Custom field types: text, dropdown, date, and more

When you add a custom field to a list, the Field Type setting decides what it looks like and how the agent interacts with it. Picking the right type keeps your data clean and your agents fast. Every type is a flavor of Custom field, attached to each Lead in the list. For the full picture, read the lists and leads guide.

The everyday types

• TEXT is a single-line box. AREA is the multi-line version for longer notes. Both need a Field Size and Field Max.
• SELECT is a single-choice dropdown. MULTI lets the agent pick several at once. Both need Field Options.
• RADIO offers buttons where only one can be chosen. CHECKBOX allows many. Both use Field Options and Option Position.
• DATE gives a calendar popup and TIME a time picker. Neither needs extra settings.

Display-only and hidden types

Some types are for showing, not editing. DISPLAY shows a value the agent cannot change, and it can echo a standard VICIdial field. READONLY is similar but its label must match a default field exactly. SCRIPT is a display field that runs script variables just like the Scripts feature. HIDDEN never shows on screen yet still accepts imported data and is reachable from the script tab and the Web form address. HIDEBLOB is the same idea but stored as binary, which suits data that needs securing.

flowchart TD
  A[Field Type] --> B[Editable]
  A --> C[Display only]
  A --> D[Special]
  B --> B1[TEXT / AREA]
  B --> B2[SELECT / MULTI / RADIO / CHECKBOX]
  B --> B3[DATE / TIME]
  C --> C1[DISPLAY / READONLY / SCRIPT]
  D --> D1[HIDDEN / HIDEBLOB]
  D --> D2[SWITCH / SOURCESELECT / BUTTON]

The clever ones

A few types do more than store a value. SWITCH lets the agent flip the record's custom fields over to another list and reloads the form with that list's fields, which is handy when one call can belong to more than one campaign. SOURCESELECT is a dropdown whose options change based on the value of another source field, so choosing a province can reshape the month menu beside it without the agent doing anything extra. BUTTON commits form changes and reloads the panel when you set its options to SubmitRefresh and its size to 1. These three turn a flat form into something closer to a small app, where one choice shapes the next and the agent is gently steered down the right path.

Field Required can force an agent to fill a field before hanging up, and it works on TEXT, AREA, DATE, SELECT, MULTI, RADIO, and CHECKBOX. With the matching campaign option enabled, the agent simply cannot complete the call until that answer is in, which is how you make sure a key question never gets skipped. The DATE and TIME types accept a number for their default, meaning that many days or minutes plus or minus from now, which is handy for default callback windows. Set a DATE default to 7 and the calendar opens a week out, ready for the agent to confirm or adjust. Spending a little thought on type, size, and required flags up front is what separates a form agents fight with from one they barely notice.

The right mix of types makes the agent screen feel built for your script. VICIfast gives you the full builder in under 40 seconds. See the pricing page to start, and if lists are new, read what a VICIdial list is first.