Custom fields and field collections

Custom fields add your own data to work items and pages, such as a customer, a cost centre or a severity. You define each field once in a library for the whole instance. To use fields, you group them into a and decide where that collection applies. Who can do this?


Role	System administrator with a second factor set up
Edition	Every installation

How fields reach a work item

A field never applies on its own. It shows up because a collection that contains it applies. The diagram shows the checks a collection passes before its fields appear on a work item.

Where	The collection’s fields appear when
Work items	Work Items is on in Applies To, the collection is assigned to the project, and the work item’s type is linked to the collection or no type is linked at all
Create form of a work item	The same as above, and Show on Create is on
Pages	Pages is on in Applies To, and the Space has activated the collection under Space Settings → Custom Fields

Activating a collection in a Space affects pages only. Work items get their collections from the project or from its project template.

Field types

Pick the type when you create the field. These are the types the Type list offers:

Type	Stores	Options in the field panel
Text	One line of text	Default value
Long text	Several lines of text	Default value
Number	A number	Default value
Date	A date	None
Single choice	One value from a list	Choices
Multiple choice	Several values from a list	Choices
Yes/no	A switch	None
Link	A web address	Default value
E-mail	An email address	Default value
Phone	A phone number	Default value
Amount	A number shown as an amount	Default value. There is no currency setting.
Rating	Five stars	None
Progress	A slider from 0 to 100 %	None
Person	One member	Only people with access to the space, on by default
People	Several members	Only people with access to the space, on by default
Relation	Links to other content	Links to: Pages, Work items, Projects or Pages and work items (default)
Registry object	Links to Registry Objects	Registry Schema, Object Types, Allow multiple selection, Filters
Location	An address	None

For Single choice and Multiple choice, add entries under Choices with Add choice. Each choice has a Label, a Value and one of seven colours. Fields marked System come with Collabase and are locked. You cannot edit or delete them.

Create a field

Open the field library

Open System Settings → Content & Organization → Custom Fields and click New Field.

Describe the field

Fill in the panel from top to bottom:

Setting	Details
Link to a collection (optional)	Adds the field to one collection right away. Pick No collection to keep it in the library only.
Name	The label members see.
Field Translations	The name in English, German, French and Italian. Translate with AI fills them in when an AI provider is configured.
Type	See Field types.
Description (optional)	A hint for whoever fills in the field.
Default value (optional)	Offered for text, number, link, email, phone and amount fields.
Choices	Offered for single and multiple choice fields.

Save

Click Save field. You see Field created. and the field appears in the list with a key such as cf.0001.

The list shows 25 fields per page. Search by name or key, filter by type, or tick Hide locked fields to hide the system fields.

Create a field collection

Open Field Collections

Open System Settings → Content & Organization → Field Collections and click New.

Name the collection

Enter a Name. Display Name is optional and is the heading members see on work items. Click Create.

Decide where it applies

Select the collection, click Edit and set Applies To:

Setting	Details
Pages	The fields appear on pages in Spaces that activate the collection. On for a new collection.
Work Items	The fields appear on work items of projects that use the collection. Off for a new collection.
Show on Create	Shown when Work Items is on. The fields also appear in the create form, below the default fields.

Click Save.

Add fields

While editing, pick a field under Assign existing field…, or click New Field to create one inside the collection.

Limit it to work item types (optional)

Under Work Item Types, pick a type in Link work item type…. Leave the list empty to apply the collection to every type. Links take effect at once, without Save.

Then make the collection available where it is needed:

Projects: in the project’s Settings → Fields, tick the collection and click Save Changes. See Project settings.
Project templates: select the collection under Field Collections in the template. See Project templates.
Pages in a Space: in Space Settings → Custom Fields, switch the collection on.

Ask for fields during a transition

A workflow transition can ask for field values before a work item moves, for example a root cause when a bug is closed. You set this on the transition, not on the field. See Workflows.

Delete fields and collections

Action	Result
Delete on the Custom Fields page	The field leaves the library and every collection. Values on pages are deleted. Values already stored on work items stay in the database but are no longer shown.
Delete on a field inside a collection	The field is removed from this collection only. It stays in the library with its values.
Delete a collection	The collection and its links to Spaces, projects, templates and work item types are removed. The fields and their values stay in the library.

Neither delete checks whether a field or collection is in use. Check the Collections column on the Custom Fields page before you delete a field.

Best practices

Reuse fields across collections. One “Customer” field in several collections keeps reports comparable.
Keep collections small and purposeful. A collection per use case, such as bug details or service request, is easier to attach and to retire.
Link work item types only when the fields make no sense elsewhere. An empty type list is the simplest rule to explain.

Troubleshooting

What you see	Cause	What to do
A field does not appear on a work item	The collection is not assigned to the project, Work Items is off, or the work item’s type is not linked	Check the three conditions in How fields reach a work item
The project’s Fields section is read-only	The project is linked to a project template	Add the collection to the template, or detach the project in General
System fields cannot be modified	The field is a system field	Create your own field instead
No field collections defined yet. in Space settings	No collection exists	Create one under Field Collections

Work item types

The types you link collections to.

Configuration model

How instance, Space and project settings relate.

Install and run

Members and access

Instance settings

Work configuration

AI

Time tracking

Operations

Custom fields and field collections

How fields reach a work item

Field types

Create a field

Create a field collection

Ask for fields during a transition

Delete fields and collections

Best practices

Troubleshooting

Work item types

Configuration model

​How fields reach a work item

​Field types

​Create a field

​Create a field collection

​Ask for fields during a transition

​Delete fields and collections

​Best practices

​Troubleshooting

​Related pages

Work item types

Configuration model

How fields reach a work item

Field types

Create a field

Create a field collection

Ask for fields during a transition

Delete fields and collections

Best practices

Troubleshooting

Related pages