Add fields without coding — customize fields to fit your business.

1. Introduction

While ERPNext can cover a wide range of business processes with its standard features alone, there will inevitably be needs to "add a few more fields" or "make the input screen easier to use" to meet the specific requirements of the workplace.

To meet these needs, ERPNext comes standard with five customization options.

Among these options, the easiest to use and the most adaptable to your work with just mouse operations is "Custom Fields".
Furthermore, custom fields do not add columns directly to the core database, but rather are dedicatedtabCustom Field It is managed using tables. Therefore, a key feature is that customizations are less likely to break even when the ERPNext core is updated.
(Details of the mechanism will be explained in a separate article) Unbreakable customization Please see below.

In this article,

• A variety of data types to choose from in "Custom Fields"
  Actual additional steps
  
  Let me introduce you to you.

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2. Representative Examples and Explanations of Data Types

The data types you can choose from in ERPNext's custom fields are extremely diverse. They can be broadly categorized into the following groups:

• ✍️Text-based ... Input of characters and sentences
• 🔢 Numerical and Calculation-Related ... Numbers, amounts, percentages, etc.
• 📅Date and Time Related ... Delivery date and time
• 📂Selection/Reference Systems ... Drop-down selection and linking to existing data
• 🖼️Files and Media ... Images and attachments
• ☑️Input assistance/control systems ... Checkboxes, buttons, etc.
• 📐Layout and Display ... Adjust the configuration of the input screen.

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✍️ Text-based

Type	Description	Usage Examples
Data	Single-line text	Model number / Phone number
Small Text / Long Text	Short/Long Text	Notes, Notes
Text Editor / Markdown / HTML Editor	Rich Text	Procedures, Manuals

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🔢 Numerical and Calculation Systems

Type	Description	Usage Examples
Int / Float	Integer / Decimal Number	Quantity, Dimensions
Currency	Currency	Amount, Unit Price
Percent / Rating / Duration	Percentage, Rating, Duration	Progress Rate, Review, Process Time

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📅 Date and Time System

Type	Description	Usage Examples
Date / Datetime / Time	Date and Time	Delivery Date, Inspection Time

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📂 Selection and Reference Systems

Type	Description	Usage Examples
Select	Dropdown options	Status, Priority
MultiSelect	Multiple Choices	Labels, Attribute Tags
Link	Link registered data	Customers, products, projects
Table / Table MultiSelect	Child Table	Detail Rows, Association List

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🖼️ File and Media

Type	Description	Usage Examples
Attach / Attach Image	File/Image Attachment	Design Drawings, Inspection Photos
Image	Thumbnail display	Product image
Signature	Enter Signature	Confirm Receipt

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☑️ Input assistance and control systems

Type	Description	Usage Examples
Check	Checkbox	Completion flag, safety check
Button	Button	Call Automatic Processing
Color	Color Selection	Status Color Coding
Barcode / QR Code	Barcode display	Label printing
Geolocation	Location information	Site location
Read Only	For reference only	Automatic calculation result
Password / Email / URL / Phone	Verified Input	Accounts, Contacts

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📐 Layout and Display Systems

Type	Description	Usage Examples
Section / Column / Tab Break / Heading	Layout Control	Organizing Input Screens
HTML / Icon	Static display	Warning, decoration

*Names may vary depending on the version and environment.

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3. Strengths of ERPNext

What's particularly convenient is that the following four data types can be easily added using only the GUI.

Data Type	Description	Usage Examples
Select	Define dropdown options	Status, Priority, Process Category
Link	Link registered data	Customers, products, projects
Table	Child tables will hold details	Detail rows, subtasks, process steps
Attach / Attach Image	Attach files/images	Design drawings, inspection photos, drawings

These can be added without any programming using the "Custom Forms" feature in ERPNext.
Furthermore, custom fields are stored in a dedicated tab called tabCustom Field and do not directly modify the core tables.
This allows you to achieve "unbreakable customization" without having to worry about updating the main unit's software.

In many conventional business systems, adding such items required modifying the database or changing the core code, which inevitably increased development effort and merge work.

ERPNext eliminates this burden, which is a great help to the IT department.
For example, even for something as simple as adding an input field, it was not uncommon in the past to require outsourcing costs of hundreds of thousands of yen and development time of several weeks.
With ERPNext, internal staff can configure it in just a few minutes, which significantly reduces development and operational costs.

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4. Setting Custom Field Properties

After adding a custom field, you can fine-tune the input rules and behavior. In ERPNext, you can set the following properties from the GUI:

• ❕Required Field → Cannot save if left blank
• 🔓Read Only → Items that cannot be edited, such as automatically calculated results.
• 🔄Default Value → Set a value in advance to save time.
• 💎 Unique → Duplicates are prohibited, such as employee numbers and serial numbers.
• ⚠️Conditionally Required (Depends On) → Required depending on the value of other fields
• 👀Hide → Keep the input screen simple

By combining these settings, you can prevent input errors while achieving smooth operation tailored to your business needs.

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5. Steps to add a custom field (Example: Adding a coin element to Work Order)

Let's actually add the "Coins Earned" and "Level" fields to the Work Order.

1. Open the target DocType

• Search for "work instructions" in the search bar and open it.
• Click "Edit Document Type" from the "Menu" in the upper right corner.

2. A customizable form will be displayed.

• Existing fields are listed, and there is an "Add New Field" button at the bottom.

3. Field 1: Number of Coins Acquired

• Display name: Coin acquisition count
• Field name: coin_count
• Data type: Int
• Initial value: 0
• Read-only: Yes

4. Determine the placement location.

• Drag the item and place it under Status, etc.

5. Save and "Update"

• Press the "Save" button in the upper right corner, then click "Update".
• The new fields will be reflected in the actual Work Order form.

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6. Summary

ERP Next custom fields are

That's its biggest appeal.

In this example, by adding "coin acquisition count" to the Work Order, we were able to add a playful element to the workplace while also visualizing the data.

Furthermore, by combining a wide range of data types and property settings, you can flexibly create input rules tailored to your specific business needs.

We encourage you to utilize ERPNext's custom fields to create a system tailored to your specific needs.