Custom Data Fields

Your Databank comes with a number of standard user fields and up to 14 unique user fields, where you can store information particular to your organizational needs. 

Standard Data Fields

Every Databank comes standard with the following fields:

• Full Name
• Full Name of second individual
• Company (can also be used for organizations)
• Work Title
• Full Address
• Home, Work, Fax and Mobile phone numbers
• Email
• Website
• Salutation
• Notes

Custom Data Fields

There are four types of data fields you can customize. Each of these data fields is helpful in tracking specific information about the member, besides the standard data fields. There are many ways to use these fields. Each will be specific and customized to your organization, to make the best use of your Databank:

1. User Fields - these fields are practically unlimited in the type of data they can gather and store. User fields can be any data you track about an individual. Ex: constituent type, emergency contact, job title, how they heard about you
2. Flag Fields - flag fields are limited to only two characters worth of data. Ex: two character code or checkbox for Yes/No questions.
3. Number Fields - these fields are designed specifically to make searching by numerical value easier. They store numbers up to two (2) decimal places (1.00). Ex: number of children, number of pets
4. Date Fields - these fields are designed for dates using the following format mm/dd/yyyy. They include a calendar selector and can be set to auto-populate renewal dates. Ex: birthday, anniversary

A few tips when setting up your custom data fields:

1. Gather the data you are currently using. Identify what you have and what the type of values the data has. Think about the examples above, and how you will be using the data.
2. Decide if there is any additional data you would like to gather that you are not currently gathering.
3. Think about the field name, input type and available responses for each field you will be using.
4. Remember, the fields will be displayed in the order you are entering. If you want your fields in a specific order, please make sure they are entered in that order.

1. Custom User Fields

These five Custom User Fields are fully customizable and have no restrictions on the type of data they can capture and store.

For example, to include a user field about how the individual heard about you, complete the fields like this:

Name of User Field 1: How they heard about us

User Field 1 input type: Dropdown (if you want to only select one way they heard about you), Checkbox (if you want to track all the ways they heard about you), Text Input (if you want to type in text about how they heard about you). For this example, let’s select Checkbox, so we can track all the ways someone heard about us.

User Field 1 selection list: (List each of the ways someone would hear about you on a separate line)

Friends/Family

Magazine

Event

Social Media

Website

Other

2. Custom Flag Fields

Flag fields are a special type of data field that can only contain two characters of information (it's a complicated data storage thing). This can often be used for Yes/No questions (the data would be Y and N), internal coding, etc.

The name of the field can be any length, but the data stored in the Flag can only be two characters.

For example, to include a flag field for tracking “Is this volunteer trained?”, complete the fields like this:

Name of Flag 1: Trained volunteer?

Flag 1 input type: Let’s select Checkbox (just one, because we want to only track if the individual has completed the training or not). You also have the choices for Dropdown, and Checkbox (multiple), if it fits with your data.

Flag 1 selection list: (no need to include anything here)

3. Custom Number Fields

Number fields are a special type of data field that can only contain numbers, displayed to the second decimal place (ex. 1.00). An advantage of using number fields is that the data in these fields can be searched using greater than, less than, and equal to.

For example, to include a number field to track how many pets an individual has, complete the fields like this:

Name of Number Field 1: Number of pets

Number 1 input type: Dropdown (to create a list of numbers to select from), or Text Input (to enter a number. For this example, let’s select Text Input so we can enter a number of pets.

Number 1 selection list: (no need to include anything here)

Remember, the amount entered will display two decimal places. Meaning that entering two will display 2.00.

4. Custom Date Fields

Date Fields are a data field which only allows for dates in a MM/DD/YYYY format. The date can always be text entered or selected using a built-in calendar. Date fields can be searched using before, after and between queries, as well as timeframes (last week, next 90 days, etc.)

Additionally, date fields can be set to automatically populate when a web form is filled out, a purchase is made, etc.

For example, to include a date field to track a birthday date, complete the fields like this: 

Name of Date Field 1: Birthday