> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://learn.withessential.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://learn.withessential.com/administration/settings/create-and-manage-custom-fields.md). # Create and manage custom fields Custom fields let you capture extra information on your records — a client ID on a customer, a building number on a property, a contract number on an asset group, or a PO number on a job. Once a field is added, it shows up on those records for your back-office team to fill in. You can also make selected customer, property, and asset group values visible to technicians on mobile visits. > **Where to find it:** Settings → Custom Fields **Before you start:** adding, editing, and deleting custom fields requires the business‑profile setup permission. Anyone who can open Settings can view the list. ## Add a custom field 1. Go to **Settings → Custom Fields** and click **Add custom field**. 2. Give it a **Name** (for example, "Account Number"). 3. Choose what it **Applies to** — Customer, Property, Asset Group, or Job. This can't be changed later, so pick carefully. 4. For Customer, Property, or Asset Group fields, choose **Visibility**: * **Back office only** — only back-office users can see the field. * **Back office + technicians** — technicians can also see it in the mobile visit details. Select **Allow techs to edit** if they should be able to update its value there; otherwise it stays read-only. 5. Choose a **Type**: * **Text** — free‑form text. * **Yes / No** — a simple toggle. * **Choice (dropdown)** — a fixed list of options you define. 6. Set the optional rules below (Required, Unique). 7. Click **Save**. The field now appears on every record of that type. Back-office users continue to see every custom field. On mobile visit details, technician-visible customer and property values appear in their matching sections; asset group values also appear on the asset group card and detail view. An edit icon appears only for fields with **Allow techs to edit** selected. When creating or editing a visit, every non-empty custom-field value for the selected Customer and Property appears automatically in **Additional Context**; there is no separate scheduling setting. Job custom fields remain editable in the form. The field type and what it applies to are fixed once created. To change either, delete the field and create a new one. ## Require a value Turn on **Required** to make the field mandatory — the record can't be saved until someone fills it in. ## Enforce unique values For **Text** fields you can turn on **Unique values** so no two records share the same value (matching is case‑insensitive and ignores leading/trailing spaces). This is useful for identifiers like an account or client ID. Blank values are always allowed to repeat. * If you try to save a record with a value another record already uses, the save is blocked and you're told which record has it. As you type a value that's already taken, a warning appears right away — before you save. * **Allowed duplicate values:** placeholder values like `N/A` often appear on many records, which would otherwise stop you from turning uniqueness on. Add those values to the **Allowed duplicate values** list (under the Unique toggle) and they're allowed to repeat freely, while every other value stays unique. **Turning uniqueness on** only works when the existing data is already unique. If several records share a value, Essential tells you which one and how many records use it. Resolve those duplicates — or add the value to **Allowed duplicate values** — then save. ## Edit or delete a field * **Edit** (pencil icon) — rename, change Visibility, technician edit access or Required/Unique, or edit a choice field's options. Type and what it applies to stay locked. * **Delete** (trash icon) — removes the field and every value stored for it across your records. This can't be undone. ## Related * [Custom fields: your business's extra fields on records](/administration/basics/custom-fields-your-businesss-extra-fields-on-records.md) — what custom fields are and where you fill them in. * [See the Custom fields report](/reporting-and-integrations/reporting/custom-fields-report.md) — the distribution of values for any field, with drill‑down to the records using each value. --- # Agent Instructions This documentation is published with GitBook. GitBook is the documentation platform designed so that both humans and AI agents can read, navigate, and reason over technical content effectively. Learn more at gitbook.com. ## Querying This Documentation If you need additional information that is not directly available in this page, you can query the documentation dynamically by asking a question. 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