Custom Fields

VIDEO-TUTORIAL: Create Custom Fields

Custom fields are an easy way to individualize your InLoox account. You can create custom fields for:

• Projects
• Tasks
• Mindmap nodes
• Planning
• Time
• Documents
• Risks
• Financials and line items
• People
• Organizations
• Every active custom entity type in your Account

Types of Custom Fields

You can select from the following types:

• String — for free text input.
• Datetime — for date values.
• Integer — for whole numbers.
• Decimal — for numbers with decimal places.
• Boolean — a checkbox for yes/no values.
• List — a dropdown with predefined values to choose from.
• Currency — for monetary amounts.
• Multi-Select — for tagging items with multiple values from a predefined list. Values are displayed as tags and can be filtered in list views, but not used for grouping.
• Range — a slider for selecting a numeric value within a defined minimum and maximum.
• Person — a people picker for selecting one or more persons from your InLoox contacts. Values are displayed with the person's profile picture and name. When creating the field, you can enable Allow Multiple Persons to let users select more than one person. Persons entered in custom fields do not receive notifications.
• Formula — a computed field whose value is automatically calculated from a formula expression. The formula can reference built-in fields of the item (such as the project name or task status) as well as other custom fields within the same area. Formula fields are read-only — their value is always calculated automatically and cannot be edited manually. Custom fields are referenced by their internal column name, so renaming a field does not break existing formula references. For step-by-step instructions, see How to create a formula field.

Key behaviors:

• By default, a custom field is always visible. You can set a specific display rule to control when it appears.
• By default, a custom field is unlocked for editing. You can enable write protection to restrict who can edit it (available since InLoox 12.4).
• By default, a custom field is optional. You can make it mandatory so that users are warned when it's left empty (available since InLoox 12.4).

warning

To create custom fields, you must have admin permissions for your InLoox account. Custom fields are only available in the InLoox Enterprise, InLoox Enterprise Plus, and InLoox Self-Hosted editions.

Organize custom fields into sections

You can group custom fields into named sections. Sections help you structure the side panel so that related fields are displayed together under a clear heading.

To manage sections, go to Account Settings > Custom Fields and select the desired area (e.g., projects or tasks):

• Create a section — Click + Create Section and enter a name.
• Rename a section — Click directly on the section name and type the new name.
• Reorder sections — Click the arrow buttons on the right side of a section header to move it up or down.
• Delete a section — Click on the right side of the section header. Custom fields within the section are not deleted but moved to the default section.

To manage custom fields within sections:

• Move a field to a different section — Click the move icon on the right side of the field. In the Move to Section dialog, select the target section and click Move.
• Reorder fields within a section — Click and hold the drag handle (six dots) on the left side of a field and drag it to the desired position.

How to create a new custom field

1. In InLoox, click on your profile picture in the upper-right corner.
2. Click on Account Settings.
3. Click on Custom Fields.
4. Select the InLoox section where the custom field should be displayed (e.g., the manage page of the project).
5. Click the New button within the desired section to open the editing window. By default, a section called Custom Fields exists. If you have created additional sections, each section has its own New button.
6. Type in the name of the custom field.
7. Select the type from the drop-down menu (see Types of Custom Fields above).
8. Click Save. The custom field is created and is "always visible" by default.

How to create a formula field

Formula fields allow you to define a calculation that is automatically evaluated for each item. The formula can reference built-in entity fields and other custom fields within the same area.

warning

Formula fields are only available in the InLoox Enterprise Plus and InLoox Self-Hosted editions. If Formula is not listed in the Type dropdown, your InLoox edition does not include this field type.

1. Go to Account Settings and click on Custom Fields.
2. Select the area where the formula field should be created (e.g., Projects or Tasks).
3. Click the New button within the desired section.
4. Enter a name for the custom field.
5. From the Type dropdown, select Formula.
6. For Result type, choose between Number, Text, Date, or Boolean.
7. If you selected Number as the result type, the Decimal places field appears. The default value is 2 — you can adjust it from 0 to 4 decimal places.

8. Click Save. The new custom field now appears in the list.
9. In the field row, click Expression: No expression defined to open the formula editor.

10. On the left side of the editor, you'll find the available entries:
    • Entity Fields — built-in fields of the entity (e.g., Name, StartDate, IsArchived). Which fields are available depends on the area in which you created the custom field. Entity field names are always in English, regardless of the UI language.
    • Fields — other custom fields within the same area.
    • Functions — categorized into Math, String, Date, and Logic.

Available operators and functions — Click to expand the full reference

Text values:

• Enclose text in single quotation marks, e.g., 'Done'. Double quotation marks are not valid.

Arithmetic operators:

• + (addition), - (subtraction), * (multiplication), / (division)
• Example: [PlannedCostsOpex] - [ActualCostsOpex]

Comparison operators:

• = (equal), <> or != (not equal), < (less than), > (greater than), <= (less than or equal), >= (greater than or equal)
• Example: [ComputedProgress] >= 50

String operators:

• + (concatenation)
• Example: [Number] + ' - ' + [ClientName]

Logical operators:

• AND — all conditions must be true
• OR — at least one condition must be true
• NOT — reverses the result of a condition
• Example: [IsArchived] OR [IsRequest]

Math:

• Abs(value) — returns the absolute value
• Round(value, precision) — rounds to the specified number of decimal places
• Floor(value) — rounds down to the nearest integer
• Ceiling(value) — rounds up to the nearest integer
• Max(a, b) — returns the larger of two values
• Min(a, b) — returns the smaller of two values
• Power(base, exp) — raises base to the power of exp
• Log(value) — returns the natural logarithm
• Log10(value) — returns the base-10 logarithm
• Sqr(value) — returns the square root

String:

• Concat(a, b) — joins two or more strings together
• Len(str) — returns the length of a string
• Trim(str) — removes leading and trailing whitespace
• Upper(str) — converts to uppercase
• Lower(str) — converts to lowercase
• Substring(str, start, len) — extracts a portion of a string
• Contains(str, substr) — checks if a string contains a substring
• Replace(str, old, new) — replaces every occurrence of a substring

Date:

• AddDays(date, count) — adds the specified number of days to a date
• AddMonths(date, count) — adds the specified number of months to a date
• AddYears(date, count) — adds the specified number of years to a date
• DateDiffDay(date1, date2) — returns the number of days between two dates
• GetYear(date) — returns the year portion of a date
• GetMonth(date) — returns the month portion of a date
• GetDay(date) — returns the day portion of a date

Logic:

• Iif(cond, trueVal, falseVal) — returns trueVal if condition is true, otherwise falseVal
• IsNull(value) — checks if a value is null
• IsNullOrEmpty(value) — checks if a value is null or an empty string

11. Click an entry to insert it into the formula. Fields are referenced in square brackets, e.g., [EndDate]. Custom fields are inserted with their internal column name, e.g., [cf_0bdb9fd8_ContractStart].
12. When the formula is complete, click Save. If the expression contains an error, for example a field name that does not exist, the editor shows Invalid expression and does not save the formula.

Recalculate formula values and check status

When you save a formula expression, InLoox starts a recalculation for all existing items in that area.

In Custom Fields, the formula row shows the current calculation status next to Calculation:

• Waiting for calculation — The recalculation is queued (after saving an expression or clicking Recalculate all values).
• Calculating… — The recalculation is in progress.
• Calculated on followed by the date and time — The recalculation finished successfully.
• Calculation failed — The recalculation failed. The error details are shown below the status.

If the status is Calculation failed, click Recalculate all values to start the recalculation again.

Data Visibility

Formulas reference entity fields. The calculated result is visible to anyone with read access to the entity and may potentially expose data that is hidden by default.

Practical example: Tracking deadlines

This example shows how to combine a custom date field with formula fields to track deadlines on the project manage page:

1. Create a custom field called Release Event (type: Datetime). This stores the planned release date for the project.
2. Create a formula field called Remaining Number of Days Until Project End (type: Formula, result type: Number, decimal places: 0). Enter the formula: DateDiffDay(Today(), [EndDate])
3. Create a formula field called Remaining Number of Days Until Release Event (type: Formula, result type: Number, decimal places: 0). Enter DateDiffDay(Today(), and click Release Event under Fields to insert its internal column name, e.g., DateDiffDay(Today(), [cf_ad07f850_ReleaseEvent]).

Tip: Right-click the image and select Open image in new tab to view it larger.

Both formula fields now automatically show the remaining days for each project. A negative value means the date has already passed.

More formula examples

The following examples use built-in fields of the project area. You can copy the formulas directly into the formula editor of a formula field in the Project area.

• Share of completed tasks in percent
  • Formula: Iif([TasksCount] = 0, 0, [DoneTasksCount] * 100 / [TasksCount])
  • Result type: Number, decimal places: 0
  • Example: A project has 11 tasks, 2 of them are done. The field shows 18. Projects without tasks show 0.
• Remaining operational budget
  • Formula: [PlannedCostsOpex] - [ActualCostsOpex]
  • Result type: Number, decimal places: 2
  • Example: 10,000.00 are planned and 7,250.00 have been spent. The field shows 2,750.00.
• End of the warranty period
  • Formula: AddDays([EndDate], 90)
  • Result type: Date
  • Example: A project that ends on December 31, 2026, shows March 31, 2027.
• Project ends within the next 14 days
  • Formula: DateDiffDay(Today(), [EndDate]) >= 0 AND DateDiffDay(Today(), [EndDate]) <= 14
  • Result type: Boolean
  • Example: A project that ends in 10 days is checked. A project whose end date has already passed is not checked.

How to set a display rule for a custom field

After creating the custom field, you can set a specific rule for when it should be displayed.

1. In the Rule column, click "Always visible" (or the existing rule label) to open the Set Display Rule editing window.

   

2. Choose whether to define the rule with filter expressions or regular expressions.

Create a rule with filter expressions (default)

Filter expressions let you build conditions visually, without writing regular expressions. You can combine multiple conditions using logical operators and even show or hide custom fields based on the values of other custom fields.

1. Click And and select a logical operator:
   • And — all conditions must be met for the field to appear. Example: A custom field in the project area should only appear when the department is set to E-Development. Add the condition: Department equals E-Development.
   • Or — at least one condition must be met. Example: A custom field should appear for both the E-Development and IT Department. Add: Department equals E-Development. Then click + next to Or and add: Department equals IT Department.
   • Not And — the field is hidden only when all of the following conditions are true. If only some match, the field is still displayed. Example: A custom field should not appear when the project name contains Development and the customer is internal. Add: Project name contains Development AND Customer equals internal. The field is hidden only when both conditions are true — if only one matches, it is still displayed.
   • Not Or — each individual condition prevents the field from being displayed. Example: A custom field should only appear when the project status is Started. Add the conditions: Project status equals Requested, Project status equals Rejected, and Project status equals Not started. The field appears for all other statuses but not for these three.
2. Click the + icon to add:
   • Condition — a single filter condition.
   • Group — a group of conditions for more complex logic.
3. Click Save to store the rule. You can change it at any time. Changes only apply to newly created items — they do not take effect retroactively.

Custom fields depending on other custom fields

Custom fields can be shown or hidden based on the value of another custom field. For example, you have two custom fields: "Idea approved" (a checkbox) and "Approved on" (a date field). You can configure "Approved on" to only appear when "Idea approved" is set to Yes.

Create a rule with regular expressions

If you prefer working with regular expressions, proceed as follows:

1. Click the </> Regular Expression tab in the Set Display Rule window.

2. From the Apply to dropdown, select the data field for the condition. The following options are available: Project name, Project number, Customer name, Customer number, Division name, Project status, Project category, Group (Task), and Status (Task).

   

3. In the Rule field, enter a regular expression. For example, if you selected Client number in Apply to, enter the desired client name, e.g., XYZ Corporation. Use the Test field to validate your expression.

4. Click Save to store the rule. You can change it at any time. Changes only apply to newly created items — they do not take effect retroactively.

Personal tasks without project context

To create custom fields for personal tasks without a project context, create the custom field in the Task Item tab and set a rule for the Project Name field using the expression: ^null$

The custom field will then automatically appear for all personal tasks that are not part of a project.

How to edit or delete a custom field

You can edit the Name, Default Value, and Rule of an existing custom field by clicking on it. You cannot change the type of an existing custom field.

To delete a custom field, click next to it. To confirm, type DELETE in the text box and click Delete.

warning

You cannot delete a custom field that a formula field references. InLoox shows the message The field "…" is used in a formula field and cannot be deleted. Remove it from the formula first. and the field stays in the list. The message does not name the formula field — open the formula fields of the same area, check their expressions, and remove the field from the formula before you delete it.

warning

You cannot delete a custom field that a formula field references. InLoox shows the message The field "…" is used in a formula field and cannot be deleted. Remove it from the formula first. and the field stays in the list. The message does not name the formula field — open the formula fields of the same area, check their expressions, and remove the field from the formula before you delete it.

How to enable write protection for custom fields

Custom fields can be locked for editing. You can enable write protection individually per custom field and define who can edit it:

• All users with editing permissions for the section where the custom field was created (e.g., document editing permission = permission to edit custom fields in Documents).
• Users with a specific role (e.g., only "project manager" role holders can edit a particular custom field).
• A specific person assigned to the custom field.

Steps:

1. Go to Account Settings and click on Custom Fields.
2. Select the section and click New to create a custom field.
3. Enter the name and select the type, then click Save.
4. Click next to the custom field.
5. In the Enable write protection window, define who can edit this field.
6. Click Save.

To modify the setting later, click again.

How to make custom fields mandatory

By default, custom fields are optional. To make a field mandatory, check the "Warn if empty" box. Users will see a red notification alerting them to fill in the required field.