Custom fields

Every team tracks different information. A design agency needs to know client approval status. A development shop needs to track budgets per task. A content team needs article word counts. Default task fields rarely cover everything - and that is where custom fields come in.

What are custom fields?

Custom fields are additional columns you create yourself and add to your project tasks. They let you track any information your workflow requires, beyond what Worklenz provides by default.

You create them without any coding or IT help. Click Add Custom Column, pick a field type, configure it, and it appears immediately as a column in your task list.

Custom field values can also be viewed and edited inside any task by opening the task drawer and expanding the Custom Fields section.

Why custom fields matter

Without custom fields, teams work around missing information - using Slack messages to ask for updates, digging through emails for approval dates, or maintaining separate spreadsheets alongside their project tool. This creates gaps, delays, and confusion.

Custom fields bring that missing context directly into your tasks, so everyone on the team can see exactly what they need without asking anyone.

Types of custom fields

Worklenz supports five types of custom fields:

Type	Input	Best for
Text	Any text value	Notes, reference codes, short descriptions
Selection	Choose from a dropdown list	Statuses, categories, approval stages
Date	A date picker	Deadlines, approval dates, milestones
Number	Numeric values - plain, percentage, or currency	Budgets, word counts, hours
People	A team member or contact	Sign-off owners, reviewers, client contacts

Text fields

Enter any text-based value as the input. Text fields are flexible and free-form - useful for storing short notes, reference numbers, links, codes, or any information that does not fit neatly into a number, date, or fixed list.

Example use cases:

Reference code - a client PO number or internal tracking code linked to a task
Notes - a brief instruction or context note visible directly in the task list
External link - a URL or document reference relevant to the task

Selection fields

A dropdown menu you build yourself. Create a list of options and assign a color to each one.

Example use cases:

Client approval status - options like “Waiting for Review,” “Approved,” “Needs Changes,” “On Hold” with color coding (green for approved, red for needs changes, orange for on hold)
Content stage - Draft, In Review, Published
Priority tier - High, Medium, Low (with your own definitions per project)

The color coding makes status visible at a glance across all tasks - no need to open individual tasks or ask teammates.

Date fields

Track any date relevant to your workflow - not just the built-in due date.

Example use cases:

Client approval date - log when a client signed off on a deliverable
Content deadline - separate from the task due date, specific to when copy is needed
Payment received date - track when clients actually pay

Date fields are useful when a task has multiple important dates and the single due date field is not enough.

Number fields

Track numerical values in different formats:

Plain numbers - e.g., 1,000
Percentages - e.g., 75%
Currency - e.g., $100 or USD 100

Example use cases:

Task budget - assign a budget to each task and monitor spend
Word count - track target word counts per content task
Hours budgeted - set estimated hours at the task level
Estimated vs. actual - track both and compare

Number fields make it possible to spot budget overruns or scope creep at the task level, before they become project-level problems.

People fields

Link a task to a specific person on your team or from your client contacts.

Example use cases:

Sign-off required from - name the person who must approve before the task can move forward
Client contact - have the right contact visible on every task without opening a separate tool
Reviewer - assign a specific reviewer separate from the task assignee

People fields are especially useful for tasks that require approval from someone who is not the main assignee.

How to add a custom field

Open a project and go to the Task list view.
Click Add Custom Column in the column header area.
Select the field type (Text, Selection, Date, Number, or People).
Configure the field - add a name, options (for selection fields), or format (for number fields).
Click Save. The field appears immediately as a new column in your task list.

Viewing custom fields in the task drawer

All custom fields you create are also accessible inside individual tasks. Open a task to open the task drawer, then expand the Custom Fields section to view and edit all custom field values for that task.

A real-world example

For a website redesign project, a team set up five custom fields on tasks:

Field	Type	Purpose
Page status	Selection	Draft, In Review, Client Approved, Ready to Launch
Content deadline	Date	When copy must be ready
Hours budgeted	Number	Time estimate per task
Responsible	People	Designer, copywriter, or developer
Review notes	Text	Short feedback or instruction from the reviewer

With these fields in place, the entire project status was visible in one view - no status meetings needed to answer “where is this?” or “who owns this?”