> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://help.zaapi.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://help.zaapi.com/contacts/creating-contact-fields.md).

# Creating contact fields

Contact fields are the structured data you keep on every customer. Beyond the built-in basics (name, phone, email), custom contact fields let you track whatever your business cares about — customer status, total sales, account owner, signed contracts — and filter, segment, and export on it.

{% hint style="info" %}
Only Owners and Admins can create or edit contact fields.
{% endhint %}

#### Create a contact field

1. Go to **Settings** → **Contact Fields**.
2. Click **Create field**.
3. Enter a **field name** — what your team will see on the Contact.
4. Add a **description** (optional) — a short note to help your team understand how to use this field.
5. Choose a **field type** (see below).
6. Click **Create field**.

The field appears on every Contact — in the Ticket sidebar, on the contact page, and as a column on the Contacts page.

#### Field types

Pick the type that matches the data you're capturing.

* **Text** — free-form text, single-line or multi-line. Use for company names, bios, or anything that doesn't fit a fixed list.
* **Numbers & Currency** — numeric values. Use for total sales, order counts, or anything you want to filter by ranges or sum up.
* **Date & Time** — dates, with or without a time. Use for contract start dates, renewal dates, or last contacted.
* **Dropdown** — single-select from a fixed list of options. Use for customer status, industry, product interests — anywhere you want consistency for filtering and segments.
* **Yes / No** — a binary flag. Use for newsletter subscribed, VIP, or consent flags.
* **File upload** — attach a document to the Contact. Use for signed contracts or verification documents.
* **User** — a teammate from your workspace. Use for account owner or collaborators, so ownership is visible on every Conversation.

{% hint style="info" %}
**Dropdown vs. Text.** If you'll ever filter or segment on a field, use Dropdown. Free text gives you "VIP", "vip", and "V.I.P." — three segments where you wanted one. 
{% endhint %}

#### Default contact fields

Every Contact comes with built-in fields: **First Name, Last Name, Phone Number, Email**, plus **secondary phone numbers and emails** (collected as Conversations merge — see **Merging contacts**), **shipping details**, and a **note**. Custom fields extend this list.

#### Edit, disable, reorder, or delete a field

In **Settings** → **Contact Fields**:

* **Toggle the status switch off** to disable a field. It's hidden from Contacts, but its data is kept — toggle it back on any time.
* **Drag the handle** to reorder fields. This is the order your team sees in the Ticket sidebar, so put the fields agents use most at the top.
* **Click the ⋯ menu** to edit a field's name, description, or options, or to delete it.

{% hint style="info" %}
Deleting a field also deletes the data captured in that field across every Contact. To preserve historical data, disable the field instead.
{% endhint %}

#### Tips

* **Start with fields you'll act on.** A Status dropdown, Account Owner, and one or two business-specific fields cover most teams. Add more as real needs appear.
* **Match dropdown options to your segments.** If your campaigns target "VIP", "Repeat", and "New", make those the options — the Contacts page filters will then map straight onto your campaign lists.
* **Write descriptions.** A one-line description is the difference between a field your team fills consistently and one that quietly rots.
* **Review every quarter.** Fields nobody fills in are clutter in the sidebar — disable them.