Custom Fields

Custom Fields are an easy way to individualize your InLoox account. You can create custom fields for:

• Projects
• Tasks
• Mindmap nodes
• Planning
• Time
• Documents
• Risks
• Financials and (Budget) Line Items
• People

You can select from the following types of custom fields:

• String: for text
• Datetime: for dates
• Integer
• Decimal
• Boolean: for checkboxes
• List
• Currency

Per default, a custom field is always visible. If you want to change that, you need to set a specific rule for the display of a custom field in a given section of InLoox. You may also set a default value for the custom field.

Per default, a custom field is unlocked for editing. If you want to lock it for editing, you can do so by defining either a that only users with editing permissions for the section can edit a specific custom field (e.g. editing permissions for Documents = editing permission for editing custom fields in Documents), only users in a specific role can edit a specific custom field, or only a specific person can edit a specific custom field. This feature has been available since InLoox 12.4 (September 2025).

Per default, a custom field is optional. You can turn it into a required custom field. InLoox will issue the warning "Important information is missing" to alert users to the required custom field, which may not be left empty. This feature has been available since InLoox 12.4 (September 2025). 

PLEASE NOTE In order to create custom fields, you must have admin-permissions for your InLoox account. Custom Fields are only available in the InLoox Enterprise, InLoox Enterprise Plus and InLoox On-Prem editions.

How to create a new custom field

Video tutorial: Create custom fields »

To create a custom field, please follow these steps:

1. In InLoox Web App, click on your profile picture in the bottom left corner.
2. Click on Account Settings.
3. Click on Custom Fields.
4. From the tabs, select the InLoox section where the custom field should be dispayed, e.g. the manage-site of the project.
5. Now, click on the button New to open the editing window to add a custom field.
6. Type in the name of the custom field.
7. Select the type of custom field from the drop-down menu.
8. Click Save. The custom field is now created and is per default "always visible".

Pro Tip: Project Traffic Light If the light’s red, the project’s in trouble – it’s as simple as that. With the project traffic light in InLoox, you can instantly see which projects demand your full attention. In this blog post, we’ll show you how to quickly and easily set up the traffic light using a custom field.

How to set a display rule for a custom field

After you have created the custom field, you can set a specific rule for when it should be displayed.

1. Click on "Always visible" in the Rule column, or click the rule label, to open the Define/Edit Display Rule dialog.
2. Choose whether you want to define the rule using filter expressions or regular expressions. 

Create a rule using filter expressions (default)

When working with filter expressions, you define conditions based on field values to control when the custom field is visible. This also allows you to implement complex logic and create relationships between custom fields.

1. Click And and choose one of the following options:

• And
  All conditions must be met. The condition added after And only applies if this is true.
  Example: If the custom field in the project area should only be created when the department is set to Development, add the condition:
  Department equals E-Development.
• Or
  At least one condition must be met. Any condition added after Or applies.
  Example: If the custom field in the project area should be created for both E-Development and IT departments, add:
  Department equals E-Development
  Then click the + next to Or and add:
  Department equals IT Department.
• Not And
  If the combination of the following conditions is met, the custom field is not created. If only one condition is met, it is created.
  Example: If the custom field in the project area should not be created when the project name contains “Development” and the customer is “internal”, add:
  Project name contains Development
  AND
  Customer equals internal
  The custom field is not created only if both conditions are true. If only one is true, it is created.
• Not Or
  Each of the following conditions prevents the custom field from being displayed.
  Example: The custom field should only be created once the project status is set to Started. Add:
  Project status equals Requested
  Project status equals Rejected
  Project status equals Not started
  The custom field is created for all other project statuses, but not for these three.

2. Click + to choose whether to add:

• A Condition: a single condition
• A Group: multiple conditions combined for more complex logic

3. Click Save to store the rule. You can change it at any time. Changes only apply to new projects and are not applied retroactively.

Example: Linking custom fields

A checkbox field (boolean field) is selected and set to Yes, which triggers another custom field of type Date to be displayed.

In a mind map, the custom field Idea approved is selected. This causes the custom field Approved on to appear, allowing the user to enter the approval date.

Create a rule using regular expressions

When working with regular expressions, select a data field for the condition, for example Customer name. You should be familiar with regular expressions.

1. In the dialog, click the </> Regular expressions tab.
2. In Apply to, select the data field to be used for the condition.
3. In the Rule field, enter a regular expression, for example: XYZ Corporation.
4. To test your expressions, use the Test field. For more complex expressions, you can use tools such as regex101.com.
5. Click Save to store the rule. You can change it at any time. Changes only apply to new projects and are not applied retroactively.

Tip If you want to create custom fields for personal tasks without project context, create the custom field in the Task Item tab and then create a rule for the Project Name field. Enter the following expression: ^null$
Result: The custom field will automatically be displayed for all your personal tasks that are not part of a project.

How to edit or delete a custom field

You may edit the fields Name, Default Value and the Rule of an existing custom field. Simply click on it and edit it. You may not change the type of an existing custom field.

To delete a custom field, simply click on the Trash-Icon next to it and click Delete to confirm the deletion of the custom field.

Searching custom fields of the type List

Since InLoox 11.14, you can search through existing custom fields of the type List. This is particularly useful for accounts with a large number of list entries of this type.

1. In the InLoox settings, click on Custom fields and select an InLoox area, e.g. Projects.
2. Click on the list icon to call up the custom field of the list type for editing.
3. Now enter the name of the list entry you are looking for in the search field at the top right.

How to enable write protection for custom fields

InLoox custom fields can be locked for editing. You can enable the read-only protection for each custom field individually and define, whether the custom field can be edited either:

• by every user with the permission to edit the section, for which the custom field was created. E.g. a person with editing permission (either from their global user permission, their project role permission or their devision permission) for documents can edit the custom field "Approved".
• by every user with a certain role. E.g. only people with the role "project manager" with the role based permission to edit documents can edit the custom field "Approved".

or

• by one specific person, who is assigned to a specific custom field, can edit this custom field.

1. Go to Account Settings and click on Custom fields.
2. There, click on the section for which you want to create a read-only custom field and click on New.
3. Type in the custom field's name and select the type of custom field from the menu.
4. Click on Save, InLoox creates the custom field as an unlocked one.
5. Click on the unlocked-symbol next to custom field.
6. In the Enable write protection-window, you now define who can edit this custom field: select "All users with write permissions on X" to allow every user with this permission to edit this custom field. Select "Specific roles and persons" if you want to narrow it further.
7. Then click on Save (Close).

Should you need to change this setting, simply click on the locked symbol again and edit the read-only setting for a custom field.

How to make custom fields mandatory

Per default, custom fields are optional. You can make them mandatory, therefore requiring account users to put in data, otherwise they will see a red notification alerting them to the mandatory custom field.

If you want to turn a custom field into a mandatory one, simply check the box "Warn if emtpy". 

Practical examples for manufacturing, marketing and construction/infrastructure projects To prevent custom fields in your InLoox account from sprouting like mushrooms in the woods, thereby creating chaos through excessive individualization, here are some tips and practical examples of how to use custom fields effectively in InLoox. This is how why Custom Fields are the Swiss Army Knife of Project Management.