Note

1. Custom fields are specific to the department in which they are created.
2. You can rename custom fields, but you cannot change the field type. For instance, if you create a Single Line field, you cannot change it to an Integer field.
3. The maximum number of custom fields you can create in each module varies based on your edition of Zoho Desk. There is a maximum limit for each type of field you create.

Permission Required
Users with the Support Administrator permission profile can access this feature.
Check Feature Availability and Limits

Field limits

1. In your Zoho Desk account, go to Setup (   ).
2. Under Customization , select Layouts and Fields .
3. Click Fields List under the Layouts and Fields sub-menu.
4. Select a module from the Module dropdown list at the top of the page.
   All the fields that belong to the selected module are listed in alphabetical order.
5. Click Create or Edit Fields .
   Make sure to select the correct department and layout before creating a field.
6. Drag and drop fields from the list of fields types.
   The Add Field form slides out to fill in the field properties
   
7. Enter the following details
   
1. Label : The name of the field.
   
2. Length : The maximum character length for the field value.
   
3. Mark as required : Toggle on to make the field mandatory.
   
4. Show   Tooltip : Toggle on to enable a tooltip for the field. When enabled, you can provide instructions or tips for filling in the field (such as the required date format). Choose to display your tooltip in the form of an info icon or as static text .
   
5. Mark as ePHI : Toggle on to mark the field as one that contains customer or patient health information. The ePHI label will be added beside the field on the agent's interface and in the Help Center.
   Note : When you mark a field as ePHI, the Encrypt Field option is automatically enabled. We recommend keeping it enabled, but you have the option to turn it off manually.
6. End user's access to field in the Help Center: Choose from one of the following:
   
1. Editable for End Users : Users can fill in the field value.
   
2. Read-Only for End User s: Users can view the field but cannot edit its value.
   
3. Hide from Help Cente r: The field will be hidden from users in the Help Center. If you used the multi-branding feature to create separate help centers for different departments, your decision to hide or display a field in the Help Center will apply to all departments where the field is in use.
   
7. Click Add to include the field in your layout.
   
8. Click Save to save the layout.
   

Note

1. Layouts for the Contacts, Accounts, and Products modules are organization-wide and are not specific to a department. This means that you cannot create a unique field for these layouts.
   
2. A field can be marked as required only when Read and Write permissions are provided to all profiles with access to the field. You can set permission under Setup > Layouts and Fields > Field Permissions .
   
3. Once a field is created, you cannot change its data type. For example, an Integer field cannot be changed into a Currency field.
   
4. You can adjust the character length for Currency, Text, Number (Integer), Decimal, Phone, and URL field types.
   
5. A tooltip can only be displayed when a user hovers over the Info icon for the following field types: Picklist, Multi-Select Picklist, Checkbox, Date, and Date/Time.
   
6. See below for field-specific requirements:
   
1. Single line : Max 255 characters.
   
2. Integer : Max 9 characters.
   
3. Decimal : Max 16 characters. Must specify the number of decimal places.
   
4. Currency : Max 16 characters. Must specify the rounding option, number of decimal places, and rounding precision.
   
5. Date : Format is YYYY/MM/DD, and the date format changes according to each user's time zone settings.
   
6. Date/Time : Format is YYYY/MM/DD HH:MM, and the date format changes according to each user's time zone settings.
   
7. Multi-line: Max 5,000 characters.
   
7. You can edit custom fields that were added in Zoho Desk. To edit, hover your mouse pointer over the field you wish to edit, click    (the Gear icon), and select Edit Properties .

Deleting custom fields

1. In your Zoho Desk account, go to  Setup  (  ).
2. Under Customization , select Layouts and Fields .
   
3. Click Fields List under the Layouts and Fields sub-menu.
   
4. Select a module from the Module dropdown list at the top of the page.
   All the fields that belong to the selected module are listed in alphabetical order.
5. Click Create or Edit Fields .
   Make sure to select the correct department and layout before creating a field.
6. Hover your mouse pointer over the field you wish to edit, click   (the Gear icon), and select Remove Field .
   Alternatively, you can drag and drop the field into the Unused Fields section on the right side of your screen.
7. Click Save Layout .

1. From the Edit Layout page, go to the Unused Fields section.
   
2. Click the Delete icon corresponding to the field you want to delete.
   
3. In the pop-up that appears, confirm the deletion by clicking Yes. Delete Now.
   If the same field is used in other layouts, you will by notified in the pop-up. You must remove the field from all layouts before permanently deleting it.

Note

1. To restore a field in the Unused Fields section, drag and drop it into the section where you'd like it to appear. Note that restoring a field from the Unused Fields section restores its associated data as well.
   
2. Fields in the Unused Fields section are still part of the database and will count against your custom field limit.
   
3. When Picklist fields are moved to the Unused Fields section, the dependency relationships created for them will also be removed.
   
4. Standard default Desk fields can be moved to the Unused Fields section, but cannot be deleted permanently.
   
5. You cannot delete an unused field from a department if it is being used in other departments.

Rounding options for Currency fields

Adding picklist values

Adding values in bulk

1. From predefined choices : Zoho Desk provides predefined values for days of the week, months of the year, continents, and countries. You can select from these values and they will be auto-populated as your picklist options.
   
2. Manual entry : You can manually enter your picklist values. Simply click Add Values and your entries will be auto-populated as picklist options. If you enter duplicate values, they will be automatically removed.
   
3. Import from CSV : You can import picklist values from a .CSV file. You can either drag and drop the file, or upload it from your computer.

Adding nested picklist values

Notes

1. You can add up to 500 picklist options.
   
2. You can add up to five nested picklist fields per layout.
   
3. Nested picklist fields are only available in the Professional and Enterprise editions of Zoho Desk.

A mobile phone retailer wants its customers to select their preferred location for store pickup. With a nested picklist, it can obtain the customer's country, state or province, and city through a single option.

A company wants to know how its employees commute to the office, so it can optimize its parking system.

Notes

1. The levels of a nested picklist are separated by double colons (::). For example: Category :: subcategory :: next subcategory. Let's call this the "actual format."
   
2. The picklist field will be auto-filled with a default value, which is generally the first option on the form. However, you can click on the Set as Default link next to any value to make it the default.
   
3. Picklist fields are not department-specific. This means that a picklist field you create in Department A will also be added in the Unused Fields list of Department B. However, the values in a picklist field are department-specific.
   
4. When you add/rename/delete the value(s), they will not be automatically updated in records where they have already been used. You'll need to select each record and update the picklist field manually.
   
5. Whenever you need to use a picklist value in a criteria (For example, in a search criteria), be sure to enter the value in the "actual format." For example, to create a custom view of tickets from customers located in Los Angeles, you would enter the value as follows:
   

Adding nested picklist values in bulk

You have the option to add nested picklist values in bulk. You can choose from a list of predefined choices or enter choices manually. You can also choose to import them. When the Nested Picklist toggle option is enabled, click the Add Values in Bulk link to access the following options:

1. Click From Predefined Choices.
   
2. Select a predefined choice set from under Import Predefined Choices.
   
3. Select all, or the specific options you'd like to add, and click Add Values.
   Your selections will be listed as options.
4. Proceed to nest values as usual, using double colons. Finish by clicking Add.

1. Click Manual Entry.
   
2. From the Editor, enter your nested picklist values with double colon separation, one below the other, and click Add Values.
   
3. Finish by clicking Add.

1. Click Import from CSV.
   
2. Ensure the values in the file have double colons separating the nested levels and are listed one below the other. Drag and drop the file into the Import from CSV section.
   
3. Finish by clicking Add.
   

Replacing picklist values

Note

1. Replacing picklist values is different from renaming picklist values. When you replace the value(s), the change will be automatically reflected in the records where they have been used. You don't need to individually select the records and update the picklist field.
   
2. Replacing an existing picklist value will update the modified date and time of the affected records.

1. In your Zoho Desk account, go to  Setup  (   ).
2. Under Customization , select Layouts and Fields .
   
3. Click Fields List under the Layouts and Fields sub-menu.
4. Select a module from the Module dropdown list at the top of the page.
   All the fields that belong to the selected module are listed in alphabetical order.
5. Click Create or Edit Fields.
   Make sure to select the correct department and layout before creating a field.
6. Hover your mouse pointer over the field you wish to edit, click    (the Gear icon), and select Replace Values.
   
7. In the Replace Values window, do the following:
   
1. In the Change Value From field, select an existing value to be replaced.
   
2. In the Change Value To field, select the new value (to replace the existing value).
   
8. Click Replace.
   
9. Click Save Layout.
   You will receive an email when Zoho Desk finishes replacing the values in your existing records.

Adding fields to other departments

Note that the field will be added to the corresponding section of the selected departments. If the section is unavailable, the field will be added to the very first section of the form layout.

1. Click the Gear icon ( ) corresponding to a field on the Edit Layout page.
   
2. Click the Add to other Departments option from the Settings menu.
   A panel will open on the right side of the interface. From the panel, you can choose departments.
   
3. Choose the departments for which the field should be added.
   
4. Click Save.