Field Types

PrimeTask supports 14 custom field types, organised by purpose. Each type stores a specific kind of data, displays it in a way that matches the data type, and supports a specific set of operations (filtering, sorting, rollup aggregation). This article is the reference catalogue - pick the type that matches what you want to track.

For the broader system, see Custom Fields Overview.

Requires Pro

Custom field types are part of the Pro tier. Manage your license from License Settings.

At a glance

Group	Types	Best for
Text	text, textarea, url, email, phone	Free-form text and contact details
Numbers	number, currency, rating, progress	Quantitative values with optional min/max
Dates	date, datetime	Time-based fields
Selection	dropdown, multi_select, checkbox	Picking from defined options
Relationships	relationship	Linking to other entities

Operation support matrix

Different field types support different operations:

Type	Filterable	Sortable	Rollup-eligible	Inline-editable
text, textarea, url, email, phone	Yes	Yes	No	No (opens panel)
number	Yes	Yes	sum, avg, min, max	Yes
currency	Yes	Yes	sum, avg, min, max	Yes
date, datetime	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
dropdown	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
multi_select	Yes	Yes	No	Yes
checkbox	Yes	Yes	count true	Yes
rating	Yes	Yes	sum, avg, min, max	Yes
progress	Yes	Yes	sum, avg, min, max	Yes
relationship	No	No	Via target field	No (opens picker)

For filter/sort details, see Task Filters & Sorting.

Pick the field type by the job

Use number or currency for calculations, selection fields for consistent categories, and relationship fields when values need to connect entities.

Text group

Text

A single-line free-form text field.

Stores: A string
Validation: Optional required flag, optional placeholder
Display: Plain text (truncated when narrow)
Use for: Name extensions, codes, identifiers, short notes
Example: External reference ID, Client account number

Textarea

A multi-line text field.

Stores: A string with line breaks preserved
Validation: Optional required flag, optional placeholder
Display: Multi-line in the field panel; truncated single-line in compact contexts (badges, list cells)
Use for: Notes, descriptions, longer-form details
Example: Bug repro steps, Engagement scope

URL

A web address.

Stores: A URL string
Validation: URL format check (must look like a valid URL)
Display: Clickable link that opens in your browser; the URL is shown truncated when long
Use for: External references, project resources, dashboards
Example: Repository URL, Live demo link

Email

An email address.

Stores: An email string
Validation: Email format check
Display: Clickable mailto: link that opens your email app
Use for: Contact emails on tasks, secondary emails
Example: Stakeholder email, Account manager email

Phone

A phone number.

Stores: A phone string (any format - no strict validation)
Validation: Optional required flag (no format check)
Display: Click-to-call (tel: link) on supported platforms
Use for: Contact phone numbers
Example: Office line, On-call number

Numbers group

Number

A numeric value.

Stores: A number (integer or decimal)
Validation: Optional minimum and maximum value
Display: Locale-formatted number
Rollup operations: sum, avg, min, max
Use for: Counts, quantities, scores, durations
Example: Story Points, Estimated Hours, Headcount

Currency

A monetary value with an optional currency code.

Stores: An object amount + currency code pair - each entity can use a different currency code
Validation: Optional min/max
Display: Symbol + amount (e.g., $1,234.56, €500.00, ₿0.05)
Currencies supported (14): USD, EUR, GBP, JPY, CNY, CAD, AUD, CHF, INR, KRW, PLN, BRL, MXN, BTC
Currency role: Optional tag - Budget, Estimate, Expense, Revenue, Payment, Value - drives Cost Summary and financial metrics
Rollup operations: sum, avg, min, max
Use for: Budgets, expenses, revenue, deal values, contracts, hourly rates
Example: Project Budget (Budget role), Contract Value (Value role)

For the financial tracking system, see Rollups & Financial Tracking.

Rating

A 1–5 star rating (customisable min/max).

Stores: A number, defaults 1–5
Validation: Min and max are configurable (e.g., 1–10 if you need a wider scale)
Display: Filled and empty stars (★☆)
Rollup operations: sum, avg, min, max
Use for: Feedback scores, priority signals, quality assessments
Example: Customer Satisfaction, Lead Quality

Progress

A percentage 0–100 (customisable min/max).

Stores: A number, defaults 0–100
Validation: Min and max are configurable
Display: Progress bar with percentage label
Rollup operations: sum, avg, min, max
Use for: Custom progress trackers (when the built-in task progress isn't enough)
Example: Documentation Completion, Migration Progress

Dates group

Date

A calendar date.

Stores: An ISO date string (no time)
Validation: Optional required flag
Display: Locale-formatted date (respects your Date & Time settings)
Use for: Single-day events, deadlines, anniversaries
Example: Contract Sign Date, Renewal Date

Datetime

A date and time.

Stores: An ISO datetime string
Validation: Optional required flag
Display: Locale-formatted date + time
Use for: Scheduled events, timestamps, appointment slots
Example: Demo Slot, Client Meeting Time

Selection group

Dropdown

A single value chosen from a defined list.

Stores: The chosen option's ID
Validation: Options are required at field creation; the value must be one of them
Options: Each option has an ID, label, colour, and order
Colours available: 18 colours (slate, red, orange, amber, yellow, lime, green, emerald, teal, cyan, sky, blue, indigo, violet, purple, fuchsia, pink, rose)
Display: A coloured badge with the option's label
Use for: Status, severity, category, tier
Example: Severity (Critical / High / Medium / Low), Sprint (Sprint 1 / Sprint 2 / Sprint 3)

Multi-Select

Multiple values from a defined list.

Stores: An array of option IDs
Validation: Minimum 0 selections (not required by default)
Options: Same structure as Dropdown - id, label, colour, order
Display: Multiple coloured badges side by side
Use for: Tags, categories, channels, audiences
Example: Tech Stack (React / Node / Postgres), Channels (Email / Slack / SMS)

Checkbox

A boolean toggle.

Stores: true or false
Validation: Optional required flag
Display: A checkmark or empty box
Rollup operations: count (counts the number of true values across linked entities)
Use for: Yes/no flags, completion markers, confirmations
Example: Approved, Sent, Reviewed

Relationships

Relationship

Link to one or more other entities - tasks, projects, contacts, or companies.

Relationship fields unlock connections

Use relationship fields when tasks, projects, contacts, or companies need to point to each other.

Stores: An array of entity IDs (or a single ID for single-link)
Configuration:

- Target type - one of any, task, project, contact, company - Allow multiple - single-link or multi-link - Direction - directional (one-way) or bidirectional (reverse links automatic) - Rollup config - optional - aggregate a field from all linked entities (sum, avg, min, max, count)

Display: Entity badges with name, avatar/logo, and (for tasks) status colour dot
Use for: Linking related work, picking team members, linking to a client
Examples: Linked Tasks, Client Company (single link), Tech Reviewers (multi-link), Linked Contractors (multi-link with rollup of Hourly Rate)

For the relationship system in depth (bidirectional sync, backlinks, the Connections zone), see Relationship Fields & Connections.

For rollup aggregations on relationship fields, see Rollups & Financial Tracking.

Type-specific configuration options

Some types have additional configuration options on the Field Editor:

Field type is set at creation

Choose the field type carefully. If the purpose changes later, create a new field with the right type.

Option	Applies to
Min / Max value	number, currency, rating, progress
Currency code	currency
Currency role	currency
Options (id/label/colour/order)	dropdown, multi_select
Placeholder text	text, textarea, url, email, phone
Default value	most types (sets the initial value for new entities)
Relationship target	relationship
Allow multiple	relationship
Direction	relationship
Rollup config	relationship

Things worth knowing

Field type is immutable after creation

You can change a field's name, options, visibility, scope, and most other settings at any time - but not its type. Once you create a Number field, it stays a Number field. To change a type, delete and recreate the field (you'll lose existing values on entities).

Currency stores both amount and currency code per entity

Unlike other field types, Currency stores a amount + currency code pair. This lets each entity use a different currency for the same field. Useful for multi-currency portfolios - Project A's Budget might be in USD, Project B's in EUR.

Dropdown and Multi-Select options have IDs, not just labels

When you remove an option from a Dropdown's options list, entities that had the removed option will silently ignore it (the orphaned ID stays in their data but doesn't render). To clean up, manually clear those entities' values. Renaming a label doesn't break anything since the ID stays the same.

Checkbox rollups count true values

When you put a rollup on a relationship field that targets a Checkbox field, the operation Count counts the number of true values across linked entities. Useful for "How many tasks are flagged as Approved?"

Use checkbox rollups for approvals

Checkbox fields are useful when a linked set needs a simple count of approved, done, or selected items.

Min/Max isn't enforced strictly during edit

When you set a Min/Max on a number-style field, the editor warns if your value falls outside the range - but the data still saves. This is intentional so existing data doesn't break when you change the range later.

URL, Email, and Phone get clickable display

These three field types render as clickable links with the appropriate protocol - https:// opens in your browser, mailto: opens your email app, tel: initiates a call (on supported platforms). The validation only checks format; it doesn't reach the URL/email to test if it's live.

Relationship fields don't appear in standard sort or filter

Relationship fields can be filtered by "is set / is not set" but not by individual linked entities (use the Connections zone or the relationship picker for that). Sorting by a relationship field isn't supported.

Rating and Progress are special number types

Rating and Progress are essentially numeric fields with custom display. Internally they store numbers - you can sort, filter, and roll them up like any number. The display (stars / progress bar) is what makes them feel different.

Each field has space for an optional description

Use the description to remind your team what the field is for and how to fill it. Descriptions show as help text below the field on edit forms.

Common questions

"Can I have a number field with decimals?"

Yes - Number accepts integer and decimal values. The Min/Max and display format respect locale settings.

"How many options can a Dropdown have?"

There's no hard cap, but practically you'll want fewer than ~50 to keep the picker usable. For long lists (countries, industries), consider using a multi-select with searchable options.

"Why doesn't my URL field validate before saving?"

URL validation only checks the format ("looks like a URL") - it doesn't reach out to verify the URL exists or is reachable. Mistyped URLs save successfully but fail when clicked.

"Can I use a Phone field as a number?"

No - Phone is a string field. PrimeTask doesn't validate or normalise the format, so any text saves. Use Number for actual numeric values.

"What's the difference between Date and Datetime?"

Date stores just the calendar day. Datetime adds a specific time of day. Use Datetime when the time matters (meetings, scheduled calls); use Date for day-only events (birthdays, deadlines without specific times).

"Can I roll up a Text field?"

No - text-type fields aren't rollup-eligible. Only numeric types (number, currency, rating, progress) and Checkbox (count of trues) support rollups.

"Can a relationship field point to multiple entity types?"

Yes - set the target type to any and the relationship picker lets you choose tasks, projects, contacts, or companies.

"How does Bidirectional differ from Directional?"

A directional relationship is one-way - A links to B, but B doesn't know about A. A bidirectional relationship maintains backlinks automatically - A links to B, and B's Connections zone shows A as an incoming link. See Relationship Fields & Connections.

"What happens to existing values when I change a field's options?"

Adding new options is safe - existing values stay. Removing options leaves orphaned IDs in entity data (those entities show no option). Renaming options updates the display label everywhere immediately.

Where to go next

If you want to…	Read this
Pick a template instead of building from scratch	Field Templates
Set up relationship fields with rollups	Relationship Fields & Connections
Use rollup aggregations and currency roles	Rollups & Financial Tracking
Control where each field shows up	Field Visibility & Tabs
Filter and sort by custom field values	Task Filters & Sorting
Configure fields from Settings	Category Management Settings
Return to the Custom Fields hub	Custom Fields Overview