---
title: "Custom Fields"
slug: "custom-fields"
updated: 2025-04-16T06:55:49Z
published: 2025-04-16T06:55:49Z
canonical: "help.planful.com/custom-fields"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://help.planful.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Custom Fields

## Overview

The Custom Fields feature in Planful for Marketing helps you to define and manage custom data fields at three levels: Campaign, Expense Group, and Expense. It is designed to address your organization's need for enhanced data capture capabilities beyond the standard fields provided by Planful for Marketing.

For example, you might want to track specific campaign details, unique expense categories, or other custom data points important for your reporting or analysis. You can create, update, or delete custom fields applicable to campaigns, expense groups, or individual expenses across all budgets at the company level, enabling you to tailor data values to suit your specific requirements.

### Key Features of Custom Fields

- **Enhanced Data Capture**: Enables you to capture and manage specific data points that are not included in the standard fields provided by Planful for Marketing.
- **Customizable at Multiple Levels**: Allows you to customize data capture at the campaign, expense group, and expense levels.
- **Improved User Experience**: Enhances user experience by providing more tailored data filtering capabilities.

### Prerequisites

- Only admins can access custom fields.
- Custom fields are available at the company level. When a custom field is created, it applies to all budgets in the account.
- A maximum of 4 custom fields can be created for each campaign, expense group, and expense object. If this limit is reached, selecting that object will be disabled.

### Create a Custom Field

1. Go to **Settings > Custom Fields**.  
![1(161)](https://cdn.document360.io/0921f66c-db36-4ecd-9931-7ca61d3c3bd6/Images/Documentation/1(161).png)
2. Click **Create New**. ![2(141)](https://cdn.document360.io/0921f66c-db36-4ecd-9931-7ca61d3c3bd6/Images/Documentation/2(141).png)
3. The **Field Name** field will automatically populate with **New Custom Field**.  
![3(128)](https://cdn.document360.io/0921f66c-db36-4ecd-9931-7ca61d3c3bd6/Images/Documentation/3(128).png)
4. Modify the custom field name as needed.Note:

  - Custom field names can be alphanumeric and up to **20** characters.
  - Special characters like  ~ ` ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) _ - + = { } [ ] | ; : < > . ? / can be used.
5. Select the **Type** of **Custom** **Field**:
  1. **Single-select Dropdown**
  2. **Multi-select Dropdown****![4(101)](https://cdn.document360.io/0921f66c-db36-4ecd-9931-7ca61d3c3bd6/Images/Documentation/4(101).png)**
6. Select the areas where this **Custom****Field** should apply:
  1. **Campaigns**
  2. **Expense Groups**
  3. **Expenses****![5(84)](https://cdn.document360.io/0921f66c-db36-4ecd-9931-7ca61d3c3bd6/Images/Documentation/5(84).png)**
7. Optionally, enter a **Field Description**.  
![6(69)](https://cdn.document360.io/0921f66c-db36-4ecd-9931-7ca61d3c3bd6/Images/Documentation/6(69).png)Notes:

  - The description field supports **120** characters.
  - This description will appear as a tooltip wherever the custom field is used.
8. Toggle **Required** if custom field must be filled out.Note:If the **Required** toggle is activated, the field will be mandatory wherever it is used, including automated import.
9. Add **Dropdown** **Values** by clicking **+New Value**.  
![7(60)](https://cdn.document360.io/0921f66c-db36-4ecd-9931-7ca61d3c3bd6/Images/Documentation/7(60).png)Notes:

  - You can add up to **40** dropdown values.
  - Special characters like  ~ ` ! @ # $ % ^ & * ( ) _ - + = { } [ ] | ; : < > . ? / can be used.
10. Click **Publish**.  
![21(8)](https://cdn.document360.io/0921f66c-db36-4ecd-9931-7ca61d3c3bd6/Images/Documentation/21(8).png)
11. Optionally, save this custom field as a draft by clicking **Save as Draft**.  
![22(9)](https://cdn.document360.io/0921f66c-db36-4ecd-9931-7ca61d3c3bd6/Images/Documentation/22(9).png)

### Update a Custom Field

1. Go to **S****ettings > Custom Fields**.  
![1(161)](https://cdn.document360.io/0921f66c-db36-4ecd-9931-7ca61d3c3bd6/Images/Documentation/1(161).png)
2. Select the existing custom field that you want to update.
3. Edit the **Field Name** as needed.
4. If the custom field was a **Single-select Dropdown**, you can switch it to a **Multi-select Dropdown**.Note:You cannot switch from **Multi-select Dropdown** to **Single-select Dropdown**.
5. Select the areas where this **Custom Field** should apply:
  1. **Campaigns**
  2. **Expense Groups**
  3. **Expenses**Note:When updating a custom field, you must select at least one component from the campaign, expense group, or expense.
6. Update the **Field Description** if necessary.  
![10(32)](https://cdn.document360.io/0921f66c-db36-4ecd-9931-7ca61d3c3bd6/Images/Documentation/10(32).png)
7. Toggle **Required** if this field must be filled out and add more values if needed.
8. Add **Dropdown Values** by clicking **+New Value**.  
![11(26)](https://cdn.document360.io/0921f66c-db36-4ecd-9931-7ca61d3c3bd6/Images/Documentation/11(26).png)Note:When updating a custom field, you must select one dropdown value.
9. Click **Update**.  
![12(23)](https://cdn.document360.io/0921f66c-db36-4ecd-9931-7ca61d3c3bd6/Images/Documentation/12(23).png)  
Note:Clicking **Cancel** will discard any changes and revert the custom field to its previous state.

### Deleting a Custom Field

1. Navigate to **Settings > Custom Field**.  
![1(161)](https://cdn.document360.io/0921f66c-db36-4ecd-9931-7ca61d3c3bd6/Images/Documentation/1(161).png)
2. Select the custom field you want to delete.
3. Click the ellipsis and select **Delete**.  
![13(17)](https://cdn.document360.io/0921f66c-db36-4ecd-9931-7ca61d3c3bd6/Images/Documentation/13(17).png)
4. Confirm the deletion when prompted to remove the custom field from the system.  
![14(14)](https://cdn.document360.io/0921f66c-db36-4ecd-9931-7ca61d3c3bd6/Images/Documentation/14(14).png)Notes:

  - Deleting a used custom value replaces it with the **Default** value, specified when creating the custom field.
  - The **Default** value (if marked as mandatory)is automatically assigned to campaigns, expense groups, and expenses via third-party integration.

### Using Filter for Custom Field

1. Go to **Manage > Expenses/Campaigns/Expense Groups**.  
![24(11)](https://cdn.document360.io/0921f66c-db36-4ecd-9931-7ca61d3c3bd6/Images/Documentation/24(11).png)
2. Click **Filters** on the top bar.  
![27(7)](https://cdn.document360.io/0921f66c-db36-4ecd-9931-7ca61d3c3bd6/Images/Documentation/27(7).png)
3. Select the required filter criteria from the **Custom Attributes**.  
![25(11)](https://cdn.document360.io/0921f66c-db36-4ecd-9931-7ca61d3c3bd6/Images/Documentation/25(11).png)  
Note:When you select a custom attributes filter other than the system filter, the system filter section will be disabled.
4. Click **Apply**.  
![26(10)](https://cdn.document360.io/0921f66c-db36-4ecd-9931-7ca61d3c3bd6/Images/Documentation/26(10).png)  
The filter will display campaigns, expense groups, and expenses based on the selected custom attribute values.

## Custom Field - Campaign/Expense Group/Expense Import

Users can import Campaigns, Expenses, and Expense Groups from a .xlsx file, with the system managing custom field values as follows:

- When importing new Campaigns, Expenses, or Expense Groups with required custom field values, the system creates these groups with the provided values. If mandatory custom fields are missing, default values are assigned automatically.
- For new or unrecognized custom field values, the system uses default values for mandatory fields and leaves optional fields blank. Existing custom field values remain unchanged if updated with blank or unrecognized values.
- If a user attempts to set two values in a custom field designated as a single select, it will be treated as an unrecognized value and reset to the default. For multi-value custom fields, any values that do not match the available options in the application will also be considered unrecognized.
- If a custom field column is deleted before import, the process fails displaying an error message. Only unique custom field values are processed; duplicates are ignored.

For more information on the import functionality, click [here](/planful-for-marketing/docs/import-data).

## Custom Field - Budget Export (XLSX)

Users can export budgets in XLSX format, including custom field data. When exporting budgets from the Export/Import Data page, custom field columns will be organized on the sheet as follows:

- Campaign Tab: Custom field columns must be positioned after the GL Code column.
- Expense Group Tab: Custom field columns should be placed after the PO Number column.
- Expense Tab: Custom field columns need to be inserted after the Invoice column.

Ensure that custom field column names in the file match the names used in the system. Mandatory custom fields should be highlighted in purple, while optional custom fields should be highlighted in blue to differentiate them. For more information on the export functionality, click [here](/planful-for-marketing/docs/export-data#budget).

Note:The obfuscated budget will display the same columns as the actual budget without any changes.

### View Custom Fields on Campaign, Expense Group, and Expense Page

1. Navigate to **Manage > Campaign/Expense Group/Expense**.  
![15(12)](https://cdn.document360.io/0921f66c-db36-4ecd-9931-7ca61d3c3bd6/Images/Documentation/15(12).png)
2. Open the respective drawer to view the custom fields.  
Custom fields will be displayed in the drawer, showing captured data.  
![16(11)](https://cdn.document360.io/0921f66c-db36-4ecd-9931-7ca61d3c3bd6/Images/Documentation/16(11).png)

### Updating Custom Field Values

Custom field functionality allows you to easily update values across sub campaigns, expense groups, and expenses that share the same custom fields. Parent values are automatically inherited, enabling seamless adjustment of child values as needed.

You can also manually update parent values and select whether to inherit or ignore changes for child objects when they have different values, ensuring flexibility and control in data management.

**In Practice: Moving One Campaign to Another**

1. Navigate to **Manage > Campaign/Expense Group/Expense**.  
![15(12)](https://cdn.document360.io/0921f66c-db36-4ecd-9931-7ca61d3c3bd6/Images/Documentation/15(12).png)
2. Open the **Allocation** tab on the **Expense Group** drawer.  
![17(14)](https://cdn.document360.io/0921f66c-db36-4ecd-9931-7ca61d3c3bd6/Images/Documentation/17(14).png)
3. Click the **Add Expense** icon and fill in the required details.  
![18(11)](https://cdn.document360.io/0921f66c-db36-4ecd-9931-7ca61d3c3bd6/Images/Documentation/18(11).png)
4. Click **Save & Close**.  
![20(10)](https://cdn.document360.io/0921f66c-db36-4ecd-9931-7ca61d3c3bd6/Images/Documentation/20(10).png)