Custom Fields - Add Your Own Data Fields to Assets

Overview

Custom fields let you capture organisation-specific information on every asset that the built-in fields do not cover — things like a serial number format unique to your inventory system, a compliance certificate date, a boolean flag for insurance status, or a dropdown with your internal asset grades.

Fields you create here appear on every asset's detail page and are included in asset exports.

Who Can Access This

The Custom Fields settings page redirects users with Member or Viewer roles away.

How to Access This Section

1. Log in to your UniAsset account
2. Click Settings in the left sidebar
3. Select Custom Fields

Plan Availability

Custom fields are available on the following plans:

If your organisation is on the Starter plan, the Custom Fields page displays a plan-gate prompt. Upgrade to Growth or higher to use custom fields.

Field Types

When creating a custom field, you select one of five field types. The type cannot be changed after the field is created.

Select field options

When you choose the Select type, you define the list of available dropdown options during field creation. Users pick from this list when editing an asset — they cannot enter free text.

Field Key

Every custom field has a key — a machine-readable identifier derived automatically from the field name (lowercased with spaces replaced by underscores). For example, a field named "Certificate Expiry" gets the key certificate_expiry.

The key is used internally and in API responses. It cannot be changed after the field is created. Choose your field name carefully before saving.

Required Fields

Each custom field has a Required toggle. When enabled:

• The field must be filled in before an asset can be created or edited
• Leaving it blank blocks the save action with a validation error

Leave Required off for fields that are optional or only apply to certain assets.

How to Create a Custom Field

1. Navigate to Settings > Custom Fields
2. Click Add Custom Field
3. Enter a Name for the field
4. Select a Field Type
5. If the type is Select, add the dropdown options (one per line or entry)
6. Toggle Required if the field must always be filled in
7. Click Save

The field is immediately active and appears on all asset detail pages.

How to Edit a Custom Field

1. Navigate to Settings > Custom Fields
2. Find the field in the list and open its actions menu
3. Select Edit
4. Update the name, required toggle, or (for Select fields) the options list
5. Save the changes

The field type and key cannot be changed after creation. If you need a different type, delete the field and create a new one — note that this will remove any values stored under the old field.

How to Delete a Custom Field

1. Navigate to Settings > Custom Fields
2. Open the actions menu for the field
3. Select Delete
4. Confirm the deletion

Deleting a custom field permanently removes it and all values stored against it across every asset. This action cannot be undone.

Where Custom Fields Appear

Custom fields appear in the Custom Fields section of every asset's detail page. Users with permission to edit the asset can fill in or update the values there.

Custom field values are also included when you export assets to a spreadsheet.

Important Notes & Limitations

Field type is permanent

• Once a field is saved, its type (text, number, date, boolean, select) cannot be changed. Delete and recreate if you need a different type.

Key is derived from name at creation time

• The field key is set once when you first save the field. Renaming the field later does not change the key. If consistent naming matters for API use, set the name to match your intended key before creating.

Deleting a field deletes all its data

• Removing a custom field removes every value stored under it across all assets. There is no recovery. Export data before deleting if you need to preserve the values.

Required fields apply to all assets

• Marking a field as Required means it must be filled when creating or editing any asset. Use this only for data that truly applies to every asset in your organisation.

Starter plan does not include custom fields

• Upgrade from Starter to Growth or higher to unlock custom fields.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I reorder custom fields?

The current version does not support drag-to-reorder. Fields appear in creation order on asset pages.

Can I make a Select field allow free-text input?

No. Select fields are constrained to the options you define. Use a Text field if free-text entry is needed.

What happens to asset data if I delete a custom field?

All values stored under that field are permanently deleted across every asset. Export your assets to a spreadsheet before deleting if you need to preserve the data.

Can Managers create custom fields?

Yes. Owners, Admins, and Managers can create, edit, and delete custom fields. Employees and Viewers cannot access the Custom Fields settings page.

Do custom fields appear on asset exports?

Yes. When you export assets to a spreadsheet, custom field values are included as additional columns.