Define and manage custom member fields

This guide shows you how to add your own fields to member records, edit their settings, and delete them when they’re no longer needed.

Who can do this: Admins whose role includes the field-create permission can add fields; the field-edit permission is needed to change one. The Add field button is absent if your role doesn’t include the field-create permission. Without the field-edit permission, each field shows View instead of Edit: you can open it and read every setting, but there’s no Save changes button and nothing you do changes the field. You see, and can work with, only the fields in categories your admin roles include.

Before you start

Think about which field type fits your data — a short text field works for a brief code or identifier, a choice field works for a fixed list of options, and a number field works for values you might sort or filter on.
Decide who should see the field. Admin-only fields are hidden from members and from other members in the directory.
Decide which admins should see the field. Every field has a field category. Fields in General are visible to every admin; a field in any other category is visible only to admins whose role includes that category. See How custom fields and field visibility work.

Steps

Add a custom field

In the left sidebar, select Settings, then select Member fields.
Select Add field.
In the form that opens, enter a Label — this is the name members and admins see on the record.
Select a Type from the list: Text, Number, Date, Single choice, Multiple choice, Checkbox, URL, Phone, Email, or Textarea.
Choose a Category. Leave it as General if every admin should see the field. Choose another category, such as Finance, to show the field only to admins whose role includes that category. A note confirms who will see it: “Only admins whose role includes the ‘Finance’ category will see this field.” The list offers only the categories your own role includes.
- If your role includes every category (for example, Org Owner), you can also type a name in New category to create a category of your own. While that box has text, the name you typed is used instead of the list. Category names must match exactly, including capitalization.
Turn on Sensitive if admins should see this field’s values hidden until they reveal them (revealing needs the Reveal sensitive field values permission and is recorded in the audit log). A sensitive field is never shown in a directory and can’t be added to an application form.
Select Save. The new field appears on all member records.

The add-field form has no options list, minimum/maximum, Required setting, or member-access settings (whether members can edit the field, see it in the directory, or fill it in at signup); those aren’t available yet.

Edit an existing field

In Settings → Member fields, find the field you want to change.
Select Edit on the field’s row.
Update any settings you need and select Save changes. You can move a field only into a category your own role includes, so you can’t hide a field from yourself by mistake. Turning Sensitive on or off takes effect immediately and doesn’t change any stored value.

Note: Renaming a field never changes its type or any stored values — the new label appears everywhere the field is shown. If you rename a field and change its type in the same save, the rename is saved first and the type change follows on its own.

Change a field’s type or maximum length

Existing answers are converted when a field’s type changes. Some changes keep every value; others would cut text short or clear values that don’t fit the new type, and those need your confirmation first.

In Settings → Member fields, select Edit on the field’s row.
Choose the new Type. For text and long text fields you can also set a Max length (1 to 10,000 characters; leave it empty to allow up to 10,000).
Read the warning that appears, then select Save changes.
What happens next depends on the change:
- Every value fits the new type (for example single choice → multiple choice, or short text → long text): the change is applied straight away. You’ll see “Converting existing values” with a progress bar while the stored answers are updated in the background. You can close the dialog — the conversion keeps going.
- Some values would be lost (for example long text → short text with a lower limit, or text → number): you’ll first see “Checking existing values”, then a confirmation that tells you how many records are affected — for example “12 records have values longer than the new limit — review and truncate before narrowing” — and lists up to five of them. Even a change that affects no records needs this confirmation if the new type is narrower.
To go ahead with a change that loses data, type the field’s name in Type the field name to confirm and select Confirm change. The button stays unavailable until the name matches (capitalization doesn’t matter). Select Cancel to leave the field unchanged.

Warning: A confirmed change that truncates or clears values can’t be undone. If you’d rather keep the data, select Cancel, fix the listed records first, then try again.

Undo a type change

A change that kept every value can be reverted for 48 hours after its conversion finishes.

In Settings → Member fields, select Edit on the field’s row.
In the notice that says when the change can be undone until, select Revert (the button names the previous type, for example Revert to Single choice).
If the revert would lose values someone edited since the change, you’ll be asked to confirm it the same way as above.

Delete a field

Warning: Deleting a field removes it from all member records. Restoring a deleted field isn’t available: the field list has no Recently deleted section or Restore control, so treat a delete as permanent.

In Settings → Member fields, find the field you want to delete.
Select Delete field on the field’s row.
Confirm the deletion in the dialog that appears.

Reorder fields

In Settings → Member fields, find the Reorder field handle (⠿) at the right end of the field row, next to Edit.
Move focus to the handle (Tab) and press Space to pick the row up, use the Up and Down arrow keys to move it, then press Space again to drop it. Dragging the row with the mouse isn’t available. The order here controls the order fields appear on member records and import/export templates.

Verify

You’ll know a new field was created when it appears in the field list, with its category in the Category column, and shows up on member records under the label you entered.

You’ll know a type change went through when the field’s row shows the new type. While stored answers are still being converted the row shows Updating values; while a change is waiting for your confirmation it shows Type change pending.

If something goes wrong

“A field with this name already exists” — choose a different label. To check the existing definition, find the field in the list and select Edit (or View).
“Changing the type or length can affect existing values” — a reminder before you save. Changes that keep every value can be reverted for 48 hours; changes that lose data ask you to confirm first.
“N records have values longer than the new limit — review and truncate before narrowing” — the new limit is shorter than some stored answers. Shorten those records first (the confirmation lists up to five), or confirm to truncate them.
The confirmation shows “name hidden” instead of a member’s name — your role can’t view member records, so the names are withheld. The counts are still accurate.
“The number of affected records changed since this was checked” — someone edited a record while you were reviewing. Check the updated numbers and confirm again.
“The name you typed does not match the field name” — type the field’s current name exactly as shown above the box (capitalization doesn’t matter). Another admin may have just renamed it.
“This field’s values are still being converted to its new type” — an earlier type change is still running. Wait for it to finish, then try again. Large organizations can take several minutes.
“The last type change wasn’t confirmed within 24 hours, so nothing was changed” or “…couldn’t be checked, so nothing was changed” — nothing was applied. Make the change again.
“Remove from forms first” — a field that’s used in a membership-level signup form can’t be deleted until you remove it from those forms. The error message names which levels are using it.
“You can only use a category your own role includes.” — you chose a category your admin roles don’t include. Choose one from the list, or ask an admin whose role includes it to tag the field.
“A directory already shows this field key. Remove it from the directory first, or ask an administrator who can see every field category to create the field.” — you tried to create a member field whose key a directory is already showing (often left behind by a deleted field). Remove that key from the directory’s settings first or choose a different key; an admin whose role includes every category can also create it.
The category you need isn’t in the list — only an admin whose role includes every category (such as an Org Owner) can create a new category. Ask them to create it, or to add it to your role.
A field you expect isn’t in the field list — it’s in a category your admin roles don’t include, so it’s hidden from you. An admin who can see it can change its category, or an Org Owner can add the category to your role.
“Could not save this field” — a connection problem occurred. Your entries are still in the form. Select Save again.