How to Create Custom Fields

You can create custom fields to track any item or folder-related details in Sortly. This is generally unique information you want to track that doesn’t fit into any of the default fields provided by Sortly.

In this article

Custom Field Limits by Plan Type
Types of Custom Fields
Creating a Custom Field
Editing or Deleting Custom Fields
FAQ

Custom Field Limits by Plan Type

To see the number of custom fields for each plan, please visit https://www.sortly.com/pricing/.

Types of Custom Fields

Sortly users can currently create up to 12 different types of custom fields:

Field type

Details

Small text box (190 character limit)

Alphanumeric (e.g., Customer ID, Product SKU, etc.).

Large text box (4000 character limit)

Alphanumeric (e.g., Status updates, instructions, notes, details). The content within this field is not searchable within the app.

Number field (rounded)

Number without decimals. (eg. Quantity, count, etc.)

Number field (with decimal points)

Number with decimal points (e.g., Price, measurements like volume, area, length, etc.)

Checkbox

To highlight status. It can be selected or deselected. (eg. Damaged, repaired, ordered, sold)

Dropdown

Add up to 250 options in the dropdown list

Date & time selector

Select Date & Time (e.g., Sold Date, Expiry Date, Purchase date, etc.). With this custom field, you can also add date-based reminder alerts. Please take a look at this article for more information on adding these alerts. (only available to Sortly Ultra, Premium & Enterprise users)

Scanner

Add an additional barcode to items within Sortly. You can Scan 1D & 2D Barcodes/QR codes.

Weblink

Add a link to a website. (up to 300 characters)

Phone Number

Add a phone number (This is clickable in the app & the web to perform the call action).

Add an email address to the items.

File Attachment

Attach Word, Excel, or PDF files to your items or folders. (Limit of 3) Please note that this custom field is only available to Sortly Ultra, Premium & Enterprise users.

Creating a Custom Field

Web

1Go to the Settings gear icon and click Custom Fields.
2Click on the Add Custom Field button at the top right of the screen
3Select the field type. You can choose from the Suggested Fields or click Create your own field to see all options.
4Enter the Field Name and other optional details (depending on the field type) and click Save.

Notes:
- Applicable To - Choose if the field should be applied to items, folders, or both. This cannot be changed after the field has been created
- Enter Default Text - Text entered in this field will show on all items/folders for this custom field. Leave blank if you don't want any text to show automatically.
- Enter Placeholder Text - Text entered in this field will show on all items/folders for this custom field. Use this to instruct users what to enter in this field.

Mobile

1Click on the Menu tab, then Settings, then Custom Fields:
2Then tap the plus icon in the bottom right
3Select the field type. You can choose from the Suggested Fields or click Create your own to see all custom field options.
4Enter the Field Name and other optional details (depending on the field type) and click Save.

Notes:
- Applicable To - Choose if the field should be applied to items, folders, or both. This cannot be changed after the field has been created
- Enter Default Text - Text entered in this field will show on all items/folders for this custom field. Leave blank if you don't want any text to show automatically.
- Enter Placeholder Text - Text entered in this field will show on all items/folders for this custom field. Use this to instruct users what to enter in this field.

Your custom field will now show on all items and/or folders, depending on which option you chose upon creation.

Editing or Deleting Custom Fields

Web

There may be times when you want to edit a custom field with updated information or placeholder text. To do this, from the Custom Field page, hover over the custom field you want to edit/delete. From the Actions column, choose either the pencil icon (edit) or the trashcan icon (delete).

Edit and delete icons in the Actions column

When editing, you will only be able to update the following:

Field Name
Default Text
Placeholder Text

You can also choose which three Custom Fields to show in the List View by toggling the button:

In the List View, Custom Fields will show as the first three items on the right. If there are Notes on the item, only the first two custom fields will show:

Mobile

There may be times when you want to edit a custom field with updated information or placeholder text.

1Navigate to Menu>Settings>Custom Fields, click on the three dots next to the field you want to edit, and click Edit:
2When editing, you will only be able to update the following:

To reorder the custom fields, click on the pencil icon at the top right and drag/drop the fields in the order you want:

To Delete a Custom Field, click on the three dots to the right and then Delete:

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I edit the type of custom field?

You will not be able to edit the type of custom field or edit it to include items and/or folders. If you need to add a custom field to an item or folder after creation, you will need to create a new custom field and select items and folders at that time.

I deleted a custom field. How can I get it back?

At this time, once a custom field is deleted, it is not recoverable.

Are there limits on the custom fields?

Each custom field type has its own set of characteristics, limitations, and options.

Here's a detailed breakdown:

Small Text Box fields allow up to 190 characters for the value, default value, field name, and placeholder text.
Large Text Box fields can hold up to 4,000 characters, but the field name and placeholder text are still capped at 190 characters.
Round Number fields support values up to 2,147,483,647
Decimal Number fields allow up to 68,719,476,735.99999, with a 190-character limit for the field name and placeholder text, including units.
Checkbox and Date fields each have a 190-character limit for the field name and placeholder text.
Web Link field supports up to 300 characters for the value.
Phone and Email fields are limited to 190 characters for all entries.
Dropdown and Scanner fields also have a limit of 190 characters for all text entries.
File Attachment field has a 190-character limit for the field name and text.