Add Custom fields - Online Help | Zoho Campaigns

Manage Fields

This section deals with default Contact fields and the option to add New Contact Fields.
Zoho Campaigns allows you to create additional/custom fields for your contacts to store extra information. With custom fields, you can feed any type of information, set character limits, and use them to save data that is specific to your business needs.
 
In this help guide, we'll walk you through steps to add custom fields, how they can be encrypted, and their possible applications.

How to add custom contact fields?  

To add custom fields, follow the steps below:

  1. Choose Settings from the top right corner of the page.

  2. Select Manage fields under Contacts and Customization.   

  3. Click the Add Contact Field button at the top right corner.

  4. Enter the following data:
    a. Field type indicates the type of data that will be stored in the field.
    b. Field label to identify the field or to provide a name for the field.
    c. Default merge tag value that can be used as a default value if the user leaves the field blank.

  5. Enable the Contains Personal Health Data and Encrypt Fields checkboxes if required

  6. Click Create to finish adding a custom field.

Field types         

You can use different field types to create varying custom fields ranging from text area fields to radio buttons.

Field Type

Other Details

Maximum field length

Text

To enter a simple text input

300

Integer

To enter and validate numeric input

9

Email

To enter a valid email address

100

Phone

To enter a valid phone number

20

Date

Format- MM/DD/ YYYY

18

Date and Time

Format- MM/DD/ YYYY HH:MM

18

Pick List

Specify the pick list values

100

Multiselect Pick list

To choose multiple values

100

Percentage

To enter Percentage values

5

Decimal

To enter numerical decimals

16

Radio Buttons

To choose any one of the predefined set of options.

100

Checkbox

To select an option

NA

Long Integer

To enter numerals with maximum characters

18

URL

To enter a web address

200

Text Area

To enter a text input with maximum characters, e.g. Description field

2000

Multiselect Checkbox

To display multiple checkbox options

100

Anniversary Field

To specify an anniversary date

100

What each Field type can include?       

  1. Text fields include:

    1. Text

    2. Phone

    3. Email

    4. Picklist

    5. Multiselect Picklist

    6. Radio Buttons

    7. URL

    8. Text Area

    9. Multiselect Checkbox

  2. A maximum of 16 integer fields can be created.

  3. A maximum of 11 boolean fields can be created.

  4. A maximum of 33 long integer fields can be created.

  5. Long Integer fields include:

    1. Long Integer

    2. Date

    3. Anniversary

  6. A maximum of 15 double fields can be created.

  7. Double fields include:

    1. Decimal

    2. Percent 

What is the maximum number of fields that can be added in my account?

You can have a maximum of 150 custom fields in your Campaigns account.
A maximum of 75 text fields can be created.

How to edit custom fields?  

To add custom fields, follow the steps below:

  1. Choose Settings from the top right corner of the page.

  2. Select Manage fields under Customization.   

  3. Navigate to the Custom field that you want to edit.  

  4. Click on the three dots in required field and click Edit section from the dropdown.

  5. Update the following data based on your requirement:

    1. Field type indicates the type of data that will be stored in the field.

    2. Field label to identify the field or to provide a name for the field.

    3. Default merge tag value that can be used as a default value if the user leaves the field blank.

  6. Click Update.

Encryption of Custom Fields     

You can protect sensitive and classified user data by encrypting it. Encryption is the process of encoding an information and making it accessible only to authorized people. Encryption converts plain (readable) text into ciphertext (non-readable). Ciphertext can only be read when decrypted by an authorized party.

 

The encryption method used here is called AES (Advanced Encryption Standard), which uses keys to encrypt and decrypt data.

 

Notes
Only custom field data can be encrypted. For instance, when you need to store confidential information like credit card details or backup phone numbers, you can include those fields in the user layout as a custom field. Data encryption is done when a custom field is created or edited.

How to encrypt a custom field?   

  1. Choose Settings from the top right corner of the page.

  2. Select Manage fields under Customization.   

  3. Click on the required field and the Edit Field section will appear.

  4. Click the Encrypt field checkbox if you want to turn on encryption for the custom field.

Personal health data 

Sometimes your fields might contain your contact's health data which might be used to send targeted campaigns for contacts falling under a certain criteria. In order to differentiate such contacts from other contacts, Contains Personal Health Data checkbox is provided for your customization. Checking this option lets you mark fields containing your contacts' health data.

Applications of Custom Fields  

Personalize your email campaigns and autoresponders     

Every custom field you create can be converted into a merge tag to personalize your email content and autoresponder messages.

For example, you can remind a contact to pay their monthly balance using the merge tag related to the custom field that has the due amount. You can also use a custom date field in autoresponders to send reminder emails for upcoming events.

Segmentation of contacts     

Use custom fields as criteria to create segments and filter out contacts for an email campaign. For example, you can focus on contacts in a specific city or region if this data is stored in a custom field.

Notes
NOTE:
Default merge tag value:
A custom contact merge tag is automatically created whenever you add a custom field. You can edit its default merge tag value by updating the corresponding custom field so that it does not return an empty field value.