š Note: The screenshots and settings shown in this article may not match what you see in your own platform, as Rosterfy is highly customisable. If you need guidance specific to your setup, please contact our support team.
Custom fields allow you to capture and organise the exact data your organisation needs across Rosterfy. To structure your fields effectively, it helps to understand two core settings:
Objects: Determine where a field lives (e.g., User, Event, or Shift) and where it can be collected. To pick the right setting for your data, see Choosing the Right Object For a Custom Field article for more information.
Field Categories: Control how fields are visually grouped into dedicated tabs on system records and organized into clear sections on public forms. To set these up, see the Create and Update a Custom Field Category article for more information.
IN THIS ARTICLE:
Where Custom Fields Can Be Created From
Custom Fields can be created in three different areas of the platform:
Settings > Custom Fields: Creating fields here gives you access to full field configurations and advanced privacy settings. Every field created here counts toward your 50-field limit.
Directly Within a Form: Adding a new custom field while building or editing a form attaches it to your account's master database. Fields created directly on forms also count toward your 50-field limit.
Within an established custom field category: Create a new custom field directly inside this category. The new field will be automatically assigned to this category's tab on records and forms.
Volunteers > User Checks: Custom Fields created within User Checks have simplified configuration options and do not count toward your 50-field limit.
š”Tip: See the Create and Update a Custom Field article for more information.
Available Custom Field Types
š”Tip: The field type cannot be changed after the field is created.
Rosterfy provides a wide selection of field formats to ensure you capture clean, accurate data suited to your needs:
Field Type | What It's Used For |
Text (Single Line) | Provides a standard single-line text box capped at 150 characters for short answers.
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Text (Mutliple Line) | Provides an expanded text box capped at 400 characters for detailed responses or notes.
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True/False (Checkbox) | Displays a single checkbox, ideal for agreement confirmations, yes/no questions, or triggering conditional form logic.
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Number | Accepts numerical digits only. Do not use this field for phone numbers or postcodes that may require special characters like +, -, or spaces.
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Options (Select one) | Displays a list of customisable choices where users can select only one answer.
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Options (Select multiple) | Displays a list of customisable choices where users can select more than one answer.
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Documents (PDF/URL) | To upload PDF documents only.
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File (Image) | Restricts uploads exclusively to image formats, including .jpg, .jpeg, .png, .bmp, and .gif. File sizes are capped at 12 MB in the Volunteer Portal and 100 MB in the Admin Portal.
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File (Document or Image) | Accepts uploaded documents or images, including .jpg, .png, .bmp, and .pdf files. File sizes are capped at 12 MB in the Volunteer Portal and 100 MB in the Admin Portal.
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Date | Provides a standard date picker calendar for selecting specific dates.
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Date/Time | Combines a date selector with a time input box and an interactive pop-up calendar for easy navigation.
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Country | Displays a complete dropdown list of global countries, eliminating the need to manually build or manage country lists.
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Accepts text input and validates that it matches standard email formatting. eg. ([email protected]).
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Phone | Captures phone numbers alongside a country dropdown, automatically validating that the number format matches the chosen country standard.
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Text (Encrypted) | Only visible in a secure admin session and can only be reported, not searched or filtered.
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Address | Captures complete location details with separate inputs for Street Address, City, State/Region, and Postal Code.
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File (E-signature) | Allows the user to enter a digital signature.
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File (Encrypted) | Used to collect sensitive files (documents or images). An encrypted file is only visible to an administrator via a password.
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Where Custom Fields Are Used
Custom Fields connect to almost every module in Rosterfy to help display, organise, and process data seamlessly.
When building forms, Custom Fields pair with standard system fields to create registration, application, and survey forms. Captured field answers can then be viewed as report columns or used as search filters to analyse your data. Automations can trigger actions based on specific field answers, and communication templates can insert those answers directly into emails or SMS messages using mail merge tags.
Custom Fields also streamline administrative workflows across the platform. They match data columns during file imports and exports, allow quick filtering across Volunteer and Shift listings, and sync with external systems like CRMs (Salesforce, HubSpot) or Single Sign-On (SSO) providers. Additionally, field answers can guide Volunteers along User Journeys, restrict data access through custom admin permissions, index key details for the top search bar, and track badges or custom data required for external payroll calculations.
Where Custom Fields and Categories Appear
Your choice of Object determines which record a field belongs to, while the Field Category determines how it is organi\sed visually within that record.
Categorised Fields: Assigning a field to a category automatically creates a dedicated navigation tab on the corresponding record (e.g., User Profile, Event details, or Application). Selecting that tab displays only the fields within that specific category.
Uncategorised Fields: Any custom field left without a category defaults to the primary Custom Fields tab on the record.
On Public Forms: Categories group related fields into clear visual sections or multi-step pages, making forms cleaner and easier for volunteers to complete.
Managing the Custom Field Limit
Every Rosterfy account starts with a default limit of 50 custom fields. Creating a new field counts against this limit. It is important to understand how form templates interact with your database so you don't accidentally create duplicate fields:
Pre-Filled Fields: Some form templates (like User Profiles or Shift forms) open with optional pre-filled questions automatically. Always check what is already on a form before creating a new custom field for the same topic.
Suggested Fields: When setting up a form, Rosterfy may offer an opt-in checklist of "Suggested Fields" (e.g., T-Shirt Size or Emergency Contact). Ticking a suggested field automatically generates a brand-new custom field in your database, which uses up one of your 50 available field slots. If that field already exists in your account, ticking the suggestion creates an unnecessary duplicate.
š”Tip: Always search your existing Custom Fields list before creating a new field or ticking a suggested field checklist when setting up a form.
System Limits and Best Practises
Field Creation Allocation: Accounts start with a standard allocation of 50 Custom Fields across the platform. If your organization expands, administrators can request to increase this limit up to 150 or more.
Form Usability & Data Quality: Whenever possible, use dropdown selection lists instead of open text boxes. Dropdowns ensure clean data entry, simpler filtering, and accurate reporting across your platform.
Search Performance: Reserve the "Quick Searchable" field setting only for critical lookup fields such as unique ID numbers or badges, to keep global search results fast and responsive.