Cybooks has two ways to add extra information to your records: tags and custom fields. They look similar but solve different problems. This article helps you pick the right one.
Quick answer
Use custom fields for data that belongs to a single record – like a PO number on an invoice or a project code on a bill.
Use tags for categories that group records and journal lines for reporting – like department, location or project for your management reports.
What custom fields do
A custom field is an extra column on a specific record type. You define what type of data it holds (text, number, date, yes/no, select) and where it appears (customers, invoices, bills, products, employees and more).
Custom field values:
Live on the record they belong to.
Show up in list grids and exports, so you can sort, filter and download them.
Stay with the record forever, even if you change the field later.
Examples of good custom fields:
Purchase order number on an invoice or bill.
Project code on an estimate.
Cost centre on an employee.
Warranty period on a product.
Tax ID on a customer.
For a full walkthrough on creating and managing custom field sets, read Custom fields: capture extra data on your records.
What tags do
A tag is a label you can attach to records and individual journal lines. Tags are organised into dimensions – for example, a "Department" dimension might have tags "Sales", "Marketing" and "Operations".
Tag values:
Can attach to journal entries and individual lines, not just the record header.
Are built into reporting – you can filter your Profit & Loss, Balance Sheet and other reports by tag.
Are designed for analysis across many records.
Examples of good tags:
Department or team.
Office location.
Project (when you want a Profit & Loss per project).
Sales channel (online, retail, wholesale).
Side-by-side comparison
Custom fields | Tags | |
Best for | Data that belongs to one record | Categories that group records for reporting |
Where it lives | On the record header | On records and journal lines |
Data types | Text, number, date, yes/no, select, multi-select | Pre-defined labels in a dimension |
Shows in reports | Not directly – use list grids and exports | Yes, you can filter reports by tag |
Required option | Yes, per field | No |
Plan limits | 1 active set on Standard, 5 on Premium | Unlimited dimensions and tags |
Still not sure?
Ask yourself: do I want to filter my Profit & Loss by this?
If yes – use a tag.
If no, and the data just needs to live on the record – use a custom field.
You can use both for the same record. A "Project" dimension as a tag drives your project Profit & Loss, while a "Project notes" custom field on the invoice keeps the operational detail.
Where to find them
Custom fields – Settings › Custom fields. Read the full custom fields guide.
Tags – Settings › Tags.