# Create custom fields for contacts

**Category:** [Contacts](https://help.totalctrl.app/hc/totalctrl/totalctrl-help-center/en-US/categories/contacts-1)
**Updated:** 2026-08-19

## Why custom fields

Custom fields let you capture data that does not fit the standard name/email/phone columns — things like account tier, region, or preferred language. Because values attach to the canonical contact, they apply to a person across every app they appear in.

Managing custom fields requires **administrator** access.
## Create a field

- Open **Custom fields** from the Contacts app.
- Choose **New field**.
- Enter a **name** (required) and an optional description.
- Pick a **field type**: `text`, `number`, `date`, `boolean`, or `select`.
- For a `select` field, enter the dropdown **options**, one per line.
- Optionally mark the field **required** and set a **display order** to control where it appears.
- Save.

## Edit or delete

From the custom fields list you can **edit** any field to rename it, change its type, adjust options, or reorder it. You can also **delete** a field you no longer need. Field creation and deletion are recorded in your tenant's audit log.
## Entering values

Once a field exists, it appears on every contact's unified profile. Open a profile, fill in the values, and save — see [View a unified contact profile](view-a-unified-contact-profile). The display order you set here controls the order fields appear on that page.

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## Related Articles

- [Search and filter your contacts](https://help.totalctrl.app/en-US/articles/search-and-filter-contacts)
- [Contacts overview](https://help.totalctrl.app/en-US/articles/contacts-overview-1)
- [Import contacts from a file](https://help.totalctrl.app/en-US/articles/import-contacts-from-a-file)
- [Contacts Overview](https://help.totalctrl.app/en-US/articles/contacts-overview)
- [View a unified contact profile](https://help.totalctrl.app/en-US/articles/view-a-unified-contact-profile)

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