How to Create Custom Fields in CRM: 5-Step Guide

Every business tracks lead information differently. A real estate company wants to record property preferences and budget. An insurance agency needs policy type and premium due dates. An ed-tech company might capture course interests, parent contact numbers and enrollment status.

But the moment you move to a CRM, you face a common challenge. The default fields don’t match the data your team is used to working with.

If you can’t record what matters, the CRM becomes just another tool, not a system that actually helps your team sell.

That’s why it’s important to create custom fields that reflect the exact details you’ve been tracking in Excel or on calls.

Using the right field types, like text fields, drop-down lists or auto numbers, you can structure your CRM to match your sales process, maintain accuracy and avoid confusion.

In this guide, you’ll learn:

• What are custom fields in CRM and how they work
• Which field types to use for different kinds of data
• How to create custom fields in CRM

What are custom fields in CRM and why they matter?

A custom field is any extra data field you create in your CRM to store information that’s specific to your business.

Most CRMs come with standard fields like name, phone number and email. But those fields only cover the basics. In real-world sales, you need more.

For example:

• A car dealership might want to store preferred vehicle segment or expected delivery date
• A loan agency may need fields like loan amount, disbursal date or credit score
• A B2B SaaS company could track number of users, CRM previously used or integration needs

This kind of data doesn’t fit into any of the existing fields. That’s why you create custom ones.

These fields help you:

• Capture lead data that actually matters to your sales process
• Organise and retrieve information faster during follow-ups
• Use that information to segment leads, trigger automations and improve targeting

Think of each custom field as a mini data bucket. The more clearly you define it, the easier it is for your team to fill in and use correctly.

And the best part? You don’t need coding knowledge or technical skills to create them. Almost every modern CRM lets you set up these fields using simple controls in the account settings.

Types of custom fields in CRM system?

When you create custom fields in your CRM, you’ll usually pick from different data types depending on what kind of information you want to store. Using the right field type keeps your CRM easy to manage and helps with sorting, filtering and automations.

Here are the most commonly used field types and when to use each:

1. Text field

Used for short, custom inputs that don’t need a fixed format.

Examples:

• Customer city
• Referred by
• Vehicle model

Use this when the input is unique or varies from lead to lead.

2. Number field

Used to store numeric values that may need sorting, filters or calculations.

Examples:

• Loan amount
• Number of team members
• Expected order quantity

3. Date field

Stores calendar dates. Useful for timelines and automated reminders.

Examples:

• Renewal date
• Trial end date
• Service scheduled on

4. Drop-down list (Picklist field)

Ideal when there’s a defined list of options to choose from.

Examples:

• Lead source
• Product category
• Qualification status

Helps prevent inconsistent data entries like “Whatsapp,” “WhatsApp,” and “watsapp.”

5. Checkbox / Yes-no field

Used for binary inputs, something either happened or didn’t.

Examples:

• Payment received
• Call done
• Documents collected

6. Auto number

Automatically generates a unique ID for each record.

Examples:

• Lead ID
• Order number
• Support ticket ID

Useful for keeping records unique without manual effort.

Related Read: Top 13 Features to Look for in 2025 (+6 Best Options)

7. Money field

Specifically designed to store amounts with currency format.

Examples:

• Deal value
• Quoted amount
• Advance paid

This is different from a number field; it always treats the value as currency.

8. Website field

Used to store and hyperlink website or URL-based information.

Examples:

• Company website
• LinkedIn profile
• Portfolio link

Helpful when you want team members to access lead-specific URLs with one click.

How to create custom fields in Telecrm

Custom fields are only useful when they’re set up right. In Telecrm, you can create custom fields that match the exact data your team needs, without any coding or technical effort.

Here’s how to create a custom field in just a few minutes:

Step 1: Open the custom fields menu

Go to your Telecrm dashboard. Click +Custom Fields.

This is where you’ll see all your existing fields and where you can add new ones.

Step 2: Identify what information you want to map

Before you start creating fields, take a quick look at your current lead data. What do you track in Excel? What information does your team need during follow-ups?

Examples:

• Customer preferences
• Industry
• Order value
• Policy renewal dates
• Profession

Clarity at this stage helps avoid creating vague or duplicate fields later.

Step 3: Choose the right field type

Click Add Field and choose the correct field type from the list: Text field, drop-down list, date, number, money, website, tags, checkbox or auto number.

Use field types intentionally:

• Picklist field for fixed options
• Date field for lifecycle triggers
• Tags field for flexible segmentation
• Money field when you need to show values with currency

Step 4: Label and configure the field

Give your custom field a clear name like “Website link” or “Industry”.

You can also:

• Write a detailed description about the field
• Set default values
• Limit access for certain users

Avoid vague labels like “Detail 1” or “Info” that don’t tell your team what the field is for.

Step 5: Click save and test it live

Once done, hit Click Save and go to any lead profile to see the new field in action.

Start entering values and check:

• Does the field appear in the right place?
• Is the format intuitive for your team?
• Can you use it in filters, lead views or automations?

Best practices for using custom fields

Creating custom fields is easy. Keeping them useful, clean and scalable over time, that’s the real challenge.

Here are some practical dos and don’ts to help you avoid clutter and confusion:

1. Do: Create only what you need

Start by mapping the data fields you actually use.
Avoid the urge to create fields for “just in case” scenarios, it only slows your team down.

Tip: If a field isn’t actively used in follow-ups, filters or reporting, it probably doesn’t need to exist.

2. Don’t: Duplicate existing fields

Before you create a custom field, check your list of existing fields.
Many teams accidentally create two fields for the same purpose, like “Follow-up date” and “Next call.”

Stick to one field per data point to avoid confusion.

3. Do: Use consistent naming conventions

Keep field names clear, action-oriented and self-explanatory.

Examples:

• ✅ “Policy renewal date”
• ❌ “PRD” or “Detail 3”

Use full words, avoid abbreviations and make sure your team understands each label at a glance.

4. Don’t: Let unused fields pile up

Over time, your CRM might collect custom fields that are no longer relevant.

Review them regularly. If something hasn’t been used in months, consider deleting custom fields that no longer add value.

Just be careful, deleting a field also deletes the data inside it.

Related Read: CRM Lead Generation Isn’t What You Think It Is

Using custom fields for automation and reporting

Once you’ve created the right custom fields, they become the backbone of all your CRM workflows, whether it’s lead segmentation, WhatsApp automation or tracking sales performance.

Here’s how to put them to work:

1. Segment your leads using picklists and tags

Let’s say you have a picklist field for “Lead Source” and a tags field for customer interests.

You can now:

• Send different welcome messages based on source
• Auto-assign leads to different team members
• Run targeted follow-up campaigns by interest

Custom fields help you slice your data exactly the way your sales process needs.

2. Trigger automations based on data values

Custom fields don’t just store information; they can drive actions.

For example:

• If Purchase history > ₹50,000 → Trigger a premium upsell flow
• If the Website field contains “.edu” → Send education-specific messages
• If Follow-up date = today → Auto-create a task or WhatsApp reminder

It’s not just about capturing data, but acting on it.

3. Personalise every message

A WhatsApp campaign that says:

“Hi Arjun, your insurance policy ending on 23rd Aug is eligible for renewal.”

…is 10x more likely to get a response than a generic blast.

And it’s only possible if your custom fields like “Customer name,” “Policy date,” and “Purchase history” are clean and consistently filled.

4. Make better decisions with custom reports

Want to know:

• Which product categories are selling best?
• Which salespeople handle high-value accounts?
• What’s the renewal conversion rate for customers who bought in Q1?

You need structured data for that. When you create custom fields properly and keep them clean, your reporting dashboard becomes a goldmine of business insights.

Conclusion

When you’re moving your sales process to a CRM, the last thing you want is to lose track of the information that actually matters to your business.

Custom fields ensure that it doesn’t happen. Whether you want to store GST numbers, delivery dates, budget range or customer preferences, you can capture exactly what you need, in the format you need.

And with Telecrm, it’s easy.

You get complete flexibility to:

• Create custom fields in seconds from your dashboard
• Choose from multiple data types: text field, dropdown list, auto number, tags, website and even money
• Use those fields for automation, follow-ups and reporting
• Update or delete custom fields anytime from your account settings

Your CRM should work the way your business works. With Telecrm, it does.

👉 Try Telecrm now and build a CRM that’s truly yours.