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121 CRM feature · Custom fields

Shape records around decisions without turning every question into a field.

Capture the business-specific details people actually need, with clear definitions, ownership and sensible limits. The capability is described from official product evidence; its availability, configuration and any usage charges for a particular 121 account still need to be confirmed before reliance.

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Fictional product demonstration

See custom fields in the context of real customer work.

This coded interface uses realistic fictional data to explain the operating pattern; it is not a screenshot of a live customer account.

121

Northstar Joinery

See every customer relationship in context

AR
OverviewContactsConversationsPipelineAutomation

See every customer relationship in context

Move from a searchable contact list into a useful relationship record.

BS

Bramble Studio

Jamie Clarke · jamie@example.test

Needs review

Owner

Amina Rahman

Source

Website form

Stage

Discovery

Commercial state

Not recorded

Preferred contact

Email preferred

Next action

Confirm site-visit scope

Human decision

Amina Rahman confirms fit and records the outcome before the opportunity moves stage.

Illustrative 121 interfaceAll people, organisations, dates and activity are fictional. Any figures are illustrative. Controls demonstrate interaction patterns, not enabled account features.

How it helps

See how the feature supports the work.

Each part has a clear job. It becomes useful when it fits the way customers already move through the business and your team knows when to step in.

Capability 01

Custom fields

Adds structured fields to supported record types so a business can capture information it actually needs.

How it works
Stores or organises supported business data under configured fields, permissions and record rules.
Why use it
Replaces important notes and spreadsheet columns with searchable, reusable data.
Plan for
The platform does not make imported, duplicated or incomplete data accurate without review.
Your team owns
A data owner must define the record model and resolve quality, ownership and access exceptions.
Capability 02

Newer field types

Adds URL, date-and-time, rich-text, user and supported image choices to the current custom-field system.

How it works
Stores or organises supported business data under configured fields, permissions and record rules.
Why use it
Captures richer context without forcing it into a plain text field.
Plan for
The platform does not make imported, duplicated or incomplete data accurate without review.
Your team owns
A data owner must define the record model and resolve quality, ownership and access exceptions.
Capability 03

Contacts

Stores a person or lead with contact details, activity, ownership and related records.

How it works
Stores or organises supported business data under configured fields, permissions and record rules.
Why use it
Gives a team one place to understand who a customer is and what has happened.
Plan for
The platform does not make imported, duplicated or incomplete data accurate without review.
Your team owns
A data owner must define the record model and resolve quality, ownership and access exceptions.
Capability 04

Opportunity custom fields

Stores deal-specific information separately from the contact's general profile.

How it works
Tracks a potential deal, stage, owner or task using configured pipeline and record rules.
Why use it
Lets the same customer have different requirements or values across separate opportunities.
Plan for
Pipeline position is only reliable when users and workflows update it consistently.
Your team owns
A responsible owner must qualify the deal, choose next actions and resolve stale or disputed status.

Use it with purpose

What good custom fields looks like

A fictional commercial cleaner records site type, access window and contract review date as structured fields used by operations. The useful outcome is a record that another person can understand and continue, not simply another automated event.

Capture a defined fact

Use a field when the value has a consistent meaning and supports a real decision.

Choose the right format

Prefer dates, options and numbers where structure will prevent ambiguous free text.

Place it in context

Keep contact facts separate from opportunity-specific or one-off information.

Configuration decisions

Decide the operating rules before switching custom fields on

A credible setup begins with ownership, eligibility and exception decisions. Those choices should be written in plain English and tested with realistic fictional data.

Write a field definition

State what the field means, who completes it and whether historical values matter.

Choose record scope

Decide whether the value belongs to a person, company, opportunity or another object.

Human review point

Plan change control

Review duplicate fields and downstream workflows before renaming or deleting anything.

From configuration to daily use

Keep the rule, the owner and the exception visible

The second view shows how the capability connects to work a person can review and continue.

121 CRM · Workflow sequence

Enquiry received

Capture source and customer

Acknowledgement

Set a clear response expectation

Human review

Check fit, consent and exceptions

Owner assigned

Name the person responsible

Follow-up due

Remind the owner, not the customer blindly

Illustrative exampleA conceptual workflow. Triggers, messages, delays and exceptions need configuration and testing.

Practical example

Follow one example from signal to next action

A fictional commercial cleaner records site type, access window and contract review date as structured fields used by operations. The example shows the role of the CRM while keeping the consequential decision with a person.

Need identified

Operations needs the permitted site-access window.

Field designed

A controlled option list replaces inconsistent notes.

Human judgement

Team uses it

The value appears when a survey is booked.

Owner reviews

Missing or obsolete choices are corrected monthly.

Boundaries and checks

Plan for the limits of custom fields

Product capability is only one part of a dependable process. Data quality, provider configuration, consent, permissions and staff cover still matter.

Data and context

More fields can reduce completion and data quality.

Account and provider setup

Some newer field types may depend on account rollout or configuration.

Keep a person accountable

Human responsibility

A field can store a value but cannot establish that the value is accurate.

Questions about this page

Useful answers, without the sales fog.

1. Is custom fields confirmed as included in every 121 CRM account?

No. The underlying capability is evidenced in official product documentation, but 121 plan entitlement, sub-account configuration, connected providers and usage charges have not been assumed. Confirm the intended setup before relying on it.

2. What should we decide before configuring custom fields?

Start with three decisions: write a field definition, choose record scope, plan change control. Then test ordinary, missing-data and exception cases with fictional records.

3. What is a practical way to measure whether custom fields is helping?

Measure whether the intended customer work becomes visible and owned. For this page, review capture a defined fact, choose the right format, place it in context rather than treating clicks, sends or record counts as proof of business value.

4. Can custom fields be fully automated?

No. A field can store a value but cannot establish that the value is accurate. Automation can coordinate repeatable steps, while people remain responsible for judgement, exceptions, consent and correcting the record.

Read all CRM questions

Continue the journey

Customer managementData import and exportData-quality reviewLead scoring

Delegate the work. Keep the human.

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