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Create Custom Contact Fields
If you want to collect information about contacts that isn't represented by standard contact
fields, create custom contact fields. For example, use a custom field to store birthdays or
gender, if provided to you.
Create a custom field by defining the following:
• name
The name identifies the custom field when it is displayed. You can specify a label (such
as Birthday) or a phrase (such as "Provide your birthday").
• type
The type determines how the value is specified. For example, use the Calendar type for a
Birthday contact field to collect a date.
• default value (text box, numeric box, or checkbox field types only)
The default value is optional. However, we recommend that you define a default value
that will be meaningful to customers, particularly if you plan to use contact fields to
personalize emails
or to include on sign up forms
. For example, when sending a
personalized email, Campaigner uses the default value if no other value is defined. A
salutation intended to display the recipient's first name (such as "Hi Allison") displays the
default value if no first name is defined for a contact (such as "Hi subscriber").
• list options (drop down field type only)
For drop down fields, you specify the options that will be available in the drop down list,
and how you want them stored in Campaigner's database.
For the current release, contact fields defined as drop down fields don't display any list
options. However, we recommend that you define options, which will be available in a
future release. If you don't define these options when creating the contact field, you will
need to recreate the field when options are available for display. Deleting contact fields
may cause you to lose their values.
Note: After creating a custom field, it will be available for all current and future contacts. To
provide a value for existing contacts, you will need to edit contact information.
For convenience and consistency, try to define custom contact fields before adding contacts.
Steps to create a custom field for the text box field
1. On the Contacts tab, click the Fields tab.
2. Click Create a Custom Field.
3. Type a name for the custom field.
4. Select the Text Box field type.
5. If you want to specify default text, type it in the Default Value box.
6. Click Create a New Field.
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Campaigner User Guide