Click here to learn more about access privileges for Custom Fields, Layouts and Fields.

Feature Availability

1. Feature Availability: Latest Enterprise Plan
   
2. Click   in the upper-right corner of the top navigation band and select Customization > Layouts and Fields > Phasaes to create custom fields and layouts for phases. If you are an admin but are unable to access the above path, write to support@zohoprojects.com

What is a Layout?

Standard Layout

1. Every portal will have a default layout to start with. We call it a Standard Layout.
   
2. The standard layout has one default section and default fields.
   
3. The fields - Status, Start Date, End date, Flag, Tags and Owner are the default fields.
   
4. The default fields can neither be edited nor deleted. They can only be reordered.
   
5. When a user tries to create a new layout for the first time, they can clone it from the standard layout initially. After cloning, they will be able to add new sections and fields to their new layout.

Create a Layout

1. Click   in the upper-right corner of the top navigation band.
2. Navigate to Customization > Layouts and Fields > Phases.
   
3. Click Create Layout in the upper-right corner.
   
4. Select a base layout that you want to build (clone) your new layout on. If there aren't any created layouts, the system will only list the default layout in the drop-down.
   
5. Enter a Layout Name.
   
6. Click Create.

1. A layout cannot be deleted or reordered. However, it can be edited as many times as necessary.
   
2. Only the Premium and Enterprise users will be able to create and edit layouts, however the users in all plans (Free, Premium, and Enterprise) will be able to access the Layouts section and edit the Standard Layout.
   
3. To view the list of layouts available in a portal, navigate to     > Customization > Layouts and Fields > Phases > Phase Layouts.
4. You can also edit a layout's name by directly editing its name in the layout editor screen.

Associate Layout with a Project

1. Click   in the upper-right corner of the top navigation band.
2. Navigate to Customization > Layouts and Fields > Phases.
   
3. Click the plus icon to the right of the selected layout.
   
4. Select one or more projects from the drop-down to associate. You can also associate project templates with a layout.
   
1. When a project is switched from Layout A to Layout B, the fields in A will not be available in the project after the layout change but the data stored in those fields will not be lost.
   
1. Associating a project with a layout will overwrite its current layout mapping, if any.
   
5. Confirm your action.
   
6. Click Associate.
   
   

1. To view the list of associated projects of any layout, navigate to    > Customization > Layouts and Fields > Phases > Phase Layouts.
   
2. The associated project names will be displayed below every layout.
   
3. A layout can be associated with a project while creating or editing the project.

View Layout

1. Click   in the upper-right corner of the top navigation band.
2. Navigate to Customization > Layouts and Fields > Phases.
   
3. Click the Layouts section to view the list of phase layouts that have been created already.
   
1. The layouts that are listed can either be deleted or reordered.
   
1. You can associate a layout with any project or project template that matches your business requirements.

Delete Layout

1. Click   in the upper-right corner of the top navigation band.
2. Navigate to Customization > Layouts and Fields > Phases.
   
3. Click the Layouts section.
   
4. Hover over a layout that you would like to delete and click   .
   
5. Confirm your action.
   
   

Private Layouts

Enabling the Make private layouts as a default for all the new projects option will automatically create a private copy of the layout with the project title as the layout name.

Make an Existing Layout as Private

This option is only available for layouts with only one project linked with them.

1. Hover over a layout from the list view.
   
2. Click Make as Private Layout.
   
   
3. Private layouts can be viewed at the end of the list after refreshing the page.
   

Convert a Private Layout to Public

1. Hover over a layout from the list view.
   
2. Navigate to the private layouts at the end of the list.
   
3. Click + next to the layout.
   
4. Click Convert to Public on the confirmation message.
   
5. Select a project and then click Next.
   The layout is now public and can be accessed by all project users.

What is a Section?

Create or Edit a Section

1. Click   in the upper-right corner of the top navigation band.
2. Navigate to Customization > Layouts and Fields > Phases.
   
3. Click a layout to add a section.
   
4. Drag and drop the Add New Section component from the left tray to the layout editor (main panel). Initially the sections will be named "Untitled Section", "Untitled Section 1", "Untitled Section 2" and so on as you keep adding new sections in the layout editor.
   
5. Hover over the section name and edit it.
   
1. You can also add new or existing custom fields to your section.
   
6. Click Save Layout.
   

A section cannot be empty in a layout.

Delete a Section

1. Click   in the upper-right corner of the top navigation band.
2. Navigate to Customization > Layouts and Fields > Phases.
   
3. Click a layout to add a section.
   
4. Hover over the section and click the trash icon   .
   
1. The   icon will be visible only when all the custom fields inside the section are removed. We recommend you to remove the custom fields first and then delete the section.
   
5. Confirm your action.
   

What is a Field?

1. Except Status, default fields can neither be edited nor deleted. They can only be reordered.
   
2. The Status field can be modified but cannot be deleted. It can also be reordered.

Difference Between a New Field and an Available Field

Manage Default Fields

1. A default field can neither be modified nor removed from a layout. It can only be reordered.
   
2. Though Status is a default field, it can be customized but cannot be removed from the layout.
   
3. Users in all plans (Free, Premium, and Enterprise) will be able to reorder the default fields.

Create a Custom Field

1. Click   in the upper-right corner of the top navigation band.
2. Navigate to Customization > Layouts and Fields > Phases.
   
3. Click a layout to add a custom field.
   
4. Drag and drop a field type from the New Fields tray into the layout editor (main panel).
   
5. Click Add to Layout to include the field in the layout. When you Cancel, the field is never stored anywhere.
   
6. Click Save Layout.

1. Only Enterprise users can create custom fields.
   
2. Custom fields can be edited in Enterprise plan only.
   
3. When a custom field is renamed, the new name will be reflected in all the associated layouts. However, its other properties may vary between two different layouts.

Edit Custom Fields

1. Click   in the upper-right corner of the top navigation band.
2. Select Customization > Layouts and Fields > Phases.
   
3. Open the specific layout editor and hover over the custom field you would like to edit.
   
4. Click    to make changes to the custom field.

Remove Custom Field from a Layout

1. Click   in the upper-right corner of the top navigation band.
2. Select Customization > Layouts and Fields > Phases.
   
3. Open the specific layout editor and hover over the custom field you would like to delete.
   
4. Click the cross icon   .
5. Confirm your action.

1. Removing a field from a layout will not permanently delete it from the database.
   
2. The field will be moved to the Available Fields tray and can be reused anytime later from this tray.
   
3. The data stored in the field will not be lost. However, deleting a field from the portal will do so.

Manage Available Fields

1. Click   in the upper-right corner of the top navigation band.
2. Navigate to Customization > Layouts and Fields > Phases.
   
3. Click a layout to add an available custom field.
   
4. Click the Available Fields tray.
   
5. Drag and drop a field into the layout editor (main panel).
   
1. If you have to search for an available field, type the field's name in the search bar present inside the tray.
   
6. Edit the properties of the field as necessary.
   
1. When you edit a field's name, the new name will be reflected in all the associated layouts across projects in the portal.
   
2. Changes made to properties except the field name will remain intact and apply to the specific layout only.
   
7. Click Add to Layout.
   
8. Click Save Layout.

View Number of Remaining Fields

1. Click   in the upper-right corner of the top navigation band.
2. Navigate to Customization > Layouts and Fields > Phases.
   
3. Click a layout for which you would like to view the split-up of the used-up fields count and the number of fields left under every field type.
   
4. Click the Remaining Fields link in the left panel below the Add Section component.
   
1. You can get the count of how many fields under each category have been created already and how many are in hand.

Delete Custom Field From a Portal

1. Click   in the upper-right corner of the top navigation band.
2. Select Customization > Layouts and Fields > Phases > Fields.
   
3. Hover over the field you would like to delete.
   
4. Click the trash icon  .
1. Deleting a custom field will affect the associated phases.
   
2. The data stored in the field will be lost.
   
5. Confirm your action.

Deleting a field from a portal will permanently delete it from the database.

Create or Edit Custom Phase Status

1. Click   in the upper-right corner of the top navigation band.
2. Select Customization > Layouts and Fields > Phases.
   
3. Open the specific layout editor and hover over the Status field in the phase Information section.
   
4. Click the Customize link with a gear icon at the top of the field.
   
5. Click the +Add Status link to create a new phase status.
   
1. Open and Closed are the two default status types and they cannot be deleted.
   
2. The new status that you create will fall under either of the above two status types.
   
6. Give a status name.
   
1. Click or to the left of the status name to assign a color. Pick any color from the palette that matches the status name and type.
   
7. Click Apply Changes.