TL;DR
Custom fields let you attach structured data, like dropdowns, dates, currency amounts, ratings, and checkboxes, to any project, task, invoice, contact, proposal, or contract in Plutio, so the details that matter to your workflow live inside the record instead of in a separate spreadsheet.
Plutio includes 11 field types across 14 entity types, with role-based permissions on every field so clients, team members, and workspace owners each see the right level of detail. The core advantage: custom fields turn Plutio into a system shaped around how you actually work, not a rigid template where your workflow has to fit the tool's default structure.
Custom fields are available on all Plutio plans starting at $19/month. Create them in Settings under Custom Fields, assign them to the entity type where they belong, and they appear on every new and existing record of that type. 43% of freelancers spend roughly 5 hours per week on non-billable admin, and structured custom fields cut a measurable portion of that by eliminating the search for context scattered across tools.
What custom fields are
Custom fields are user-defined data points attached to records in Plutio, so every project, task, invoice, contact, proposal, contract, file, form, subscription, transaction, scheduler, messenger conversation, and workspace can carry exactly the information your workflow requires.
When you create a custom field, you choose a field type, assign it to an entity category (like Task fields or Project fields), set permissions for team members and clients, and optionally mark it as a default field so it appears automatically on every new record. Each field stores structured data, not free text buried in a notes section, so you can filter, sort, and group records by any custom field value across list, board, and table views.
11 field types for different data
Plutio offers 11 custom field types: Input (free text), Dropdown (single select with color-coded options), Multiselect (tags with multiple selections), Date (with optional time selection), Link (clickable URLs), Currency (with configurable currency symbol), Checkbox (true/false toggle), Contacts (link to people or company profiles), Range (min/max with step size), Rating (configurable scale), and Slider (single numeric value on a range). Each type stores and displays data differently, so a priority field uses a color-coded Dropdown while a project budget uses a Currency field with the right symbol.
Role-based field permissions
Every custom field has three permission levels per user role: "Can view and edit," "Can only view," and "No access." Permissions apply separately to team members and clients, so a client can see a project's delivery date field but not the internal profit margin field attached to the same project. Field-level permission control means sensitive financial or operational data stays internal without needing a separate system for client-facing and internal records.
The key distinction from generic "notes" or "description" fields: custom fields are structured, filterable, and permission-controlled, so the data inside them works as a first-class part of your workflow rather than unstructured text that only helps if someone reads it.
Why custom fields matter for freelancers
Default project management fields cover the basics: title, status, due date, assignee. But freelancers and agencies track dozens of details that don't fit those defaults, and without structured fields, that data ends up in spreadsheets, sticky notes, or project descriptions that nobody reads after the first week.
On a $5,000 branding project, a designer might need to track the client's brand color palette, the number of revision rounds included, the content delivery deadline (separate from the design deadline), and whether the client has approved the mood board. Without custom fields, those details live in four different places: an email thread, a Google Doc, a Slack message, and a mental note. When a team member picks up the project, they spend 15 to 30 minutes reconstructing context that should have been on the project record itself.
Notion handles custom properties inside its database system, but those properties exist only within a single database and don't carry across to invoices, contracts, or client profiles. A "Project Type" property in a Notion database doesn't connect to the invoice or proposal for that same project, so the data stays siloed. Airtable caps fields at 500 per table and charges $20 per seat per month on Team plans, with field-level permissions locked behind higher tiers.
The most costly consequence of missing custom fields is not the time spent searching for data but the decisions made without it: a proposal sent without checking the client's preferred payment terms, a project scoped without reviewing the revision limit, or an invoice missing a purchase order number that delays payment by weeks.
Plutio's approach attaches custom fields directly to the entity where they belong, so the data travels with the record across every view, filter, and report without manual copying or cross-referencing.
How custom fields work in Plutio
Open Settings, go to Custom Fields, pick the entity type (like Task fields or Project fields), and create a new field with the type, name, permissions, and default behavior you need.
Custom fields work across all 14 entity types in Plutio. Before creating fields, decide which entity each field belongs to: a "Priority" dropdown belongs on tasks, a "Referral Source" dropdown belongs on contacts, and a "PO Number" input field belongs on invoices.
Step by step
- Step 1: Go to Settings and select Custom Fields. Choose the entity type where you want to add a field, such as Task fields, Project fields, or Invoice fields.
- Step 2: Click "Create custom field" and enter a field name. Select the field type from the 11 options: Input, Dropdown, Multiselect, Date, Link, Currency, Checkbox, Contacts, Range, Rating, or Slider.
- Step 3: Configure field-specific options. For a Dropdown, add options with color labels. For a Currency field, set the currency. For a Range field, set minimum, maximum, and step size. For a Rating field, set the number of options.
- Step 4: Set field permissions under "Field permissions." Choose "Can view and edit," "Can only view," or "No access" for team members and clients separately.
- Step 5: Optionally toggle "Display this field when creating new records" so the field appears automatically without manual adding. Save the field, and it becomes available on all existing and new records of that entity type.
Practical tip: enable "Allow adding more field options on the go" for Dropdown and Multiselect fields so team members can add new options like project categories or tag values directly from a task or project record without going back to Settings.
I set up priority, project type, and referral source fields in about 10 minutes. Now every new project and contact has the same structure, so nothing falls through the gaps when a team member picks up a project I started.
Who needs custom fields
Freelancers and agencies who track more than the default title, status, and due date on their projects, tasks, contacts, and invoices get the most from custom fields, especially on workflows where missing context leads to rework or delayed payments.
Freelance designers tracking revision limits, content deadlines, and brand guidelines on each project use custom fields to keep that context on the project record itself. A Dropdown field for "Project Phase" (Discovery, Design, Review, Delivery) lets them filter the project list by phase and see at a glance which projects need attention. A Currency field for "Project Budget" makes revenue tracking possible without a separate spreadsheet.
Agencies managing 10 or more active clients use custom fields on contacts to track referral sources, contract renewal dates, and preferred communication channels. Contact fields become filterable columns in the People section, so an account manager can sort contacts by renewal date and reach out before a contract expires. Custom fields on invoices (like PO Number or Department) ensure billing details are on the invoice itself, not in an email thread that gets buried.
Freelancers exploring Notion alternatives often want custom properties that work across projects, invoices, and contacts in one system rather than inside isolated databases. Freelancers evaluating Asana alternatives look for field-level permissions so clients see project status but not internal cost data. Plutio handles both natively on all plans.
Bottom line: any freelancer or agency that has ever lost time searching for a detail that should have been on the project record, or sent an invoice missing a PO number, or scoped a project without checking the revision limit, gets immediate value from custom fields.
