website," "Referral"), "Preferred Product," "Last Interaction Summary."
  • Integer (Whole Number): For any numerical data that should be a whole number (no decimals).
    • Examples: "Number of Employees," "Total Purchases," "Years in Business."
  • Float (Decimal Number): For numerical data that can include decimal places.
    • Examples: "Customer Lifetime Value," "Discount Percentage."
  • Boolean (Yes/No or True/False): For fields that have only two possible states. This is often represented as a checkbox.
    • Examples: "Is VIP Customer?", "Opted-in to Newsletter," "Has Trial Account?"
  • List (Multiple Selections): While not explicitly shown in the provided code, the presence of List[str] in standard fields like tags suggests a similar concept might be available for custom fields. This would allow you to select multiple predefined options for a single field.
    • Examples: "Product Interests" (e.g., "CRM," "Marketing Automation," "Analytics"), "Regions Covered."

Limitations​

While custom fields are incredibly flexible, it's good to be aware of a few potential considerations:

  • Data Consistency: It's important to choose the right data type from the start. Changing a custom field's type after it has been used might lead to data loss or inconsistencies if the existing data doesn't fit the new type.
  • Search and Reporting: While you can store data in custom fields, specific advanced search filters or built-in reports might not immediately support every custom field. For complex reporting, you might need to export your data or use Chuff's API.
  • Number of Custom Fields: While Chuff generally allows for "unlimited" custom fields, having an excessive number can sometimes make your profiles look cluttered and harder to manage. Focus on tracking only the most essential information.
  • Automation Integration: Chuff's AI agents are designed to work with your data, including custom fields. When defining agent goals and tools, you can often reference and update custom field values.

Best Practices​

  • Plan Ahead: Before creating custom fields, think about the specific data you need to track and why.
  • Keep Names Clear: Use descriptive names for your custom fields so anyone on your team can easily understand their purpose.
  • Choose the Right Type: Selecting the correct data type ensures data quality and makes it easier to use the information later.
  • Regular Review: Periodically review your custom fields to ensure they are still relevant and being used effectively. Remove any that are no longer necessary.

By leveraging custom fields, you can truly mold Chuff to fit the unique rhythm of your business, ensuring you capture every piece of vital information needed to win more customers.