Create custom fields

Custom Fields allow you to store any data against individual targets in Movement including members, supporters and voters. You can therefore use any external data you hold on your members to target and personalise your messages.

Step 1: Create your custom field

Navigate to the audience tab to and click custom fields and then click add a custom field.

Complete the information required for your custom field to create your custom field:

Name: The name of you custom field. This must match the column header on your CSV.
Scope: Whether is custom field is available for everyone in Movement or only the people in your organisation.
Kind: Select string if the data you are uploading is text, select float if the data is numeric
Description: What data is included.
Default value: What you would like the value to be if the custom field is blank. Eg for Workplaces you may want the default value "your workplace" so there are no personalisation issues for members without this custom field information.
Category: Categorise your custom fields, this helps make them easier to manage and to find when using for personalisation in the campaign builder.

Tip: If you are likely to search by the contents, for example if the custom field contains a list of workplace roles, it can be helpful to list here the roles included so you can check back easily. Eg Workplace roles. workplace rep: WPR, Branch secretary: BSEC, Ballot volunteer: BV, Equalities rep: EQR.

Step 2: Create your CSV

Create a CSV of the data you wish to upload as a custom field and match this with membership numbers. The data can be numeric or text. The membership number will be used to match the data with members and so is essential. Label the custom field data column with the name you gave your custom field.

A basic custom field CSV to match with existing members will look like this:

If there are any new members in the CSV you wish to upload to with custom fields data, your CSV must have First name, Last Name and Membership number as well as the custom field column.

Tip: You can include more than one custom field in your CSV, simply include a new column naming each custom field and mapping the data to membership numbers for each custom field.

Step 3: Upload your CSV

In the audience tab, use the Upload button and upload your CSV. For step-by-step instructions on the uploader read our guide on uploading and updating member and supporter data.