Custom fields
Custom fields are the extra pieces of information you store about each contact — first name, company, location, plan, or anything else. They power personalization and precise segmentation, turning a flat list into a rich, targetable audience.
What custom fields are for
Every contact has an email address, but the details that make email feel personal live in custom fields. Capture them at import, through a form, or via an automation, and you can use them everywhere downstream.
Two big payoffs
- Personalization — greet contacts by name and reference details that matter to them, so emails read as one-to-one rather than mass mail.
- Segmentation — build segments like “customers in Germany on the Pro plan” and send each group exactly the right message.
Designing good fields
Plan your fields around how you'll use them:
- Store values you'll segment or personalize on — skip data you'll never act on.
- Keep values consistent (for example, a fixed set of country names) so segments stay reliable.
- Map import columns to the right field so data lands cleanly.
Putting fields to work
Once your fields are populated, reference them in your emails for personalization and combine them in segments for targeting. Well-structured custom fields are what let a single list serve many tailored campaigns — the heart of relevant, high-performing email.
Examples of useful fields
- First name — for friendly, personalized greetings.
- Location — for regional offers, events, and timing.
- Plan or tier — to tailor messaging to customers vs. prospects.
- Interests — to send only the topics each subscriber cares about.
Frequently asked questions
Can automations change field values? Yes — an operation node can update a field as a contact progresses, and an attribute update trigger can even start a flow when a value changes.
How do fields relate to segments? Fields are the raw data; segments are the filters you build on top of them. Well-structured fields make precise targeting possible.