Field Visibility & Tabs
Three layers of field visibility (definition, per-entity, per-quick-row) plus two organising systems - task auto-zones (Metrics, Timeline, Categories, Details, Connections) and user-created project field tabs with custom names and colours.
A custom field defined once at the Space level might not need to appear on every entity in every context. PrimeTask gives you three layers of visibility control to tune where each field shows up - from the field-definition level (Space-wide) down to the per-quick-row level (single entity, single context). Combined with two organising systems (auto-zones for tasks, user-created tabs for projects), you can keep busy field sets navigable and clean.
For the broader system, see Custom Fields Overview.
Requires Pro
Field visibility controls and project field tabs are part of the Pro tier. Manage your license from License Settings.
What you can do
Control visibility at three levels
field definition, per-entity, per-quick-row
Show fields in cards
(badge row, board cards) via the field-definition setting
Show fields in list views
as columns via the field-definition setting
Hide a specific field on a specific entity
without deleting it
Hide a field from the inline quick row
while keeping it accessible in the full panel
See task fields organised into 5 auto-zones
(Metrics, Timeline, Categories, Details, Connections)
Create custom project field tabs
with names, colours, and assigned fields
Drag-reorder zones (tasks) or tabs (projects)
to match your workflow
The three visibility layers
Every custom field has visibility settings at three different scopes. They combine - a field shows in a context only if all applicable layers allow it.
Visibility is not deletion
Hiding a field changes where it appears. It does not remove the field definition or erase saved values.
Layer 1 - Field definition (Space-wide)
The first layer is on the field definition itself, set when you create or edit the field:
- Show in card - controls whether the field appears in the entity's badge row (task badge row, board cards, project headers)
- Show in list - controls whether the field appears as a column in list views
These settings apply Space-wide - every entity that has the field follows the same setting. They're the broadest control.
Layer 2 - Per-entity field visibility
The second layer is on the entity. Each entity can hide a specific field for itself without affecting other entities:
- On any task or project, the Fields panel includes a per-field hide toggle
- Hiding the field there removes it from that entity's panel and Fields tab
- Other entities still see the field
Useful when a field doesn't apply to a specific entity (e.g., a "Client" field is configured for all tasks but doesn't make sense on internal tasks). Hide the field on those entities - the value isn't shown but the field definition stays intact for the rest.
Layer 3 - Per-quick-row visibility
The third layer is the most granular. Each task can hide specific fields from its quick row (the inline badge row at the top of the task) while keeping them in the full panel:
- The Fields panel offers a separate Show in quick row toggle on each field
- Toggle it off and the field disappears from the inline row but stays in the full panel
Use this to declutter the inline view without losing access to less-frequent fields.
Hide rarely used fields from quick access
Keep everyday fields easy to reach and leave occasional fields available in the full field area.
How layers combine
A field appears in a context only when all relevant layers allow it:
- Quick row on a task - requires the field-definition's Show in card setting AND the per-task Show in quick row setting AND the field not hidden on this task
- Full panel on a task - requires the field not hidden on this task
- List column - requires the field-definition's Show in list setting (no per-entity hiding for list columns)
- Project Fields tab database view - requires the field not hidden on this project
Task auto-zones - the 5 zones
Custom fields on tasks are automatically grouped into 5 zones based on their type. The zones provide a natural visual grouping in the task's Fields panel:
Task zones are automatic
Task fields are grouped by field type, so you do not need to build task tabs manually.
| Zone | Field types it contains |
|---|---|
| Metrics | number, currency, rating, progress |
| Timeline | date, datetime |
| Categories | dropdown, multi_select, checkbox |
| Details | text, textarea, url, email, phone |
| Connections | relationship |
Zone behaviour
- Auto-grouped - you can't put a Number field in the Categories zone; the type determines the zone
- Collapsible - collapse/expand each zone to focus on relevant ones
- Reorderable - drag zones to change their order (per Space)
- Per-Space state - zone order and collapsed/expanded state are saved per Space
For the task-side experience, see Task Custom Fields.
Why auto-zones
Auto-zones keep the task panel predictable - every task has the same 5 zones in the same order (you set the order once for the whole Space). You don't have to think about where each new field goes - it goes to the zone that matches its type. This trades flexibility for consistency.
Project field tabs - user-created
Custom fields on projects are organised into user-created field tabs with full flexibility. Unlike task zones, you create the tabs yourself with custom names and colours, and you assign fields to them:
Use project tabs for reporting workflows
Project tabs are useful when a project has many fields and different teams need different field groups.
| Tab attribute | What it controls |
|---|---|
| Name | The tab's display label |
| Colour | A colour for visual distinction |
| Order | Position relative to other tabs |
| Field IDs | Which fields belong to this tab |
Tab behaviour
- You create the tabs - name them whatever you want ("Financial", "Client Info", "Tech Stack")
- Assign fields explicitly - you decide which tab each field belongs to
- Drag-reorder tabs - change their order
- Per-project tab assignment - each project has its own tab structure (or inherits a default)
- Override the default "All fields" tab - when you create custom tabs, fields can also live in an "All" view
For the project-side experience, see Project Fields Tab.
Why user-created tabs
Project field sets are often very long (10+ fields per project for complex work). Auto-grouping by type isn't enough - you might want Financial fields together even though they're a mix of currency, percentage, and date. User-created tabs let you organise around your actual workflow.
Auto-zones vs custom tabs - the trade-off
The two systems exist because tasks and projects have different needs:
| Aspect | Task auto-zones | Project field tabs |
|---|---|---|
| Created by | System (auto-grouped by type) | User (custom names) |
| Customisation | Order and collapse only | Names, colours, fields, order |
| Predictability | High (every task looks the same) | Variable (each project can differ) |
| Best for | Tasks (typically fewer fields, faster scanning) | Projects (typically more fields, varied per project type) |
You can't switch a task to use custom tabs or a project to use auto-zones - the choice is fixed per entity type.
Where to configure visibility
Field-definition visibility (Layer 1)
Settings → Category Management → Fields tab → edit field → toggle Show in card and Show in list. The change applies to every entity in scope.
Per-entity visibility (Layer 2)
On any task or project, the Fields panel includes per-field visibility toggles. Hide a field on a specific task or project without affecting others.
Per-quick-row visibility (Layer 3)
Same per-entity Fields panel - fields have a "Show in quick row" toggle alongside the general visibility toggle.
Task zone order
Per Space, drag zones in the task Fields panel to reorder. The order persists across all tasks in that Space.
Project field tabs
Per project, manage tabs from the Fields tab - create, rename, recolour, reorder, assign fields. See Project Fields Tab.
Things worth knowing
Visibility doesn't delete data
Hiding a field at any layer doesn't delete its value. Show the field again and the value reappears. Only deleting the field removes data.
Per-entity visibility is useful for niche fields
A "Client Stakeholder" field useful on customer-facing tasks but irrelevant on internal tasks can stay in your Space's field set but hidden on internal entities. Reduces visual clutter without losing the field for the entities that need it.
Quick row and panel are independent
A field can be in the quick row but hidden from the full panel - or vice versa. The two settings are independent. This lets you build a "hot fields" set for the quick row and a broader set in the panel.
Tabs aren't supported on tasks
Project field tabs are project-only. Tasks always use auto-zones. If you want categorical grouping on tasks, that's a feature request - for now, the type-based auto-zoning is the only structure.
Zones aren't supported on projects
Likewise, projects don't have auto-zones. The Project Fields tab uses your custom tabs (or an "All fields" view if you haven't created tabs).
Zone order is per-Space, not per-entity
If you reorder the task zones in the Space's Fields tab, the order applies to every task in that Space. You can't have different zone orders per task.
Tab order is per-project
Project field tabs are managed per project. Different projects can have different tab structures. To replicate, manually copy the structure (no built-in template for tabs).
Drag-and-drop reordering works smoothly
Zone and tab reordering work the same way on macOS and Windows.
Common questions
"How do I hide a field from a specific task?"
Open the task's Fields panel and find the field. Click the visibility toggle to hide it on that task. The field stays defined for other tasks.
"Can I hide a field from list view but keep it visible in cards?"
Yes - the field-definition layer has separate Show in card and Show in list toggles. Set show-in-card true and show-in-list false (or vice versa).
"What's the difference between hiding a field and deleting it?"
Hiding preserves all data - the field stays defined and entity values are kept. You can show it again any time. Deleting permanently removes the field from the Space and clears all values across every entity. Use deletion only when you're sure.
"Can I reorder the auto-zones on tasks?"
Yes - drag zones in the task Fields panel. The order applies Space-wide. You can also collapse zones individually to focus on the ones you use most.
"How do I add a project field tab?"
Open the project's Fields tab, find the tab management UI, and create a new tab with a name and colour. Then assign fields to it. See Project Fields Tab.
"Can a field be in multiple project field tabs?"
Each tab has its own list of field IDs. A field can be referenced by multiple tabs if you assign it to each - but typically you'll assign each field to one tab to avoid confusion.
"What happens to a field's data when I move it between project tabs?"
The data stays the same - moving a field between tabs just reorganises display. Only deleting the field clears the data.
"Can I have different visibility settings for the same field on different Spaces?"
Yes - fields are per-Space. Each Space's field definition is independent. To replicate visibility settings, save your Space's setup as a custom template and apply in the other Space - see Field Templates.
"Why can't I have user-created tabs on tasks?"
It's a deliberate design choice. Tasks typically have fewer custom fields and benefit from a predictable layout (every task looks the same). Projects usually have more fields and benefit from custom organisation.
Where to go next
| If you want to… | Read this |
|---|---|
| Browse all 14 field types | Field Types |
| See task auto-zones in action | Task Custom Fields |
| Manage project field tabs | Project Fields Tab |
| Apply a template that sets up fields and visibility | Field Templates |
| Configure fields from Settings | Category Management Settings |
| Return to the Custom Fields hub | Custom Fields Overview |