PloverCRM supports 10 field types for flexible data collection. Choose the right type for data consistency and proper validation.
[Screenshot: Field type selection dropdown in custom field creation form]
Available Field Types #
1. Text Field #
Single-line text for short values (max 255 chars).
Use for: Job Title, Employee ID, Department, Office Location
[Screenshot: Text field input example]
2. Textarea Field #
Multi-line text for longer content (max 65,535 chars). Preserves line breaks, plain text only.
Use for: Bio, Special Instructions, Internal Notes
[Screenshot: Textarea field with multiple lines]
3. Email Field #
Validates email format, converts to lowercase. Primary email is a standard field.
Use for: Work Email, Personal Email, Billing Email
[Screenshot: Email field with validation indicator]
4. URL Field #
Requires protocol (http:// or https://). Validates domain structure.
Use for: Company Website, LinkedIn Profile, Portfolio URL
[Screenshot: URL field input with protocol]
5. Number Field #
Accepts integers and decimals, including negative numbers.
Use for: Annual Revenue, Employee Count, Deal Value, Lead Score
[Screenshot: Number field with numeric keyboard on mobile]
6. Select (Dropdown) Field #
Single choice from predefined options (5+ options). Case-sensitive matching.
Use for: Industry, Company Size, Lead Source, Priority Level
Configuration: Enter one option per line
[Screenshot: Select dropdown with multiple options]
7. Radio Field #
Single choice with all options visible (2-5 options). Use Select for 5+ options.
Use for: Newsletter Subscription (Yes/No), Contact Preference
[Screenshot: Radio buttons example]
8. Checkbox Field #
Single checkbox (boolean) or multiple selections (array).
Use for: Product Interests, Communication Preferences, Opt-ins
[Screenshot: Multiple checkboxes selected]
9. Date Field #
Date picker without time. Storage format: YYYY-MM-DD. Prevents invalid dates.
Use for: Birthday, Contract Start Date, Last Purchase Date
[Screenshot: Date picker calendar interface]
10. Date Time Field #
Date and time picker. Storage format: YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS. Uses WordPress timezone.
Use for: Next Meeting, Demo Scheduled, Appointment Date
[Screenshot: Date time picker with calendar and time selection]
Quick Selection Guide #
| Data Type | Field Type | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Short text (< 100 chars) | Text | Max 255 chars |
| Long text (> 100 chars) | Textarea | Max 65K chars |
| Email address | Auto-validates | |
| Website/Link | URL | Requires protocol |
| Number/Amount | Number | Enables calculations |
| Single choice (5+ options) | Select | Dropdown menu |
| Single choice (2-5 options) | Radio | All visible |
| Multiple choices | Checkbox | Array storage |
| Yes/No | Checkbox or Radio | Boolean |
| Date only | Date | No time component |
| Date and time | Date Time | Includes time |
[Screenshot: Decision tree flowchart for field type selection]
Real-World Examples #
B2B/SaaS: Company Name (Text), Website (URL), Industry (Select), Company Size (Select), Annual Revenue (Number), Deal Value (Number), Expected Close Date (Date), Next Meeting (Date Time)
E-commerce: Customer Type (Select), Customer Since (Date), Lifetime Value (Number), Total Orders (Number), Preferred Categories (Checkbox), Loyalty Tier (Select)
Real Estate: Property Type (Select), Budget Min/Max (Number), Bedrooms (Number), Move-in Date (Date), Pre-approved (Checkbox), Next Showing (Date Time)
Important Limitations #
Cannot Change Type After Creation Once created, field type is permanent. To change: create new field → migrate data → delete old field.
Type Constraints:
- Text: 255 chars max
- Textarea: 65,535 chars max
- Email: Valid format required
- URL: Protocol required (http:// or https://)
- Number: Range ±999,999,999,999
- Select/Radio/Checkbox: 100 options max recommended
- Date: 1970-2038 range (Unix timestamp limit)
Best Practices #
Do:
- ✅ Use specific types (Email for emails, not Text)
- ✅ Use Number for numeric data (enables calculations)
- ✅ Use Date/DateTime for dates (enables filtering)
- ✅ Use Select/Radio for predefined options
- ✅ Test with sample data before rollout
Don’t:
- ❌ Use Text for emails, URLs, numbers, or dates
- ❌ Use Textarea for short text
- ❌ Change field types after creation
- ❌ Create fields without planning
Performance: Text, Email, URL, Number, Select, Date fields provide faster search and filtering. Textarea fields may be slower for large-scale searches.
Troubleshooting #
Field Not Accepting Data: Check format matches field type, verify not read-only, confirm user permissions, ensure within length limits.
Select/Radio Options Not Saving: Enter one option per line, avoid special characters, reduce if > 100 options.
Date Field Showing Wrong Date: Check WordPress timezone settings, use YYYY-MM-DD format, verify date is valid.
Related Documentation #
Last updated: February 3, 2026
