How to automate fields with the update custom deal field action

Custom Deal Fields are available on the following plans:

• Plus
• Professional
• Enterprise

After you create a custom deal field, you can use the CRM “Update Field” automation action to add or update the value of this field for a deal in your pipeline.

For example, let's say you're capturing the geographic region for a contact on their contact profile page, but wish to also store this information in a custom deal field on their deal record. You can use this automation action to copy the value from the custom contact field into their custom deal field.

In this article:

• Adding the CRM “Update Field” action to your automation
• Configuring the CRM “Update a custom field” action

Take Note

If adding this action to an “Active” automation:

• As a best practice, the automation should be set to “Inactive” before you edit it. You can always set it back to “Active” when finished
• If a contact has already completed this automation, or if their position is below this automation action, they will not go through this action

Adding the CRM “Update Field” action to your automation

Add this action to your automation:

1. From the Automations Overview page, click the “Edit” button for the automation you wish to update.
2. Locate where you would like to add this action, then click “CRM” on the right menu.
3. Drag and drop the “Update a custom field” action under CRM to your desired spot in your automation.

Configuring the CRM “Update a custom field” action

The CRM "Update  a custom field" action has three main components:

• Deal Field to Update
• Affects
• Pipeline

You'll need to provide information or direction for each component in order to correctly configure this automation action.

1. Deal Field to Update

Here you’ll choose which custom deal field to update and how the field should be updated.

To select which custom deal field you would like to update, click the dropdown located at the top of the modal window and click the field to select it.

Next, you'll need to decide how the field will be updated. You can choose one of the following options:

Enter a new value

With this option, you can select or type the field value directly into the field provided. 

• Text input, text area, money, number or hidden field types
  Value can be typed directly into this field. 
• Dropdown, checkbox, radio, multi-select field types
  A pre-existing value for that field can be selected. This will not let you add a new value option. 
• Date-based field type
  Select a date by clicking the "Enter a new value" field.

Copy data from an existing Contact field

With this option, you can click the dropdown and choose which contact field you wish to copy the value from.

For example, let's say you're collecting geographic information, such as a zip code, in a custom contact field. You can create a zip code custom deal field, then use this configuration option to copy the value in the "Zip Code" custom contact field and add it to your "Zip Code" custom deal field.

This option works with the following field types only:

• Text input
  Can be copied into a text input or hidden field.
• Text area
  Can be copied into a text area or hidden field.
• Date
  Can be copied into a date field.
• Dropdown
  Can be copied into a dropdown or radio button field.
• Radio button
  Can be copied into a radio button or dropdown field.
• Hidden
  Can be copied into a hidden, text input, or text area field.

Note that this option is not available for number, money, multi-selection list, or check box field types.

If using this option, contacts will skip this action in the automation if:

• The contact field value for a contact is blank.
• The contact field selected is associated with a specific list/lists that the contact is not associated with.

Clear existing value

Selecting this option will remove the value for the selected custom deal field.

Use Contact’s current date (date-based fields only)

Selecting this option will update the date-based custom deal field with the current date (the same date that the contact encountered this action in your automation).

The CRM “Update a custom field” action has three main sections: Deal Field to Update, Affects, and Pipeline:

2. Affects

Here, you'll choose which deal/deals will be updated with the custom deal field value by clicking any of the options in the dropdown.

You can choose from the following:

Triggered Deal

This will update the custom field for the deal that triggered the automation. This option is available if you’re using the Enters a pipeline, Deal stage changes, or Deal status changes trigger, the deal associated with that trigger will be updated with the contact field value.

Most recent deal for this contact

This will update the custom field for the newest deal created for the contact.

Most recently updated deal for this contact

This will update the custom field for the most recently updated deal for the contact.

All deals for this contact

This will update the custom field for all deals associated with the contact. This includes deals that are open, closed won, or closed lost.

All open deals for this contact

This will update the custom deal field for all deals with an “Open” status for this contact.

All won deals for this contact

This will update the custom deal field for all deals with a “Won” status for this contact.

All lost deals for this contact

This will update the custom deal field for all deals that are marked as “Lost” for this contact.

3. Pipeline

Here you'll decide which pipeline the deal needs to be in so that the custom deal field can be updated. You can click “Any Pipeline" or you can choose a specific pipeline by clicking the “Pipeline” dropdown. When you're done configuring this action, click the "Save" button.

Learn more about custom deal fields and how to use them to manage your deals.