Many companies are now automating their services to reduce their workload and increase efficiency. Work automation also prevents a lack of trust between stakeholders, ensuring one meets set deadlines.
One of the tools that makes work easier for most organizations is Trello. However, you must learn how to customize the application to meet your needs. Thanks to the custom fields in Trello, you can add new field types and custom data to your Trello cards, making them more specific to your workflow.
The custom fields make it easier to assign estimates for tasks or filter or group data. But how can you create custom fields, filter or change the order of the custom fields, or enable it on the paid plan?
If you're planning to introduce Trello to your team, or you’re already using Trello but want to add extra functionality in addition to your Power-Ups, this guide explains ways to make it perform better through custom fields.
How to Add Custom Fields
To enjoy using custom fields in Trello, you must learn how they work. First, understand how to add the custom fields to Trello. You can achieve this by:
Go to the right side board menu or click on the “Add to Card” on the card back.
Then click on the button, and a pop-up menu of “Custom Fields” will appear on the menu.
After that, press on the ‘+ New field’ and follow the prompts.
Name your custom field in the title box and choose the custom field you want to create.
Note that the custom fields allow you to add the following to your cards:
Text
Numbers
Checkboxes
Dates
Dropdown lists
Be careful when creating dropdowns, as this confuses most people. Setting the color for the dropdown options using the small gray box next to each option is advisable to avoid confusion.
How to Use Custom Fields
After adding the custom fields, follow the instructions below to start using them:
Enter values in the custom fields you've created by clicking on a field at the back of the card.
Then click on the entry list to edit a given custom field. You can also change its name.
Enter to save your preferred name for the custom field.
NOTE that after creating a custom field, it's impossible to change its type.
How to Edit and Delete Custom Fields
It's also possible to edit or delete your custom fields on Trello. Consider adding custom fields by opening the card. Then go to the “custom fields” menu on the right. After that, choose the custom field you’d like to edit.
Use the pop-up window to guide you through deleting or editing a custom field.
How to Filter Custom Fields
You can filter custom fields in Trello to help group the data. The simplest way to do this is to use your computer's “f” key. If you use this method, it will filter the custom fields depending on their titles or content.
However, filtering the custom fields through the web form using the source or keywords is also possible. For example, you can use the keyword “smallest,” and the custom fields with the keyword will appear. It's advisable to use third-party apps to filter with fewer challenges. If you opt for third-party tools like Blue Cat Reports, you can write on a card with specific dates in a custom text field.
Why Are My Custom Fields Grayed Out?
When using custom fields on Trello, you may notice that they get grayed out. This means the custom fields in Trello are for the paid option. So you can't add them to your boards. You can pay for the option to enjoy using the grayed-out custom fields.
You can access the custom boards after paying for the standard, premium, or enterprise plans. However, if you have the customs field power-up enabled on the existing freeboard, it's possible to use it. But if you create the board within the free workspace, it won’t work unless you upgrade to the paid plan.
How to Change the Order of Custom Fields
You can change the order of custom fields in Trello. Go to the menu on the back of the cards (where you add new fields) and click on it. Then drag “the 6 dots button” on every custom field’s left. After that, the order will show on the front and back of Trello board cards.
You can also use the same method to reorder options in your customized drop-down field.
Custom Fields on Mobile
Moreover, you can decide to use custom fields on mobile. You can achieve this by:
Copying Cards With Custom Field Data
Adding custom fields allows you to copy cards containing the custom field data only. If you copy a card with a custom field on mobile data, it can enable you to keep the custom field items. Press the “on” toggle button to create a new custom field with a value in the field.
However, if you switch it off, the new card created with a custom field won't have the value in the field. So it's up to you to decide whether to keep the value or not when copying. Remember, if the card copies a custom field without value, it won’t let you copy the item, as there's no value to keep.
Copying Checkbox Custom Fields
Copying data using a checkbox custom field can be tricky if you’re not careful. Remember, if you uncheck the checkbox, copying the custom field value is impossible. So if you want to copy the value of the checkbox, ensure you check the checkbox.
Then uncheck the checkbox to allow you to keep the custom field items. This happens because it has a nil value after creating the checkbox custom field Trello. However, after checking it, it gains true value. But when you uncheck it, it gains a ‘false’ value. Note that the ‘false value is considered a value.
How to Import/Export Custom Fields
When using custom fields in Trello, you can import or export the data they contain. Exporting the data enables you to manage the information in other tools for an in-depth analysis. You can export the data using add-on tools on Trello like Google Sheets or Excel. The data comes out as CSV or JSON. But there's the option of exporting them in PDF formats.
How to Export Custom Field to CSV or Google Sheets
Exporting Trello custom field CSV is possible only when using the paid option, which has an inbuilt exporting tool. With it, you can open the CSV files in an Excel sheet without challenges.
Alternatively, you can export custom fields from Trello to Google Sheets by importing them to Google Sheets. But to have more control over the exported data, consider additional apps like Board Export.
Exporting Custom Fields to PDF
Even though Trello doesn’t support PDF, a third-party app can help you out. Through the third-party add-on app, Trello can allow you to export custom fields in PDF form from different boards.
How to Import Custom Fields
Consider adding custom fields to Trello in PDF, CSV, or Google Sheets for easy work. The Excel files must be in XLSX format to allow you to open or import the custom fields to Trello. On the other hand, the Google Sheets must be in CSV file format.
Note that all the data should be imported to custom fields. Failure to do this, the app should notify you after the import is complete. You can also import a backup file to custom fields Trello. Then after that, recreate or change lost data. But ensure you import everything on the spreadsheet to avoid losing data. Alternatively, you can edit the custom field you want to recreate beforehand.
