Add custom fields to sales forms and purchase orders in QuickBooks Online

Learn how to add custom fields to your sales forms and purchase orders in QuickBooks Online Simple Start, Essentials, Plus, and Advanced.

Create custom fields for your invoices, sales receipts, refund receipts, estimates, credit notes, purchase orders, expenses, bills, cheques, supplier credits, and credit card credits in QuickBooks Online. This gives you the flexibility to add custom data and drive insights through detailed reports.

If you use QuickBooks Online Advanced, here's how to add and manage custom fields.

Know the usage limits for custom fields

Learn about the usage limits for custom fields based on your QuickBooks Online subscription.

Note: There’s no limit to the number of transactions that can have custom fields. The only limit is the number of custom fields a transaction can have. For example, if you use Simple Start, you can have 1 custom field on every transaction, and you can pick from 100 values in your dropdown list.

Set up custom fields

You can only create 4 custom fields on sales forms in QuickBooks Online Plus and Essentials. In QuickBooks Online Plus, you can only create 4 custom fields for purchase orders.

Note: To use custom fields on purchase orders, you’ll first need to turn on the purchase orders setting. This option isn’t available for Essentials and Simple Start.

1. Go to Settings ⚙ and select Custom fields.
2. Select Add field.
   Note: If this is your first time creating a custom field, select Add custom field.
3. Enter a name in the Name field.
4. Select the Data type ▼ dropdown for the type of custom field.
5. Select the category whether it’s Customer, Transaction, Supplier, or Project.
   Note: This field might only appear in QuickBooks Online Advanced.
6. In Select forms, select the checkbox of the form/forms you want the custom field on.
7. (Optional) To show the custom field on printed and delivered forms, turn on Print on form. Otherwise, it’ll only appear in QuickBooks Online.
8. Select Save.

Edit or hide a custom field

For each custom field, you can see which forms it appears on. You also see the print icon if the custom field is visible to customers or suppliers on a form.

Edit a custom field

Any edits you make apply to all forms that use the field.

1. Go to Settings ⚙ and select Custom fields.
2. In the Actions column, select Edit.
3. Make your changes and select Save.

Hide a custom field

You won't lose any data if you hide a field. It’ll still show on the forms you used it on, but not on the new forms.

1. Go to Settings ⚙ and select Custom fields.
2. In the Actions column, select the small arrow ▼ icon.
3. Select Make inactive.
4. Select Yes to confirm.

Show a hidden custom field

1. Go to Settings ⚙ and select Custom fields.
2. Turn on the Include inactive switch.
3. In the Actions column, select Make active.