Custom contact fields

Custom fields are the details you wish every contact record had: license number, shirt size, date of birth, public liability certificate. You define them once, and requests can then write each answer straight onto the right field on the person's record, where you can read it next year without digging through old portals.

Defining a field

Open Fields in the sidebar (open it). Enter a Field name, pick a Type, and click Add field. You can have up to 30 fields in use. The type cannot be changed later, so choose it here.

• Text. A short answer, or tick Allow multiple lines for a longer one.
• Choice. A set list, one option per line, at least two and up to 50, each up to 100 characters. Tick Allow more than one selection to let people pick several.
• Date. A calendar date: date of birth, start date, the day a license took effect.
• Number. A numeric value. It is the only type that adds up: a portal shows a Totals card with the sum across everyone on it.
• Time. A time of day.
• Upload. A document. Tick Require an expiry date and whoever attaches the file has to enter when it runs out, which is what makes a certificate trackable rather than merely filed. WorkZerk also reads the expiry date on each file attached to an upload field and compares it with the date entered. To stop that for a field, tick Don't use AI to check expiry date when you create it, or use the button of the same name on the field afterwards. That covers files you attach on a contact and uploads on every request that saves to the field.

Name fields for what they hold, not the form they came from. "Public liability certificate" stays true for years; "Q4 onboarding" does not.

Each field also has a Description. When a request uses the field and its own description is blank, it shows this one, so you write the instructions once.

Connecting a field to a request

Defining a field collects nothing on its own. On a portal's requests panel:

• Text, Choice, Date, Number or Time. Add a request of the Fields type and pick the field under Custom or linked field. Fields that save to contacts are listed under + Save to contact.
• Upload. Pick the field under Document type, either when you add an Upload request or on an existing one.

From then on, an answer writes through to that person's record. For uploads, the field shows the most recent file you have not rejected, so a renewed certificate becomes the current one while earlier files stay under History.

To connect many existing upload requests at once, use Link requests on the Upload field on the Fields page. See tracking one document across every portal.

Point requests on several portals at the same field and they all keep it current. The contact record stays the single answer.

When you do not want it saved

Tick Don't save answers to the contact profile when you add the field, and each answer stays on its request instead. You can switch an existing field with Stop saving to contacts or Save to contacts on the Fields page. Stopping hides answers already saved from contact records, but keeps them, and they come back if you switch it on again.

Use it for anything true of one intake rather than of the person: which shift they picked, whether they are bringing a vehicle this time. It also lets you reuse a set of choice options across portals without filling everyone's record with answers that stop mattering when the job ends.

The test: would you want to read this next year, about this person, on a different portal? If yes, save it to the contact.

Sensitive fields

A Text, Date, Number or Upload field can be marked sensitive: open it and click Mark as sensitive. Use it for a tax file number, bank details or a passport. Its value is stored encrypted, masked on every contact and in reports, and only admins can view it in full, with every view recorded. Every request that saves to the field is treated as sensitive too. See Keeping sensitive information private.

Filling fields in yourself

Open a contact and their custom fields sit under the standard fields on Details. You can enter a value or attach a document there without waiting for a submission, which is how existing information gets in when you are setting up.

Retiring a field

Archive hides a field from contacts and from request setup but keeps what it captured. Archived fields can be restored from the Archived list. Delete removes a field permanently, and only works when it has no saved values and no request uses it.

Getting help

If something here does not match what you see on screen, email [email protected] and we will take a look.