Rename custom fields

While importing contacts you can link up to 20 custom fields to any contact metadata that do not match any of the predefined fields. These custom fields can be used for all sorts of data. That is why it is useful to change your custom field name so that their contents are clear to everyone with access to your survey or your reports.

By default, custom fields will be renamed while you import the contacts. In order to do so at a different point in time, please follow these steps.

In this article

• Rename custom fields via the distribute overview
• Rename custom fields via the contacts overview
• Custom field variables

Rename custom fields via the distribute overview

1. Go to the survey and click on Distribute.
2. Click on Email, SMS or Paper.
3. Click on Custom Fields.
4. Put the names you wish to use into each text field. Then click on Rename fields at the bottom of the page.

5. The changes are immediately visible in the contacts overview.

Rename custom fields via the contacts overview

1. Go to the survey and click on Distribute.
2. Click on Email, SMS or Paper.
3. Click on Contacts.
4. Click on  to open the list of available columns.
5. Click on the pencil icon next to a custom field.

6. Add the names you wish to use for the custom fields.
   Fields you leave empty will retain their generic custom field name.

7. Click on Rename fields.

The new names will be visible in your contacts overview, but also when creating report filters, or adding branching or page display logic based on respondent fields. 

Custom field variables

When using custom fields in your email invitations, reminders or surveys, you can easily select the variables from the drop-down menu Variables. The names you gave the custom fields will be shown in this menu.

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You can always still type the variables yourself. You can either use the variable with the number of the custom field: {{contact.customfields.x}} (The “x” represents the number of the custom field.)

Or you can use the new label of the custom field. Just like you can use question data labels to refer to questions in variables, you can do the same for custom field names, e.g. if you have renamed custom field 1 to ‘department‘ then the variable will be: {{contact.customfields.department}}.

When you go to the custom fields page (Distribute > Email, SMS or Paper > Custom fields) you'll immediately see the variable to use and can copy it over easily: 

Pay attention that when you rename these custom fields again, the variable with the labels will change as well. So in the case of custom fields, it may be safer to use the field number instead of the label (which is the opposite of questions where the question data labels are the better option)​