Shared Contacts for Gmail™ offers custom fields that you can use to organize and tailor essential contact information. Adding customized contact fields can help transform your Google Workspace into a mini-CRM.
This article lets you discover ways to improve contact management through customized contact fields.

What are custom fields?
Customized fields are additional, user-defined categories in a contact card that go beyond the standard fields such as name, phone number, and email address. These fields allow you to store relevant information about your contact like subscription type, contract renewal dates, or social media account names.
How do custom contact fields benefit your organization?
These are several ways your business can maximize the use of Shared Contacts for Gmail™ custom contact field.
Substitute for CRM
You don’t need expensive CRM subscriptions to customize your contact database. With the Shared Contacts for Gmail™ custom fields feature, you can turn your Google Workspace into a mini-CRM.
For instance, an automotive repair shop can easily view details like vehicle type, make and model, or last shop visit directly in the contact entry—there is no need to check a separate spreadsheet.
Read more: How To Use G Suite/Google Workspace As Your CRM: An Actionable Guide
Improved contact data organization
Customizable field names allow contact entries to display more relevant details. Clear, structured data enhances accuracy and reliability, improving overall data hygiene.
For example, you can reduce note clutter by adding dedicated fields for commonly recorded information, improving organization.
Read more: Best Practices for Contact Data Hygiene
Administrator control over custom field creation
The account admin creates customized contact fields and automatically applies to all contact entries. Users simply select the appropriate field and enter the value, eliminating the need to create fields individually.
For instance, in a bowling alley tournament contact list, the admin can set up fields like “Shoe Size,” “Ball Weight Preference,” and “Skill Level” once, and they will appear for every contact.
Consistency across contacts
Shared Contacts for Gmail™ allows custom fields to be created across the entire address book, unlike Google Contacts where they must be set individually. All team members use the same standardized list when creating or updating contacts, preventing mistakes and maintaining clean, uniform data.
This eliminates redundancy and inconsistent labels like “ball weight preference,” “ball weight,” or “preferred ball weight.”
Reduced user workload
With predefined custom fields, adding information to new contacts is faster and easier. Instead of creating fields from scratch, users fill in the pre-existing fields. This not only saves time but also reduces the risk of error.

How Shared Contacts for Gmail Upgrades Google Contacts Custom Fields
Detail | In Google Contacts | In Shared Contacts for Gmail™ |
Creation of custom fields | The custom field name must be entered on each contact entry by the user. | One-time creation by the admin. |
Where the newly created custom fields appear | Each custom field name is tied to a single contact unless manually re-entered for other contacts. | Once the custom field name is created, it will appear across all contacts in the directory. |
Uniformity of field names | Potential for inconsistency arises when different users create field names at different times. | Ensures consistent uniformity throughout the entire directory. |
Entering field values | Click “Custom Field” to enter the field value, then click “Label” to add the custom field name. | Type in the field value for the pre-determined field name. |
FAQ for Shared Contacts for Gmail™ Custom Fields
No. Only app admins can create the custom field name.
Any collaborator with sufficient permission on the contact or label can define the custom field value (editor, can delete, manager, and owner). Learn more about permissions here.
All collaborators with access to the contact entry can see the custom field if there is a defined value.
Conclusion: Custom Fields for Tailor-fit Contact Management
Customized contact fields are essential for companies with unique data requirements. Our enhanced Custom Fields feature simplifies the process, helping your team focus on what matters—building great customer relationships.