Understanding Custom Lists

Custom Lists provide a way to create reusable dropdown options that can be used across your Data Collections. Think of them as predefined lists of choices—like a list of departments, statuses, product categories, or years—that your team members can select from when entering data.

What Are Custom Lists?

A Custom List is a collection of predefined options (called "list items") that can power dropdown fields throughout your workspace. Instead of typing the same options repeatedly, you create them once in a Custom List and reference that list wherever needed.

Common Examples

Status Lists: Open, In Progress, Completed, On Hold
Department Lists: Sales, Marketing, Engineering, Support
Priority Levels: Low, Medium, High, Critical
Event Types: Conference, Workshop, Webinar, Meeting
Year Selections: 2024, 2025, 2026, 2027

How Custom Lists Work

When you create a field that needs a dropdown selection (called a "Single Selection from List" field), you can configure it to pull its options from a Custom List. This means:

Centralized Management: Update the list once, and the changes appear everywhere that list is used
Consistency: Everyone selects from the same standardized options
Data Integrity: Prevents typos and variations that come with free-text entry

Key Features

List Items

Each Custom List contains one or more items. Each item has a value (the text that appears in dropdowns) and can optionally have additional custom properties like icons, colors, or metadata.

Custom Properties

Beyond the basic value, you can add custom properties to your list items. For example, a "Department" list might have properties for department code, manager name, or budget center.

Archive Feature

When a list item is no longer needed (like a past year or discontinued status), you can archive it instead of deleting it. Archived items:

No longer appear as selectable options in dropdowns
Are preserved for historical records that reference them
Can be restored if needed in the future

Custom Lists vs. Data Collections

You might wonder when to use a Custom List versus a regular Data Collection. Here's a simple guide:

Use a Custom List When...	Use a Data Collection When...
You need simple, predefined options	You need complex records with many fields
The list rarely changes	Records are frequently added or modified
Items don't have detailed information	Each record needs detailed tracking
Examples: Statuses, categories, types	Examples: People, products, projects

Where to Manage Custom Lists

Custom Lists are managed in the Team Administration area of your workspace. Only team members with the appropriate admin permissions can create, edit, or archive Custom Lists.

To access Custom Lists, navigate to Team Administration → Custom Lists in your workspace.