Contact Custom Fields

While many default, system-provided fields are available for storing details about your contacts, Custom Fields allow you to store additional information specific to your company and your needs. Details such as customer number, account number, website URL, and even their comments can be stored in fields you create.

• Paminga allows an unlimited number of Custom Fields
• Each field may store up to 1024 characters
• Custom Fields support the following data types: Text, Number, Date, Date/Time

Contact Custom Field Types

Text Fields

The most widely used contact custom field type. This field type is used to collect data that can be used as a description or an identifier and can include both text and numerical field values.

• Region
• ID Numbers
• Paragraph Form Answers

Number Fields

Number contact fields are used to organize any numerical value that can be used to sort contacts. These values will be organized based on less/greater than or equal to values.

• Number of Employees
• Number of Clients

Date Fields

The Date contact custom field helps you organize contact data using specific dates pertaining to each contact.

• Campaign Begin Date
• Expiration Date
• Registration Date

Date & Time Fields

Much like the Date Field, Date, and Time fields will organize and sort your contact’s data using both dates, but also specific times being tracked.

• BETA Code Activation
• Webinar Start
• Campaign Qualification

Lookup Fields

A lookup field has the ability to look at a custom object being used on the contact or account level. This can be used in instances where you need to connect the revenue value from an account to a newly created Revenue Lookup Custom Field. Any changes to the custom object will automatically be reflected within the lookup custom field.

Website Fields

While you do have the option of creating a Text Type custom field for a website, it will not check to ensure the URL is valid. Using a Website Custom Field does require a protocol identifier (http, https) to make sure that the URL being used is accurate, thus ensuring accurate data management.

Why You Should Use a Text Type for Some Numerical Values

Earlier in this article we learned that number fields can be used in conditions that are based on greater than, less than, or equal to logic. But what if you are dealing with an identification number, like a GoToWebinar Registration Number for instance?

When using numbers for identification purposes, you’ll want to choose the Text Custom Field Type. The reason for this lies in conditions that you will be using in future segments and campaigns. You wouldn’t want to use greater than when looking for individuals in a specific zip code, right? Text fields will allow you to work with identifying numbers in the same way you would a first name, address, or job title!

Mapping Your Custom Field

Once you are done creating your contact custom fields, you’ll need to then complete the mapping process. This is done for three distinct reasons:

• Connect Paminga to your CRM so that you can transfer data between the two without inconsistencies occurring
• Direct form answers from either Paminga or your Web Forms back to their corresponding fields in Paminga
• Tell Paminga where to store data that has been uploaded from a CSV file during a contact upload

Field Usage

Over time, a custom field can become woven into many parts of your Paminga account — workflows, segments, emails, forms, landing pages, CTAs, scoring rulesets, CRM field mappings, action sets, and more.

The Where Used column on the Contact Custom Fields table gives you a clear picture of everywhere a field is referenced before you make changes to it or consider removing it.

How It Works

Each row in the custom fields table includes a Where Used icon. Click it to open a dialog that breaks down nearly every usage of that field, organized by category — one accordion per type of usage, each showing the specific items that reference the field and linking directly to them.

For example, if a field is used in a branching workflow, the dialog shows the workflow name, the specific split node and condition names within that workflow, and any action nodes with Set Field Value actions targeting the field. The same level of detail applies to forms (including global actions and conditional actions configured on the form), action sets, alerts, reports, legacy campaigns, scoring rulesets, and CRM mappings.

Token-based usage — where a field’s value is merged into the content of an email, form, landing page, or CTA — is also surfaced, along with persona-based and Liquid script references.

Delete Protection

Paminga prevents you from deleting a custom field that is still in use. If a field has any active references, the Delete action in the Actions column is disabled with a tooltip explaining why. The Where Used dialog shows you exactly what to address before the field can be safely removed.

If a deletion is attempted programmatically (e.g., via the API), the server rejects it and returns a clear error message listing the number of active references.

Limitations

There are a few places where a custom field can be used that do not yet appear in the "Where It's Used" dialog.

• Form Builder: Conditional Navigation in multi-page forms
• Landing Page Builder: Custom Properties

Deleting or Changing Your Custom Fields in Paminga

Deleting your custom fields within Paminga will act the same as if you were to remove a folder from a filing cabinet. You’re removing the place for special data to be stored, thus removing the data that would have been in this custom field.

You are able to make changes to a custom field but there are steps to be taken in order to protect your information. If you’d like to make changes to an actively used custom field, be sure to create the new custom field and transfer this data using a one-time Nurture Campaign.