Custom Fields and Schemas

Every team works differently. Custom fields let you capture the specific information your team needs - from client names to sprint points to approval stages. Make Verk work exactly how your team works.

Understanding Schemas

What Are Schemas?

Think of schemas as templates that define what information your tasks should capture. Instead of just having basic fields like title and due date, you can add fields specific to your work.

Schema examples:

Marketing campaigns - Budget, campaign type, target audience, channels
Software development - Story points, sprint, feature flag, code reviewer
Client projects - Client name, billing code, project phase, budget remaining
Bug tracking - Severity level, browser version, steps to reproduce, fix version

Benefits of custom schemas:

Consistency - Everyone captures the same information
Reporting - Better analytics when data is structured
Automation - AI agents can work with your custom data
Filtering - Find tasks by your specific criteria

How Schemas Work

Project-level schemas:

Each project can have its own schema with different fields
New tasks automatically get the project's custom fields
Change schemas anytime without losing existing data
Team members see consistent fields across all tasks

Organization-wide templates:

Create schema templates that can be reused across projects
Standard fields for common workflows (like "Client Name" for all client work)
Save time by not recreating the same fields repeatedly

Creating Custom Fields

Getting Started with Custom Fields

Adding your first custom field:

Go to your project settings (click the gear icon in any project)
Select "Custom Fields" from the left sidebar
Click "Add Field"
Choose field type and configure options
Save - new field appears on all tasks in this project

Field Setup Process

Basic field configuration:

Field Name - What users see (e.g., "Client Name", "Sprint")
Field Type - How users enter data (text, dropdown, date, etc.)
Required/Optional - Whether field must be filled out
Description - Helper text explaining what to enter
Default Value - Pre-filled value for new tasks

Pro setup tips:

Use clear names - "Priority Level" instead of just "Priority"
Add helpful descriptions - "Client billing name (use official company name)"
Set smart defaults - Pre-fill common values like "Medium" for priority
Group related fields - Put client fields together, dates together, etc.

Quick Field Creation Examples

Client tracking setup:

"Client Name" - Text field, required
"Project Phase" - Dropdown (Discovery, Design, Development, Launch)
"Billing Code" - Text field with format like "CLI-001"
"Budget Remaining" - Number field with currency display

Sprint planning setup:

"Story Points" - Number field (1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13 scale)
"Sprint" - Dropdown (Sprint 1, Sprint 2, Sprint 3...)
"Feature Flag" - Checkbox (enabled/disabled)
"Code Reviewer" - Person picker from team members

Field Types & Configuration

Text Fields

Perfect for names, descriptions, reference numbers, and free-form information.

Text field options:

Single line - Names, codes, short descriptions
Multi-line - Longer notes, requirements, specifications
Format validation - Email addresses, phone numbers, URLs
Character limits - Prevent overly long entries

Common text field uses:

Client names and contact information
Reference numbers (ticket IDs, invoice numbers)
Technical specifications or requirements
Notes and additional context

Number Fields

Ideal for quantities, budgets, scores, and measurements.

Number field features:

Minimum/maximum values - Set realistic bounds
Decimal places - Whole numbers or allow decimals
Currency display - Show $ symbols and formatting
Unit labels - Add "hours", "days", "points" after numbers

Popular number field examples:

Story points (1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13)
Time estimates (in hours or days)
Budget amounts with currency formatting
Priority scores (1-10 scale)
Completion percentages (0-100%)

Great for standardized options and maintaining consistency across your team.

Setting up dropdowns:

List all possible options during setup
Put most common options first for easier selection
Use clear, consistent naming (avoid abbreviations)
Allow "Other" option if needed for flexibility

Dropdown best practices:

Project phases: Discovery, Planning, Execution, Review, Complete
Priority levels: Critical, High, Medium, Low
Approval status: Pending, Approved, Rejected, Needs Revision
Bug severity: Critical, High, Medium, Low, Trivial

Date Fields

Essential for deadlines, milestones, and time tracking.

Date field types:

Due dates - When something needs to be completed
Start dates - When work should begin
Review dates - When work should be checked
Publication dates - When content goes live

Date field features:

Calendar picker - Visual date selection
Time zones - Automatic adjustment for team members
Relative dates - "3 days from now" shortcuts
Date validation - Prevent impossible dates

Person Fields

Assign responsibility and track who's involved in each task.

Person field uses:

Primary assignee - Who's responsible for completion
Reviewer - Who needs to approve the work
Stakeholder - Who needs to be kept informed
Client contact - External person to coordinate with

Person field features:

Team member picker - Select from organization members
Email notifications - Automatic updates to assigned people
Workload tracking - See how much each person has assigned
Role filtering - Show only people with specific roles

Checkbox Fields

Perfect for yes/no decisions, feature flags, and completion tracking.

Checkbox applications:

Approval checkboxes: "Legal approved", "Budget approved"
Feature flags: "Beta feature enabled", "A/B test active"
Completion tracking: "Design complete", "Copy approved"
Requirements: "Accessibility tested", "Mobile responsive"

AI-Enhanced Fields

Verk can automatically populate fields using AI analysis of your task content.

AI field types:

Smart summaries - Auto-generated task overviews
Auto-labeling - Intelligent tag assignment
Sentiment analysis - Mood tracking in comments
Priority suggestions - AI-recommended priority levels

Setting up AI fields:

Choose "AI Field" when adding custom fields
Select AI type - summary, labels, sentiment, priority
Train with examples - Show AI what good results look like
Review and adjust - AI learns from your corrections

Schema Management

Creating Schema Templates

Save time by creating reusable schema templates for common project types.

Building templates:

Create a successful schema in one project first
Go to Organization Settings → "Schema Templates"
Click "Create Template" and select the source project
Name your template (e.g., "Client Project Schema", "Development Sprint Schema")
Save template for future use

Using templates:

Apply to new projects during project creation
Existing projects can switch to templates anytime
Customize after applying - templates are starting points
Share across teams - organization-wide template library

Schema Versioning

Keep track of schema changes and maintain data integrity as your workflow evolves.

Schema evolution:

Add new fields anytime without affecting existing tasks
Modify field options - add new dropdown choices, change labels
Field history - See when fields were added or changed
Data migration - Bulk update existing tasks when needed

Best practices for schema changes:

Add gradually - Don't overwhelm users with too many new fields at once
Communicate changes - Let team know about new required fields
Provide training - Help team understand why new fields matter
Monitor adoption - Check if new fields are being used properly

Import/Export Schemas

Move schemas between projects and organizations efficiently.

Export capabilities:

Download schema definitions as JSON files
Include field configurations and validation rules
Export with sample data to help others understand field purposes
Backup schemas before major changes

Import scenarios:

New project setup - Copy proven schemas from other projects
Organization migration - Move schemas when changing workspaces
Team templates - Share successful schemas with other teams
Backup restoration - Recover schemas after accidental changes

Field Validation

Ensuring Data Quality

Validation rules help maintain clean, consistent data across all your tasks.

Required field enforcement:

Mark critical fields as required - tasks can't be created without them
Smart requirements - require fields only in certain situations
Validation messages - Clear error messages when requirements aren't met
Batch validation - Check existing tasks for missing required data

Format validation:

Email addresses - Ensure proper email format
Phone numbers - Check for valid phone number patterns
URLs - Verify web address format
Custom patterns - Define your own validation rules (like project codes)

Data Consistency Rules

Keep your data organized and meaningful with consistency rules.

Dropdown constraints:

Fixed option lists - Prevent typos by limiting choices
Hierarchical options - Categories with subcategories
Conditional fields - Show/hide fields based on other selections
Cross-field validation - Ensure related fields make sense together

Date logic:

Start before end - Automatically validate date ranges
Business days only - Exclude weekends from date selections
Deadline warnings - Alert when dates are unrealistic
Time zone consistency - Handle global teams properly

Common Use Cases & Examples

Marketing Team Schema

Campaign tracking fields:

Campaign Name (Text, required) - "Q4 Product Launch"
Campaign Type (Dropdown) - Email, Social, Paid Ads, Content
Target Audience (Dropdown) - New Customers, Existing, Upsell, Retention
Budget (Number, currency) - $5,000
Launch Date (Date) - When campaign goes live
Success Metrics (Text, multi-line) - CTR goals, conversion targets
Campaign Manager (Person) - Who's responsible
Approved (Checkbox) - Legal/brand approval status

Software Development Schema

Feature development fields:

Story Points (Number) - 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13 scale
Sprint (Dropdown) - Sprint 15, Sprint 16, Sprint 17
Feature Flag (Text) - Technical flag name
Component (Dropdown) - Frontend, Backend, Database, API
Code Reviewer (Person) - Who reviews the code
Test Coverage (Number, percentage) - Required code coverage
Browser Support (Checkboxes) - Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge
Ready for QA (Checkbox) - Development complete
Production Ready (Checkbox) - Passed all testing

Client Services Schema

Project management fields:

Client Name (Text, required) - Official company name
Client Contact (Text) - Primary contact person
Project Phase (Dropdown) - Discovery, Strategy, Design, Development, Launch, Maintenance
Billing Code (Text) - CLI-2024-001 format
Hours Budgeted (Number) - Total project hours
Hours Used (Number) - Track actual time spent
Hourly Rate (Number, currency) - $150/hour
Next Client Meeting (Date) - Scheduled check-ins
Client Approval (Dropdown) - Pending, Approved, Needs Revision
Invoice Status (Dropdown) - Not Sent, Sent, Paid, Overdue

Troubleshooting Custom Fields

Common Setup Issues

Fields not appearing:

Check project settings - Make sure fields are enabled for the project
User permissions - Verify team members can see and edit custom fields
Browser refresh - Sometimes custom fields need a page refresh to appear
Clear cache - Browser cache can prevent new fields from loading

Data not saving:

Field validation - Check if required fields are properly filled
Permission issues - Make sure user has edit rights on tasks
Network connectivity - Custom field data needs internet to sync
Field configuration - Verify field settings allow the data being entered

Migration and Updates

Updating existing tasks:

Bulk field updates - Use table view to update multiple tasks at once
Default value application - Apply default values to existing tasks
Data cleanup - Remove old fields that are no longer needed
Field mapping - Convert old data to new field formats

Schema conflicts:

Field name duplicates - Each field name must be unique within a project
Type mismatches - Can't change number fields to text without data conversion
Required field addition - Adding required fields to existing tasks needs default values
Cross-project compatibility - Moving tasks between projects with different schemas

Performance with Custom Fields

Large datasets:

Limit field count - Too many custom fields can slow down loading
Index frequently filtered fields - Speed up searches and filtering
Archive old projects - Remove completed projects from active view
Optimize dropdown options - Long option lists slow down field interaction

Mobile considerations:

Essential fields first - Most important fields should be visible on mobile
Touch-friendly inputs - Date pickers and dropdowns work better than long text
Offline editing - Custom field changes sync when connection returns
Screen space - Prioritize fields that fit well on smaller screens

Creating Tasks - Learn how custom fields integrate with task creation
Task Views - Use custom fields for filtering and sorting in all views
Bulk Operations - Efficiently update custom fields across multiple tasks
Project Organization - Set up project-level schemas and templates
Analytics Dashboard - Create reports using your custom field data

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