Customizing Contact Fields

Fields in contacts can be customized to improve usability and ensure they align with your sales process. While you cannot change their field type after creation, you can modify aspects such as visibility, mandatory status, dynamic behavior, and field order at any time. In addition, system fields cannot be deleted.

Field visibility

When creating a contact, the form displays only the fields included in the create form in the fields setup. After you save the contact, the details page displays all the fields, including those hidden during creation, so you can review or update them later. To include the fields in the create form,

1. Go to Setup > Modules and Fields > Contacts from the left sidebar.
2. Under Form settings, click Edit.
3. Check Show in create form checkbox.
4. Save your changes.

Alternatively, you can check the Show in create form option in the field details page which you can access by clicking the field name in the field listing page.

The Create form settings apply only to the detailed create form. They do not affect the quick create form, which appears as a pop-up and is configured by default for faster record creation and cannot be customized.

Required fields

By default, Last name field is required. To make other fields mandatory,

1. Go to Setup > Modules and Fields > Contacts from the left sidebar.
2. Under Form settings, click Edit.
3. Check Show in create form and Make this field required.
4. Save your changes.

Alternatively, you can check the Make this field required option in the field detail page which you can access by clicking the field name in the field listing page. Note that Show in create form must be checked before that.

Field order

In the create form and in the details page of the contact, fields appear in the order you set using the Reorder fields option on the fields listing page’s toolbar.

Field name

The label shown to users wherever this field is used. It can be edited to make it clear and descriptive.

API name

This name is used to reference the field in the API and other integrations. It cannot be changed after field creation.

Field type

The data type (e.g., Single-line text, Multi-line text) of the field. This determines how the field behaves and what data it can store. It cannot be changed after field creation.

Description

To provide a brief explanation or context for this field. This helps users understand the purpose or importance of the field. This description can either be shown below the label or as a tooltip based on whether Display description as tooltip option is checked or not.

Unique value

A unique field ensures that each value entered is distinct across all contact records, preventing duplicates and maintaining data accuracy.

The Unique value option is enabled by default for Email addresses field, ensuring that every email address entered is distinct across all records.

It is also available for the Phone numbers field.

To make it unique:

• Check the box next to the Unique value option.
• This setting ensures data integrity by preventing duplicate phone numbers from being saved in the system and displays an error if you attempt to create a new contact with an existing phone number.

Instructions

To provide specific directions or format requirements to guide users in entering information correctly and avoiding errors. This will be displayed below the input field. Example: “Enter the date in DD/MM/YYYY format.”

Placeholder text

To provide a short hint about what to enter. This text appears inside the field until the user starts typing. Example: “Enter contact name.”

Options

Provides the list of options users can select from when entering data in the field. These options are applicable only for fields with selective field types, such as Single-select dropdown, Radio button, and Checkbox list fields.

Field display and editing configurations

• Show in create form - Check this option to display the field when creating a contact record.
• Make this field required - Check this option to make the field mandatory when creating a contact record.
• Conditional logic - Allows you to set rules that determine the behavior of this field based on values from other fields. Configure conditions to dynamically display this field as optional or mandatory in the create form or during inline editing on the details page, adapting to the editing requirements. To learn more, visit: Understanding conditional logic in fields
• Controlling field (Field dependency) - Allows you to add a master field that controls the behavior of this field, turning it into a dependent field. This dependency allows for configuring the dependent field’s state (visible, required when visible) or the automatic population of values based on the controlling field’s inputs. To learn more, visit: Understanding controlling fields
• Make this field non-editable on the details page - Prevents users from editing the field after creation. (This can be done from the field’s details page alone and not from the listing page)

If a field is included in the create form, you cannot add a controlling field or apply conditional logic to it. Similarly, if a field is already dependent on a controlling field or displayed based on conditional logic, it cannot be directly included in the create form.