Purpose of this article
This article explains how custom fields work in Scaler, including where they are created, how they are made available to portfolios, and how they are currently used in the platform.
What are custom fields
Custom fields allow you to collect additional, organisation-specific data points that are not part of Scaler’s standard data model.
They are typically used to:
- Capture organisation-specific or strategy-specific information
- Support internal analysis or operational tracking
- Temporarily collect data for a specific initiative
Custom fields do not replace standard Scaler fields and should be used intentionally.
Custom fields workflow (high-level)
Using custom fields in Scaler follows a controlled three-step process:
- Create and configure custom fields at the company level
- Confirm the Custom Fields section is enabled at the portfolio level (enabled by default)
- Enter data for those fields at the asset level
Each step must be completed for custom fields to be visible and usable.
1. Create and configure custom fields (company level)
Navigation path:
Data Collection Portal → Company → Company settings → Data collection → Custom data collection fields
Only users with admin access can create or edit custom fields.
When creating a custom field, you define:
Field name– The label shown to users
Description– Tooltip text explaining what the field captures
Field type– How data is entered (numeric, dropdown, boolean, text)
Unit(where applicable)
Once the first custom field is created at company level, the Custom Fields section becomes available across portfolios.
2. Confirm Custom Fields are enabled (portfolio level)
All fields appear in a single section, called Custom Fields.
Important default behaviour:
When custom fields are first created at the company level, the Custom Fields section is enabled by default for all portfolios in that company.
Navigation path:
Data Collection Portal → Portfolio → settings → Data collection → Data collection settings → Enable by Collection tab
From here, the Custom Fields section can be:
- Left enabled (default)
- Disabled for portfolios where the fields are not relevant, to avoid confusion during data collection
3. Enter and manage data (asset level)
Once the Custom Fields section is enabled for a portfolio, fields can be populated at the asset level.
Navigation path:
Data Collection Portal → Portfolio → Asset list → edit asset → Custom Fields
The Custom Fields section appears as the last section in the asset-level data collection view.
Values can be entered and edited manually within the platform.
Current availability and limitations
At present, custom fields are only available for manual entry in the Data Collection Portal.
They are not currently available in:
- Data Requests
- Spreadsheet uploads
- Exports
- Analytics dashboards
These capabilities may be added in the future, but there is no confirmed timeline.
Best practices
- Use custom fields sparingly
- Prefer standard Scaler fields whenever available
- Avoid duplicating existing platform fields
- Document why a custom field exists and who owns it
- Review and retire unused custom fields periodically
Limitations to be aware of
- Custom fields are not mapped to reporting frameworks
- They do not drive calculations
- Overuse can increase complexity and reduce data consistency