# Custom Fields > Custom fields are the shared data schema for your workspace — define them once and they become available across subscriber records, forms, segmentation rules, automation conditions, and email merge variables. - Human page: https://mailrith.com/docs/custom-fields - Category: Subscriber Management - Reading time: 9 min read ## What this guide covers Create typed data fields that appear on subscriber records, forms, segment conditions, automation logic, and email personalization. ## Sections - Field Types - Where Fields Appear - Create and Manage Fields - Field Design Tips ## Visual Reference ![Mailrith custom fields page listing field names, types, and workspace assignments.](https://mailrith.com/docs/screenshots/custom-fields.png) The Custom Fields directory shows every defined field with its type and which workspaces can access it. A field added here becomes immediately available in forms, subscriber records, and segment builders. ## Field Types Custom fields let you store useful information about subscribers beyond name and email address. Think of them as reusable questions or data slots for your subscriber list: company, role, birthday, plan, city, preferred topic, trial end date, score, or any other detail you may want to use later. Choose a field type based on how you want to use the answer. The type controls what kind of value Mailrith accepts and which filtering options are available in segments and automations. - **Text:** a short free-form answer, such as company name, job title, referral code, city, or customer ID. - **Text area:** a longer free-form answer, such as notes, a support description, or an open-ended form response. - **Number:** a numeric value, such as lead score, purchase count, number of seats, account size, or days in trial. - **Date:** a calendar date, such as birthday, renewal date, event date, trial end date, or last purchase date. - **Dropdown:** one choice from a defined list, such as lifecycle stage, plan type, region, industry, or customer tier. - **Multi-select:** more than one choice from a defined list, such as interests, product categories, content preferences, or event topics. - **Checkbox:** a yes-or-no value, such as "Wants SMS", "Beta access", "VIP", or "Accepted terms". When you know the possible answers in advance, use a dropdown, multi-select, or checkbox instead of a text field. Structured answers are easier to filter, easier to automate, and less likely to contain spelling differences that break targeting. ## Where Fields Appear A custom field is not limited to the Custom Fields page. Once created and assigned to a workspace, it becomes available wherever Mailrith needs subscriber information. - **Subscriber profiles:** view and edit field values for a specific subscriber. - **Forms and landing pages:** collect field values directly from people when they sign up. - **Imports:** map CSV columns into custom fields so older subscriber data moves into Mailrith cleanly. - **Segments:** build live subscriber groups from field values, such as "Plan is Pro" or "Renewal Date is in the next 30 days". - **Automations:** branch a workflow, wait until a date, or update a value based on custom field data. - **Email personalization:** use field values inside email content so subscribers see relevant details. Because fields are reused in many places, a poorly planned field can create confusion across the workspace. Before creating a field, decide who will fill it in, where the value comes from, how to format it, and what feature will use it later. ## Create and Manage Fields 1. Click **Custom Fields** in the left sidebar. 2. Click **Create Custom Field** in the page header. 3. In the **Create Custom Field** drawer, enter a clear **Label**. Use words a teammate would understand without needing an explanation. "Lifecycle Stage" is clearer than "LS Value". 4. Turn on **Required** only when every subscriber using this field must have a value. 5. Choose the **Workspace** where you want the field to appear. Do not assign a field to workspaces where it will not be used. 6. Choose the **Type**. If you choose dropdown or multi-select, add the available options. 7. Click **Save**. The field becomes available in subscriber profiles, forms, imports, segments, automations, and personalization tools for the assigned workspaces. 8. Test the field by editing one [Subscriber](https://mailrith.com/docs/subscribers.md) or adding it to a small [Form](https://mailrith.com/docs/forms.md). 9. If you created the field for a CSV import, return to [Subscriber Imports](https://mailrith.com/docs/subscriber-imports-exports.md) and map the CSV column to the new field. 10. Use the field in a small [Segment](https://mailrith.com/docs/segments.md) preview before relying on it for a broadcast send. To edit a field later, click its row on the **Custom Fields** page, update the values in **Edit Custom Field**, and click **Save**. Editing a field after it is already used requires care. Renaming the label changes how the field appears across Mailrith. Adding new options to a dropdown or multi-select is usually safe. Removing options can create confusion if existing subscribers still have older values. Changing the meaning of a field is riskier than creating a new field with a clearer purpose. Before deleting or retiring a field, check where it is used. Look for forms that collect it, segments that filter by it, automations that branch on it, imports that populate it, and emails that personalize with it. Removing a field too quickly can break targeting or make old subscriber data harder to understand. ## Field Design Tips - **Use custom fields for data, tags for labels.** A field stores a value like "Gold", "2026-05-15", or "42". A tag marks that something is true, such as "webinar-attendee". - **Prefer controlled choices when possible.** A dropdown with "Trial", "Customer", and "Former Customer" is easier to target than a text field where people type different versions of the same idea. - **Do not collect data you will not use.** Extra fields make forms longer and subscriber records harder to read. Add fields when they support a real workflow. - **Use plain labels.** Field labels may appear to teammates and, in forms, to subscribers. Avoid internal shorthand unless every user understands it. - **Plan before importing.** If a CSV includes columns you want to use as custom fields, create the fields first so mapping is clean and repeatable. - **Keep sensitive information out of marketing fields.** Do not store passwords, payment card details, private health information, or other highly sensitive data in subscriber custom fields. A good custom field should pass a simple test: a teammate should be able to look at the label, understand what value belongs there, and know why it matters for subscribers, targeting, automation, or personalization. ## Related Guides - [Subscribers](https://mailrith.com/docs/subscribers.md): The Subscribers page is the operating hub for your subscriber list — search, status filtering, bulk actions, CSV imports and exports, and per-subscriber activity timelines all live here. - [Segments](https://mailrith.com/docs/segments.md): Segments define reusable subscriber rules that stay current without manual maintenance — use them to target broadcasts, filter sequence emails, and build complex nested conditions from simple building blocks. - [Forms](https://mailrith.com/docs/forms.md): Forms collect subscribers directly into Mailrith — combine email capture, custom field inputs, and tag assignment in one builder, then embed the result on any website with a single code snippet.