Custom Fields
Capture the business-specific data Kantivo's stock forms don't ask about. Custom fields slot into invoices, bills, estimates, customers, vendors, and transactions — typed, validated, and stored against the record.
Why Custom Fields
Every business has details it needs to track that don't fit Kantivo's default form shapes — contract numbers, PO references, region codes, certification expiries, internal status flags. Custom fields are how you add structured, queryable data points without resorting to memo fields or external spreadsheets.
Fields are scoped to a company and assigned to a record type. They appear on every form for that record type the moment they're saved, and they stay completely isolated from other companies in your installation.
Defining a Field
- Open Settings from the sidebar
- Find the Custom Fields section
- Click Add Custom Field
- Fill in the configuration:
- Record type — invoice, estimate, bill, customer, vendor, or transaction
- Label — the name your team will see on the form (e.g. "PO Number")
- Input type — see the reference table below
- Required — toggle on if the record can't save without a value
- Sort position — controls order relative to other custom fields (lower = first)
- For dropdown inputs, list each option on its own line in the Options box
- Click Save
The field is live immediately on every relevant form across the app.
Input Type Reference
| Type | Control | Good for |
|---|---|---|
| Text | Single-line input | Reference codes, short labels, names |
| Number | Numeric input (decimals OK) | Quantities, rates, dimensions |
| Date | Calendar picker | Renewals, expirations, milestones |
| Dropdown | Predefined pick list | Departments, regions, priorities, statuses |
| Checkbox | On/off toggle | Approval flags, rush indicators, exemptions |
| URL | Web-address input | Contract links, portal URLs, shared drives |
| Email input (format-validated) | Secondary contacts, notification addresses | |
| Textarea | Multi-line text box | Scope notes, internal comments, instructions |
Where They Show Up
Custom fields render on both create and edit dialogs for the record type they're assigned to:
- Invoices — Create Invoice and Edit Invoice
- Estimates — Create Estimate and Edit Estimate
- Bills — Create Bill and Edit Bill
- Customers — Add Customer and Edit Customer
- Vendors — Add Vendor and Edit Vendor
- Transactions — Record Transaction and Edit Transaction
They appear in a dedicated Custom Fields section on each form. Editing an existing record pre-fills with previously saved values.
Using Field Data
Entering Values
Scroll to the Custom Fields section on any create/edit form. Pick from dropdowns, toggle checkboxes, type into text or numeric fields. The browser's native form validation handles type-checking on submit.
Required Fields
Required custom fields show a red asterisk next to the label. Save is blocked until they have values — same as Kantivo's built-in required fields.
Persistence
Values save with the parent record and reload into the form when you reopen it.
Editing & Deleting
Editing a Field
Click Edit on any row in the Custom Fields settings panel. You can change the label, input type, required flag, sort position, and dropdown options. Previously stored values aren't disturbed.
Deleting a Field
Filtering the Catalog
Use the Entity Type dropdown at the top of the settings panel to filter the list to one record type. Handy when you've built up a lot of fields across invoice, bill, and customer scopes.
FAQ
Is there a field-count limit?
No. Kantivo doesn't cap the number of custom fields per record type. Add as many as your operation actually needs.
Do fields apply across all my companies?
No — each company has its own catalog. That's intentional: most multi-company users want different fields per entity.
What happens if I change a field's input type?
Existing values are preserved as text. The next time you open the form, the new input type renders. If a previously stored value doesn't match a new dropdown option, it just won't be pre-selected — the data is still there.
Can I control field order?
Yes. The Sort position integer determines order — lower numbers render first. Fields with the same sort position fall back to creation order.