# Custom attributes

> Add your own contact fields, choose which ones are active and in what order, and set them up as search filters on the Contacts page.

- Section: Using the app (manual) › Contacts & lists
- Web page: https://docs.biglysales.com/manual/custom-attributes
- Video: placeholder — "Adding your own contact fields" (not yet recorded)

**Custom attributes** are your own contact fields, such as a policy number, a lead score or a loan amount. Once an attribute exists, you can fill it in on a contact, map a spreadsheet column to it when importing, and search contacts by it.

## Before you start

- You need permission to manage contact attributes. See [Team members](https://docs.biglysales.com/manual/team-members.md).
- Both screens are in the user menu (your initials, top right): **Add Contact Attribute** and **Attribute Management**.

## Create an attribute

1. Open the user menu and click **Add Contact Attribute**. You can also click **Create New Attribute** on the **Contact Attributes** page.
2. Enter the **Attribute Name**, for example `Policy Number`.
3. Choose the value type: **String**, **Number** or **Date**. The default is **String**.
4. Under **Search Filter Configuration**, choose how people will search by this field (see the table below), and optionally add **Placeholder Text**.
5. Leave **Enable Search Filter** on to show it as a filter on the Contacts page, or switch it off.
6. Click **Add**.

Names must be at least two characters long.

> [Screenshot placeholder: Add Contact Attribute — The Add Contact Attribute dialog with Attribute Name filled in, the type dropdown set to String, the Search Filter Configuration section with Input Type, Placeholder Text and the Enable Search Filter switch, and the Add button.]

## Manage your attributes

1. Open the user menu and click **Attribute Management**. The **Contact Attributes** page opens.
2. Attributes under **Active Attributes** are in use. Those under **Inactive Attributes** are hidden.
3. Drag an attribute by its handle to reorder it, or to move it between the two lists.
4. Click **Inactivate all** or **Activate all** to move everything at once.
5. Click **Save** to keep your changes, or **Revert** to undo them.

A few standard fields are always active and can't be moved or deleted.

To delete an attribute you created, click the delete icon next to it.

> [Screenshot placeholder: Contact Attributes page — The Contact Attributes page with Active Attributes and Inactive Attributes side by side, drag handles and delete icons on custom attributes, the Inactivate all and Activate all buttons, Create New Attribute at the top and Save and Revert at the bottom.]

## Set an attribute up as a search filter

1. On the **Contact Attributes** page, click an active attribute's name. **Configure Search Filter** opens.
2. Choose the **Input Type**.
3. For **Number Range**, set **Min Value** and **Max Value**.
4. Optionally add **Placeholder Text**, the hint shown in the empty filter box.
5. Switch **Enable Search Filter** on.
6. Click **Save Configuration**.

The filter now appears on the [Contacts](https://docs.biglysales.com/manual/contacts.md) search page.

## Settings explained

| Input Type | How people search |
|---|---|
| **Text Input - Free text** | Type text. Matches values that start with what you type. |
| **Select Dropdown** | Pick from a dropdown of values your contacts already have. New values are added to the dropdown within a few minutes. |
| **Number Range - Min/Max range** | Enter a minimum and a maximum. |
| **Date Range - From/To date** | Pick a from and a to date. |
| **Boolean - True/False or 1/0 dropdown** | Pick yes or no. |

## Use attributes elsewhere

- **On a contact**: open the contact, click **Edit**, then **Additional Attributes**. See [Contacts](https://docs.biglysales.com/manual/contacts.md#edit-a-contact).
- **When importing**: map a column to the attribute on **Pair your data**. See [Importing contacts](https://docs.biglysales.com/manual/importing-contacts.md).
- **In messages**: attributes can be inserted into text messages as merge fields. See [SMS campaigns](https://docs.biglysales.com/manual/sms-campaigns.md).

## Common questions

**An attribute name I typed already exists.** Attribute names are shared, so Bigly reuses the existing field instead of making a duplicate.

**A dropdown filter is missing a value I just added.** Values are added to dropdowns every few minutes. Check again shortly.

## Related

- [Contacts](https://docs.biglysales.com/manual/contacts.md)
- [Importing contacts](https://docs.biglysales.com/manual/importing-contacts.md)
- [Prompt variables](https://docs.biglysales.com/manual/prompt-variables.md)

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All documentation pages: https://docs.biglysales.com/llms.txt