How do I use custom fields?

Custom fields from the Zuora application

You can create up to ten indexed custom fields and up to 40 non-indexed custom fields for each customizable object. Set up custom fields by clicking your username at the top right and navigating to one of the following pages:

• Billing > Manage Custom Fields
• Payments > Manage Custom Fields
• Finance > Manage Custom Fields

Custom fields in Zuora APIs

You can also use custom fields in the SOAP API and in several of the REST API calls.

How to manage custom fields

When using custom fields, keep in mind the following:

1. Choose indexed or non-indexed
   • To add a new indexed custom field, click add new field for the indexed section. You can create up to ten indexed custom fields per object
   • To add a new non-indexed custom field, click add new field for the non-indexed section. You can add up to 40 non-indexed custom fields on each object.
2. Define your custom fields
   • Create custom fields for each object that you want to track custom data. Specify whether the custom field is a drop-down list or free text field, and define the list options if applicable. See Manage Custom Fields for more information.
3. Populate your custom fields
   • Start using your custom fields by populating them on the applicable objects. For example, if you create an account custom field to track the customer type with three pick list options (Enterprise, Professional, or Business), you can mass update all your customer accounts with the appropriate custom field. Additionally, you can ensure the custom field is populated upon creation of all new customer accounts by making the custom field required (optional).
4. Editing Custom Fields
   • Custom field definitions can be updated over time by simply going to the Manage Custom Fields setting > click on the Customizable Object that contains the custom field you want to edit (for example: Refund fields) > click on the Field Label name, then click Edit to edit the custom field.
   • Custom fields entries can be modified while in any status, for example, when an invoice is in draft or posted status or a subscription is in active or canceled status. Custom fields are viewed as "reporting" fields, thus, changing the custom field values will not change any amounts and values for the object that is being updated.
5. Custom field inheritance
   • If you create a custom field on a product catalog rate plan charge, when you add that charge to a subscription, the custom field is not inherited by the subscription's rate plan charge.
6. Search and query custom fields
   • Subscription custom fields are part of the searchable data on the subscription in the user interface.
   • All custom fields can be queried in the API.
   • Custom fields are available in Zuora data sources, and custom reports to help you report on key metrics for your subscription business.
7. Display custom fields on your invoice template
   • Custom fields can be displayed on your invoice template. For instructions on adding custom fields to your invoice template, click your username at the top right and navigate to Billing > Manage Billing Document Configuration > Download the invoice template instructions and see the instructions on "Displaying Custom Fields."
   • Many of the custom fields can be displayed on the invoice template, however, not all of the Zuora supported custom fields may be displayed. See page 11 of the invoice template instructions to see which custom fields are supported.
8. Report on Custom Fields
   • Using data sources and custom reports you can report on custom fields in the UI or API.
   • You can also export Account custom fields by exporting the customer accounts data in the UI. To do this, navigate to Billing > Customer Accounts > Export Customer Accounts (under Action to the right). This functionality is deprecated and not available by default. See Data Exports.
9. Synchronize Custom Fields to Salesforce
   • Custom fields can be synchronized to and from Salesforce.

Sample use cases

Here are a few examples of how custom fields can be used:

• Deploy custom fields to track and report on marketing and promotional campaigns.
  Custom fields can be set on various levels such as the product, product rate plan, product rate plan charge, subscription rate plan charge. When a customer signs up for a promotional product, you can run reports based on the product and determine the monthly recurring revenue for your promotional products versus a standard (non-promotional) product and see which product is selling better.
• Use custom fields to tie back key data to other systems which are integrated with Zuora (including CRM, provisioning, ERP, and financial systems). Zuora's Z-Suite integration uses custom fields to track data both in Zuora and in NetSuite.
• Track reasons for refunds and adjustments, for example, track refunds that result from "chargebacks" and adjustments due to "write-offs."