Custom Fields

Custom fields let you collect any additional information that Campflow does not include by default. Need to track allergies, transportation needs, or emergency contacts? Create a custom field for it. The data you collect appears on family and camper profiles, can be shown on the registration form, and is included in exports and reports.

Creating a Custom Field

Custom fields are managed on the Registration & Application Settings page.

1. Click Settings in the sidebar, then click Registration & Application.
2. Scroll down to the Custom Fields section.
3. Click Add Custom Field.

4. Enter a Field Label — this is the name that will appear on forms and profiles (e.g., “Allergies” or “Emergency Contact Name”).
5. Choose Field For to decide what this field is attached to:
   • Family — One value per family (e.g., “How did you hear about us?”).
   • Camper — One value per camper, stays the same across seasons (e.g., “Allergies”).
   • Enrollment — One value per camper per season, can change each year (e.g., “Needs Transportation”).
   • Staff — Attached to staff members.
6. Choose a Type for the field (see field types below).
7. Optionally add a Description — helper text shown beneath the field to guide users.
8. Click Save Settings at the bottom of the page.

Field Types

Type	What it looks like	Best for
Text	A single-line text box	Short answers like names or simple info
Long Text	A multi-line text area	Longer answers like allergy details or notes
Number	A number-only input	Numeric data like age or quantity
Phone	A formatted phone number field	Phone numbers
Email	An email input with validation	Email addresses
Checkbox	A single on/off checkbox	Yes/no questions like “Needs Transportation”
Single Select - Dropdown	A menu where you pick one option	Choosing from a predefined list
Single Select - Radio	Radio buttons where you pick one option	Same as dropdown, but all options visible at once
Multi Select - Dropdown	A menu where you pick multiple options	Selecting several items from a list
Multi Select - Checkboxes	Checkboxes where you pick multiple options	Same as multi-select dropdown, but all options visible

For any select-type field, you will need to add the available options. Type each option and press Enter to add it.

Visibility Settings

Each custom field has toggles that control where it appears:

• Use Field — Turns the field on or off entirely. When off, the field will not appear anywhere.
• Registration: Show — Displays the field on the registration form so parents can fill it in.
• Registration: Require — Makes the field mandatory on the registration form. Parents cannot submit registration without filling it in.

If your camp uses applications, you will also see Application: Show and Application: Require toggles that work the same way for the application form.

Changing a Field Type

You can change the type of an existing custom field at any time. Campflow will automatically convert your data when possible. The table below shows what happens for each type of change.

From	To	What happens	Example
Single Select (Dropdown)	Single Select (Radio)	Kept as-is. Same data, different input style.	”Vegetarian” stays “Vegetarian”
Multi Select (Dropdown)	Multi Select (Checkboxes)	Kept as-is. Same data, different input style.	”Swimming, Arts” stays “Swimming, Arts”
Text	Long Text	Kept as-is. The field becomes a larger text area.	”Peanut allergy” stays “Peanut allergy”
Phone, Email, or Number	Text or Long Text	Kept as-is. The value is already text.	”555-1234” stays “555-1234”
Single Select	Multi Select	Converted. Each answer becomes a one-item selection.	”Bus” becomes a selection of “Bus”
Single Select	Text or Long Text	Kept as-is. The chosen option becomes plain text.	”Bus” stays “Bus”
Multi Select	Text or Long Text	Converted. Selections are joined with commas.	”Swimming, Arts” becomes the text “Swimming, Arts”
Multi Select	Single Select	Partially converted. Answers with one selection are kept. Answers with multiple selections cannot be narrowed to one and will be deleted.	”Bus” is kept. “Bus, Van” is deleted.
Text, Long Text, Number, Phone, or Email	Single or Multi Select	Partially converted. Answers that match one of the options (ignoring capitalization and extra spaces) are kept. Answers that do not match any option are deleted.	With options “Bus” and “Van”, “bus” becomes “Bus”. “Walking” is deleted.
Any other change		Deleted. The data cannot be converted.	Changing a checkbox to a dropdown deletes all responses.

When you change a Text, Long Text, Number, Phone, or Email field to a select type, Campflow fills in the options for you from the answers already collected, so every existing answer is kept. This happens when the field has 20 or fewer distinct answers and the Options list is empty. You can edit the suggested options before saving — answers that no longer match an option will be deleted.

When a type change will cause any data loss, Campflow shows a confirmation dialog listing each affected field, how many records will lose data, and a preview of the most common values. You must type DELETE to confirm. This cannot be undone.

Good to Know

• Custom fields are shared across all seasons. A camper-level field like “Allergies” carries the same value from year to year. An enrollment-level field like “Needs Transportation” can have a different value each season.
• Custom field data appears in the family and camper profiles, in table columns, and in exports.
• You can reorder fields by changing their position in the list. Fields appear on forms in the order they are listed.
• Deleting a custom field permanently removes all data that was collected for it. Campflow will warn you and tell you how many families or campers would be affected before you confirm.