Creating Custom Fields

Custom Fields can be created directly within FYI by an FYI Admin, or for practices integrated with Xero Practice Manager, synchronised from XPM. 

There are two parts to a Custom Field:

• Custom Field Definition - controls the name and the type, for example, a checkbox, or a drop-down.
• Custom Field Value - the contents of the Custom Field, for example, a date, or an individual option selected from a drop-down. Depending on the Custom Field Type, values may need to be added in the Custom Field settings, for example, for drop-down fields, or added directly to the Client, Job, etc.

Adding Custom Fields

In FYI

To create a Custom Field in FYI:

1. Navigate to Practice Settings - General - Custom Fields to display the Custom Fields List
    
2. Click Add.
    
3. The Custom Field drawer will be displayed.
   
4. Enter the Name. This will be displayed internally in FYI, for example, as the label when entering information for the Custom Field, or when selecting a Merge Field.
    
5. Checkmark where the Custom Field Applies to.
   Note: All practices can select from Client and/or Job. Practices on the Elite plan can select additional features, including Time and Disbursements, Employee, or Invoice.
    
6. Select a Group from the drop-down. This field will only be displayed if you have enabled Custom Field Grouping. 
   
   For practices where FYI as Primary for Client Maintenance is enabled, Groups are not relevant to "User" type Custom Fields. These Custom Fields are displayed on the Client Summary and Job Summary tabs, and not in groups on the Custom Fields tab.
    
7. Select the Type. This determines how the value can be entered or selected when a user is updating the Custom Field. Refer to Custom Field Types below.
   
   When the Type is selected as "Drop-down", you also need to enter the options that will be available for that Custom Field as in the following example.
   
8. Click Save.
    
9. The new Custom Field will be added to the bottom of the list. To change the order of the Custom Fields, refer to Reordering Custom Fields.

Xero Practice Manager

Custom Fields created in Xero Practice Manager will be synchronised and created in FYI automatically. Refer to Synchronising Clients, Staff, Jobs, Time, Tax Returns with Xero Practice Manager for synchronisation frequencies.

Please note that Custom Field names must be unique.

Renaming Custom Fields

FYI will perform additional steps automatically when a Custom Field is created with a duplicate name. 

FYI will use the XPM ID to determine whether the Custom Field is new or exists in FYI already. New Custom Fields with duplicate names will be renamed in XPM to append a number to the end, allowing the Custom Field to be synchronised successfully, where previously an error would be displayed.

1. When synchronising new Custom Fields, FYI will compare the Custom Field ID in Xero Practice Manager with the XPM ID in FYI.
    
2. If a match is found, the Custom Field Name in FYI will be updated to match XPM.
    
3. If a match cannot be found, FYI will then review the Custom Field Name in XPM.
    
4. If a matching Custom Field Name is found in FYI, the Custom Field in XPM will be updated to add "_1" at the end. 
   Note: If a Custom Field already exists with _1, FYI will use the next available number.
    
5. The Custom Field will then be synchronised to FYI. 
    
6. Practice Activity will display an Alert: "A custom field was renamed due to changes in XPM." Click on the drawer to view the details of the renamed Custom Field.
   
7. The Custom Field Name can then be updated to a more relevant name as required. 

Practice Sync

If your practice is integrated with MYOB, APS, IRIS or CCH, you will need to first create your Custom Field in your Practice Management platform, then follow the instructions above to create the corresponding Custom Field in FYI. Please note that, depending on your integration, there may be specific requirements on how the Custom Fields are configured.

Refer to the relevant integration article in Apps and Integrations for details.

Custom Field Types

Type	Details	Example
Checkbox	Creates a True/False toggle.
Date	Used to track the calendar date of an event. The date can be either manually entered or selected from the displayed calendar. Note that the date will be displayed in the following format: 1 Dec 2023.
Decimal	A number with decimals.
Email	Used to enter an email address.
Drop-down	Creates a list to select a value from.
Number	A whole number (no decimal). Note that Number fields can have a maximum of 10 digits.
Text	A free text field for capturing relevant information. Text will become a clickable link if a URL is entered into the field in a valid format.
URL	Website address
User	Displays a list of active Internal Users to select from.