ClayHR allows you to configure Custom Fields so you can capture data unique to your organization’s processes—across People, Positions, Performance, Learning, Projects, and beyond.

By designing the fields you need and placing them exactly where they matter, ClayHR becomes a fully adaptable system that supports your organization’s evolving requirements.

Custom Fields ensure administrators can extend ClayHR safely and consistently without requiring system-level customization or engineering support.

In this article:

1. Custom Fields Setup
2. Managing Custom Field Permissions
3. Managing Custom Fields at the HQ Level
4. Reporting on Custom Fields
5. Grouping Custom Fields into Custom Field Groups
6. Ordering Custom Fields outside of Custom Field Groups

1. Custom Fields Setup

To begin configuring custom fields:

1. Go to top right gear icon or “Set up” menu
2. Scroll down and click on “Organization Setup”
3. Go to “Custom Fields”
4. Click on “New Custom Field” button
5. Fill in “Field Name” . The system will automatically generate a “Field Code” but you can change it at your convenience
6. Custom field type: You can choose what type of new field you would like among the following options:
   
   1. Check box
   2. Dropdown menu
   3. Radio button
   4. Multiple answers
   5. Text area
   6. Text box
   7. Date
   8. Percent
   9. URL
   10. Email
   11. Auto-increment
   12. Auto calculated system field

1. Custom field location: The “Object Type” field will allow you to choose the module and/or section where this custom field will display:
   a. Account
   b. Asset
   c. Candidate
   d. Contact
   e. Goal
   f. Invoice
   g. Order
   h. Position
   i. Project
   j. Project Area
   k. Project Milestone
   l. Performance Feedback
   m. Resource Allocation
   o. Task
   p. Resource

2. ‍Format field: Need to highlight this field in a particular way? You can format the style of this field choosing color, bold and/or italics!

2. Managing Custom Field Permissions

ClayHR allows you to control exactly who can view or update each custom field, ensuring sensitive information is shared only with the right users.

By combining all available permission layers, organizations can precisely manage who sees what information and who is allowed to update it—ensuring strong data governance and operational control.

Available Permission Settings Include:

1. User Access Permissions
   • No: Users cannot see the field.
   • Read: Users can view but cannot edit the field.
   • Read & Write: Users can view and update the field.
2. Manager Permissions
   • Define whether a user's direct manager has No, Read, or Read & Write access—independent of standard user access.
3. Read Access Permission
   • Admin: Only system administrators may view the field.
   • Everyone: All users can view the field.
   • User Group: Only members of selected user groups (e.g., Finance, HR, Site Admins) can view the field.
4. Write Access Permission
   • Admin: Only administrators can modify the field.
   • Everyone: Any user seeing the field can edit it.
   • User Group: Editing is restricted to designated user groups.

NOTES:

• Custom Field permissions depend on having previous access to the module/object where the Custom Field is located
• Custom Field Permissions are part of the broader Permission Framework.

3. Managing Custom Fields at the HQ Level

For organizations operating in a multi-entity or multi-location structure, ClayHR allows designated Headquarters administrators to centrally manage and standardize custom fields across all associated units. This ensures consistent data collection, uniform reporting, and controlled governance of which fields downstream entities can use or modify. To learn more, please review our dedicated guide: Headquarters-Managed Custom Fields.

4. Reporting on Custom Fields

ClayHR’s reporting engine automatically incorporates every custom field you create, allowing you to analyze, filter, and export data with complete flexibility. Whether the field is tied to a user profile, position, project, performance review, learning module, or any other area of the system, it becomes instantly available across all reporting tools.

Key Reporting Capabilities Include:

• Use Custom Fields in Any Report
  All custom fields appear as selectable columns in Advanced Reports, Scheduled Reports, and Dashboard Widgets—no additional configuration required.
• Combine Standard and Custom Data
  Custom fields work seamlessly alongside standard ClayHR fields, allowing you to build comprehensive, organization-specific insights.
• Export for Audits and Analysis
  All custom field data can be exported to Excel, CSV, or external analytics tools, supporting audits, compliance checks, and broader BI workflows.

ClayHR ensures that every piece of custom data you collect is fully actionable—empowering you to create meaningful analytics, improve decision-making, and support advanced operational reporting.

5. Grouping Custom Fields into Custom Sections

ClayHR allows administrators to organize related custom fields into Custom Sections, making forms cleaner, easier to navigate, and tailored to your organizational workflows. By grouping fields—such as certifications, equipment details, personal preferences, or role-specific attributes—into dedicated sections, you can streamline data entry and present information in logical, user-friendly blocks. These sections can be reordered, renamed, and configured per module, giving you full control over how custom data is displayed. For step-by-step instructions, please see our guide: How to Group Custom Fields in Sections.

6. Ordering Custom Fields Outside of Custom Field Groups

When a field is not placed in a Custom Field Group, you control its order using the Sequence number in the Custom Field settings:

• Open the custom field configuration screen.
• Locate the Sequence field.
• Enter a number to indicate the field’s position.
  • Smaller numbers → appear first
  • Larger numbers → appear later
• Save the custom field to apply the ordering.

Only the relative sequence values matter, allowing you to organize standalone fields in any order you prefer.

Best Practice: When assigning sequence numbers, use spacing such as 10, 20, 30 instead of 1, 2, 3. This approach gives you flexibility to insert new custom fields later—e.g., assigning a field sequence 15 or 25—without needing to renumber every existing field. This saves time and helps maintain a clean, scalable ordering structure.

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