Custom fields let you add your own information to records in Cybooks. Use them for data that does not fit into the standard fields – like a purchase order number on an invoice, a project code on a bill, or a cost centre on an employee.
You group fields into a set. Each set is attached to one or more record types. A set called "Project tracking" might attach to invoices, bills and estimates, and contain three fields: project code, project name and project manager.
Where custom fields appear
Once you create a set, the fields show up in three places:
On the record – when you create or edit an invoice, customer, employee or any other record the set is attached to.
On the list page – as columns in the grid, so you can sort and filter by them.
In exports – as columns in CSV and Excel downloads.
You can attach a custom field set to any of these record types:
Customer
Vendor
Invoice
Bill
Estimate
Credit note
Vendor credit
Product
Employee
Plan limits
The number of active sets depends on your plan:
Standard plan – 1 active custom field set.
Premium plan – 5 active custom field sets.
If you downgrade from Premium to Standard, your existing data stays safe. You just cannot create new sets until you deactivate the extra ones.
Create your first custom field set
Go to Settings › Custom fields and click Create your first set (or New set if you already have one).
Screenshot needed: The Custom fields list page (Settings › Custom fields) showing the empty state with the "Create your first set" button. Capture the cross-link to Tags at the top of the page.
Name your set – pick a clear name like "Project tracking" or "PO details". You can translate the name into other languages by clicking the language toggle.
Choose where it appears – tick the record types you want this set attached to.
Click Create set. You are taken to the set's edit page.
Add fields – click Add field. For each field, pick a type, give it a label, and set whether it is required.
Click Save.
Screenshot needed: The custom field set edit page with at least one set, showing the General information card and the Fields list. Settings › Custom fields › edit a set.
The key is the technical name used in API responses and exports. Cybooks fills it in automatically based on the English label. You can edit it before saving – but once the set is created, the key is fixed.
Field types
You can pick from eight field types:
Text – short single-line text, like "PO-12345".
Long text – multi-line text for notes or descriptions.
Number – whole numbers only.
Decimal – numbers with decimal places.
Date – pick a date from a calendar.
Yes/no – a single tick box.
Select – choose one option from a list you define.
Multi-select – choose more than one option from a list you define.
Select and multi-select fields need options. For each option you set a key (technical) and a label (what users see). You can reorder options at any time.
Required fields and default values
You can mark a field as required, so users must fill it in. You can also set a default value that pre-fills the field on new records.
How required works: Required only applies to new records. If you make a field required after some records already exist, those existing records are not affected. Posted invoices, bills and other locked accounting documents are also exempt – you do not need to go back and update them.
Default values pre-fill the field when:
You create a new record.
You import data and the value is missing.
You duplicate a record or convert an estimate to an invoice and the source had no value.
Default values do not overwrite values on records you edit, and they do not apply to recurring invoices that were generated before you added the field.
Edit, deactivate or delete a set
Open Settings › Custom fields and click the set name to open it.
Edit – change the set name, the records it is attached to, the position, or any field inside it. The key stays fixed.
Deactivate – use the Active toggle to hide the set without deleting any data. Existing values stay readable on records.
Delete – use the actions menu on the list page. This removes the set and all its values from records.
Deleting is permanent. All values stored in this set are removed from every record. If you want to stop using a set but keep the data, deactivate it instead.
Custom fields vs Tags
Cybooks has two ways to attach extra information to records: custom fields and tags. They look similar but solve different problems.
Use custom fields for metadata that belongs directly on a record – like a project code on an invoice or a department on an employee.
Use tags for reporting dimensions that classify journal lines and appear in your reports.
For a full comparison with examples, read Tags vs Custom Fields: which one should I use?.