Trello custom fields help a team record consistent information on every job card. Start with questions that affect the next decision: what service is needed, how much work is expected and whether a prerequisite is complete.
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Check the Workspace plan first
Custom Fields are included from Trello Standard; Free does not include them. The paid subscription applies to a Workspace. Confirm which Workspace contains the board before upgrading. Standard already provides this feature, so buying Premium solely to add fields would be unnecessary.
Describe the decision each proposed field supports before configuring it. If nobody will act differently after reading the answer, keep that information in the brief or leave it out. For reusable instructions and checklists, see our Trello card templates guide.
Create a small set of fields
Open the board menu, select Custom Fields, then New field. Enter a name, choose its type, decide whether it appears on card fronts and create it. Atlassian’s setup guide limits names to 25 characters. Fields belong to the board; individual cards hold their own values.
The type cannot be changed afterwards. A board supports up to 50 fields, and a dropdown supports up to 50 options. Those are ceilings, not targets. Display the few values colleagues need when scanning the board; keep less frequently used detail inside the card.
Choose a type that makes answers comparable
Trello supports text, numbers, dates, checkboxes and dropdowns. Its field-type reference distinguishes those value formats. The following is an illustrative design for a small installation business.
| Field | Type | Definition to agree |
|---|---|---|
| Service | Dropdown | One main service per request. |
| Estimated hours | Number | Total labour hours, not elapsed days. |
| Requested visit | Date | A customer preference, not a confirmed booking. |
| Access confirmed | Checkbox | Someone has checked entry arrangements. |
| Job reference | Text | The identifier used in the accepted quotation. |
Keep an unknown estimate distinct from zero. Ask a colleague to fill in a practice request without coaching, then compare their interpretation with yours.
Filter by the answer you need
Open the board’s Filter control and enter a field value as a keyword. Atlassian’s filtering guide says keyword matching examines card names and custom fields. Quotation marks can narrow a phrase match. A matching title can therefore appear alongside cards whose field contains the same words.
For the installation example, try a specific service name and inspect the returned cards before treating the result as a work queue. Combine it with the relevant member or deadline filter when useful. Filters persist until cleared, including after refresh or logout; clear them before concluding that a card has disappeared.
Check what happens when cards change boards
Atlassian’s cross-board field guidance matches fields by name and type when cards move or are copied. Matching fields receive the values; otherwise Trello creates a destination field. Agree shared names before transferring a batch, and inspect a disposable example first.
Empty fields do not transfer between boards, as the current help guide notes. Checkboxes that have never been checked cannot be copied.
Also check responsibility after a move. The card-moving documentation says people who are not members of the destination board are removed from the card, and its activity history does not transfer. A transferred job still needs an accountable owner, even when its structured information arrives correctly.
Use field values in one understandable automation
Atlassian documents the {{%Field Name}} format for referencing a value in an automation action. Names are case-sensitive. For example, an illustrative comment could include Estimated hours: {{%Estimated hours}}. Check the result on a sample card before relying on it.
Number fields also support arithmetic in automation actions. A calculated value is only as reliable as its inputs: decide what a missing estimate means and who corrects it. Our Trello automation guide covers triggers, quotas and checking the resulting actions.
Use a populated card and a blank one as separate rehearsal cases. The question is whether the colleague receiving the handover understands the result. These are suggested checks, not tests we have performed.
Choose a reporting route that includes your fields
Do not assume a paid table view becomes a custom-field spreadsheet. Workspace Table view, available on Premium and Enterprise, currently displays card names, lists, labels, members and due dates; it cannot add Custom Fields as columns. Check the exact reporting requirement before choosing an upgrade.
The Dashcards Power-Up offers filters that include custom fields and metrics for numeric fields. For a custom Dashcard, open Explore and Edit, then Metrics, and choose a numeric summary such as a sum. For estimated hours, restrict the included work deliberately.
An illustrative capacity check might total accepted jobs awaiting scheduling. Exclude cancelled requests and avoid mixing hours with days. Inspect the individual cards behind the number, especially blanks and unusually large estimates. A neat total does not establish that the team can deliver the work.
Preserve data before changing the structure
The Custom Fields guide confirms that exports include field data. Deleting a field removes it from every card on that board and cannot be undone. Preserve values before replacing a field.
Use Trello’s export instructions: open the board menu, then Print, Export, and Share. Board members can export JSON; board CSV export requires Premium. Ordinary CSV export omits archived cards, so check whether your historical jobs need including.
Keep the old and proposed definitions together while checking a replacement. An export provides a record to inspect, but Trello cannot import its JSON or CSV export to reconstruct a board automatically. Confirm how information would be recovered before deleting the working field.
Sources reviewed 3 October 2026 against official Trello and Atlassian documentation. The installation example and rehearsal checks are illustrative recommendations.
