Field sets and using custom fields

Custom fields let your firm capture information Esqase does not track out of the box, such as a contact's preferred language, a matter's insurance policy number, or a lead's referral details. A field set is a reusable bundle of custom fields you can apply to a record all at once, so you do not have to add the same fields one by one every time. This page covers creating and maintaining field sets, then explains how to add and fill in custom fields on a contact, lead, or matter.

If you have not yet defined the individual fields that go into a set, start with Custom fields, then come back here to bundle them.

Before you begin

• Where field sets live. In the sidebar, open Settings, then Custom fields. The page has two tabs: Individual fields and Field sets. Field sets are managed on the Field sets tab.
• Permissions. What you can do depends on your role's access for custom fields:
  • View access is required just to see the Custom fields settings page and the Field sets tab.
  • Create access shows the Add field set button.
  • Edit (Update) access lets you edit a field set, archive it, and restore it.
  • Delete access lets you permanently delete an archived field set.
  • Firm owners always have full access. If your role does not include a given level, the matching button or menu item simply does not appear.
• Categories. Every custom field and every field set belongs to one category: Contact, Matter, or Lead. A set can only contain fields from its own category, and it can only be added to records of that type. Pick the category that matches where you intend to use the bundle.

What a field set is

A field set (sometimes called a template) is a named, reusable group of related custom fields. Think of it as a checklist of fields that belong together. For example, a Contact field set called "Emergency contact" might bundle a name field, a phone field, and a relationship field. When you later add that set to a contact, all three fields appear at once, ready to fill in.

A few things to keep in mind:

• The fields inside a set are the same individual custom fields you see on the Individual fields tab. A field set just references them; it does not make copies. If you change a field's settings (its label, options, or whether it is required), that change is reflected everywhere the field is used.
• A single field can belong to more than one set, and it can still be added to records on its own.
• Adding a set to a record is a one-time convenience. After the fields land on the record, you can keep, remove, or fill in each one independently. Removing a field from a record later does not change the set, and editing the set later does not retroactively change records that already used it.
• Each set has a category (Contact, Matter, or Lead) and a status (Draft, Active, or Archived). Only Active sets are offered when you add custom fields to a record.

Create a field set

Creating a set is a single dialog: you name it, choose its category, and pick the fields that go inside.

1. In the sidebar, click Settings, then Custom fields.
2. Click the Field sets tab.
3. Click Add field set in the top right. (If you do not see this button, your role does not include Create access for custom fields.)
4. In the New field set dialog, fill in the details at the top:
   • Title (required). A short, clear name for the bundle, up to 100 characters, for example "Personal injury intake." This is what you will search for when adding the set to a record.
   • Category (required). Choose Contact, Matter, or Lead. This determines which records the set can be applied to and which fields you can attach. Set this first, because changing it later swaps the list of available fields.
   • Description (optional). A note for your team about what the set is for, up to 500 characters.
5. Under Fields, add the custom fields that belong in this set. Click Add field (top right of the Fields section) and choose one of:
   • Create new field to build a brand-new custom field without leaving the dialog. This opens the new-custom-field form; when you save it, the field is added to the set automatically. (See Custom fields for the full field-creation walkthrough.)
   • Select existing field to pick from custom fields you have already created in this category.
6. If you chose Select existing field, the Select existing fields dialog opens. Search by name if the list is long, tick the checkbox next to each field you want, then click Attach (the button shows how many you have selected, for example Attach 3 fields). Fields already in the set are not shown.
7. Back in the set, each attached field appears as a preview row. To change the order, drag a row by its handle on the left. The order you set here is the order the fields appear in when the set is added to a record.
8. To remove a field you added by mistake, open the row's menu (the icon on the right) and choose Remove from set, or use the trash icon. This only removes it from this set; the field itself is not deleted.
9. Click Save. Esqase creates the set, attaches the fields, and shows a "Field set created" confirmation. The new set appears in the Field sets list with status Active.

Edit a field set

You can rename a set, change its description, and add, remove, or reorder its fields at any time.

1. On the Field sets tab, find the set you want to change.
2. Click Edit on that row.
3. The Edit field set dialog opens with the current title, category, description, and attached fields loaded.
4. Make your changes:
   • Update the Title or Description as needed.
   • Add fields with Add field (Create new field or Select existing field), exactly as when creating a set.
   • Reorder fields by dragging them.
   • Remove a field with Remove from set in its row menu.
5. Click Save changes. Esqase applies the additions, removals, and new order together and shows a "Field set updated" confirmation.

Attach and detach a custom field

Attaching and detaching are how you control which fields belong to a set. You do both from inside the New field set or Edit field set dialog, in the Fields section.

To attach a field:

1. Open the set (click Add field set to create one, or Edit to change an existing one).
2. In the Fields section, click Add field.
3. Choose Select existing field, tick the fields you want in the Select existing fields dialog, and click Attach. The fields appear as preview rows in the set.
4. Click Save (or Save changes) to keep the attachment.

To detach a field:

1. Open the set and find the field's preview row in the Fields section.
2. Open the row's menu and choose Remove from set, or click the trash icon on the row.
3. Click Save (or Save changes).

Change a field set status

A field set's status controls whether it shows up when people add custom fields to records:

• Active. The default for a newly created set. Active sets appear in the Add field set picker on a record.
• Archived. A retired set. Archived sets are hidden from the picker, so no one can add them to new records, but they are not deleted and can be brought back. Use Archive when a set is no longer in use but you may want it again later.
• Draft. A set that is not yet ready for use. Drafts are also hidden from the record picker.

To archive a set:

1. On the Field sets tab, click Edit's neighboring menu button (the ... icon) on the set's row, then choose Archive. Confirm if prompted. The set's status changes to Archived.

To restore an archived set:

1. By default the list shows only Active sets. Use the Status filter in the toolbar and select Archived to see archived sets.
2. On the archived set's row, open the ... menu and choose Restore. The status returns to Active and the set is available in the picker again.

You can also change status in bulk: tick the checkboxes next to several sets, then use the batch Archive or Restore action that appears in the toolbar.

Delete a field set

Deleting permanently removes a field set. It is only available for sets that are already archived, which acts as a safety step so you do not delete an in-use bundle by accident.

1. On the Field sets tab, set the Status filter to Archived so archived sets are visible.
2. On the set you want to remove, open the ... menu and choose Delete. (If you do not see Delete, either the set is not archived yet or your role does not include Delete access for custom fields.)
3. In the Delete field set? confirmation, review the warning that the set will be permanently removed and cannot be undone, then click Delete field set.

You can also delete several archived sets at once: select their checkboxes and use the batch Delete action.

Add custom fields to a contact, lead, or matter via the Custom fields dialog

Once your firm has custom fields (and optionally field sets), you add and fill them on a specific record from that record's sidebar.

1. Open the record: a contact from Working with contacts, a lead from Managing leads, or a matter from The matter workspace.
2. In the record's right-hand sidebar, find the Custom fields section.
3. Click View at the top of that section. The Custom fields dialog opens.
4. If you have edit access for this record, the dialog shows two dropdowns at the top: Add individual field and Add field set. Already-saved fields appear below them. If you do not have edit access, the dialog opens in read-only mode (see View a record's custom fields read-only when you lack update permission).

Add a single custom field

1. In the Custom fields dialog, click the Add individual field dropdown.
2. Start typing to search, then choose the field you want. It is added to the list below, ready to fill in. Fields already on the record are not listed.
3. If the field you need does not exist yet, click New custom field at the bottom of the dropdown to create it on the spot. Once it is created, Esqase adds it to the record automatically.

Add a field set to a record (bulk-add the bundled fields)

When several fields go together, adding the set is faster than adding them one at a time.

1. In the record's Custom fields dialog, click the Add field set dropdown.
2. Search for and select the set you want. Esqase resolves the set and adds all of its fields to the record at once, in the set's saved order. A brief "Adding field set..." message appears while it loads.
3. Any field from the set that is already on the record is skipped, so you will not get duplicates.
4. If the set you need does not exist yet, click New field set at the bottom of the dropdown to build it without leaving the record; its fields are added once you save it.
5. Fill in the values (next section) and click Save.

Fill in and save custom field values on a record

After fields are on the record, enter their values and save.

1. In the Custom fields dialog, each added field shows its own input. The input type matches how the field was defined: a text box, a number, a date picker, a dropdown, a set of checkboxes, a star rating, and so on. Required fields are marked.
2. Enter or select a value for each field you want to record. Leaving a field blank is fine unless it is required.
3. Click Save. Esqase saves the full set of fields and values on the record and shows a "Custom fields saved" confirmation. The sidebar updates to show the saved values.

Required fields

If a field is marked required and you leave it empty, saving is blocked. The dialog shows "Please complete the required fields" and highlights the field that needs a value, for example "Policy number is required." Fill it in and click Save again.

Remove a field value

You can take a custom field off a record entirely.

1. Open the record's Custom fields dialog (View in the sidebar's Custom fields section).
2. Find the field's row.
3. Click the trash icon on the right side of that row. The field is removed from the list.
4. Click Save. The field and its value are removed from the record.

View a record's custom fields read-only when you lack update permission

If your role lets you view a contact, lead, or matter but not edit it, the Custom fields dialog opens in read-only mode.

In read-only mode:

• The dialog title is still Custom fields, and the description reads "View the custom fields on this record."
• The Add individual field and Add field set dropdowns are hidden, so you cannot add fields.
• Each field's value is shown but cannot be changed, and there are no trash icons to remove fields.
• The footer shows only a Close button; there is no Save.

This lets you see exactly what information has been captured on the record without the risk of changing it. To make edits, you need Update access for that record type. See Roles and permissions for how access is granted, or ask a firm owner or administrator.

Common questions

• What is the difference between a custom field and a field set? A custom field is a single piece of information you capture (one input). A field set is a named bundle of several custom fields you can add to a record together. See Custom fields to create the fields, and this page to bundle them.
• I added a field set, then changed the set. Why did the record not update? Field sets are applied as a one-time copy of their fields onto the record. Editing the set later does not change records that already used it. Add the set again on the record to pick up any new fields.
• Why does a field or set not appear in the record picker? Only Active fields and sets in the record's category are offered. Check the field's or set's category and status on the Custom fields settings page.
• I deleted a field set by mistake. Deletion cannot be undone, but the individual fields the set grouped still exist on the Individual fields tab, and any saved record values are unaffected. You can create a new set and re-attach the same fields.
• Why can't I see the Custom fields settings page at all? Viewing it requires View access for custom fields. If you do not have it, you will see a no-access message. Ask a firm owner or administrator to adjust your role.

Related

• Custom fields
• Working with contacts
• The matter workspace
• Managing leads
• Roles and permissions
• Building forms