In this lesson:
In the last lesson, you learned how to customize your client list. But what if you wanted to add even more customization to better capture your client segments?
This is where Custom Fields and Tags come in.
Custom Fields vs Tags
It's an age-old question: when to use a tag or use a custom field?
Custom fields and tags are both used to categorize and organize data, but there are some key differences between the two:
- Custom fields are used to capture specific pieces of data that are unique to a particular client.
- Tags are used to group clients together based on shared characteristics.
For example, a custom field might be used to capture a customer acquisition date, while tags might be used to group clients by priority, project, or team member. Tags also have practical applications in Canopy such as using them to assign groups for certain late fees.
Using Custom Fields
Custom fields are user-defined fields that allow you to store additional information about clients specific to your firm's needs.
For example, you could create a custom field for "client type" and choose from a dropdown list of options such as "Individual," "Sole Proprietor," or "Corporation." You could also create a custom field for "client referral source" and enter the name of the person who referred the client to your firm.
Please note: Custom Fields can only be created by Admin users. But once they are created, they can be used by anyone in the firm!
To get started:
- Navigate to your profile avatar global navigation bar.
- Select Settings.
- Select Custom Fields in the left-hand pane.
- Click Create Custom Field.
In this window, you’ll give the field a name and a type.
Field types include:
- Text Input: a single line of free-form text
- Date: select a date from a calendar
-
Dropdown Select: select an item from a list you create.
- Example: Months of the year
-
Multi-Select: select multiple items from a list you create.
- Example: states or jurisdictions
Then you can set the field to be for individuals, businesses, or both.
Best Practice
We recommend using custom fields to store information such as routing and account numbers. To do so, make sure to select Text to enter alphanumeric characters.
Editing a Custom Field
You might be wondering if you can edit a custom field. The answer is YES.....and no.
You can rename a custom field at any point but cannot change or edit the field type. You can also change which entities this field will apply to.
- For example, if you had a field that was applied for both individuals and businesses, and you want to change it to individuals, any business clients you have will lose that field and its data from those records. THIS CANNOT BE UNDONE.
You may also delete a custom field, but doing this will remove the field and its data from any clients with it. This also CANNOT be undone!
Using Client Tags
You can use tags to organize and categorize clients by adding labels or keywords to client records. These tags can be used to group clients together based on specific criteria such as location, industry, or the type of services they require.
Please note: Tags can be created by any team member if they have the right permissions.
You can quickly and easily filter and sort clients in the list with tags. For example, you could create a tag for "Real Estate Clients" and then use that tag to quickly find and manage all clients who work in the real estate industry.
To make or manage tags:
- Click your profile avatar.
- Select Settings.
- On the left, look for and click Tags.
- Select Add New Tag.
Now, you’ll be able to create a label for your Tag.
Apply Tags
Once you have a couple of tags, you can apply them to new and existing clients:
Tags for an Existing Client
Let’s start by going to the Client List.
On a client record page, scroll to the bottom and look for Tags. This takes you to the Edit Client window. Scroll once again to the bottom of the window to add tags.
Click the space under Tags to pull up your list of Tags. You can add as many tags as you want for this client.
- If you need to add a new tag on the fly, you can begin typing in the new tag in the text box, then click Enter to add the tag.
Tags for New Clients
This process is the same for when you create new clients too.
When you create a new client record, there is a spot for you to add tags at the get-go with a new client.
Select the space under Edit tags to pull your current list of tags and select the ones you want to apply to those clients you selected.
Tags for Many Clients
You can also quickly apply tags to a large subset of clients in your client list. Head to the client list first. Select the clients you want to apply tags to. When the Bulk Actions menu appears, you can use the option Tags in the three-dot menu.
In the Tags window, you can choose to add or remove tags this way!
Filtering with Tags
Once you've applied a tag to your clients, you can quickly filter and view all clients with the same tag:
- Locate the Tags column in the Client List and click it.
- Select a condition.
- Click the tag values to filter by.
- Click Apply.
One thing to keep in mind about the operators:
- Is any of = captures any clients with the tags you selected: this OR that OR this
- Is all of = captures all clients with all selected tags: this AND that AND that.
Once you’ve got the tag filters the way you want them, you can make this more powerful by saving it as a Filter View - this way you can quickly view clients with tagging in the future.