How to Add Custom Fields in Asana

Asana has several project management tools to expedite your work, such as custom fields. These allow you to include extra data in your tasks. You can insert an item for stage, cost, priority, or any other aspect that’s critical to your projects. This gives you better insight into the progress across your organization.

But to reap the benefits of custom fields, you first need to learn how to add them. This article will explain how to do so.

Adding Custom Fields

Asana has an intuitive interface that enables you to effortlessly access practically any feature. This includes custom fields. Here’s what you need to do to include them:

1. Launch Asana and head to the left-hand toolbar.
   
2. Open an existing project or start a new one by clicking the “+” sign next to a team and choosing the “Blank Project” option. If you go for the latter, name your project to reach your workspace.
   
3. Head to the top-right part of the window and strike the “+” symbol. This should bring you to the “Add Fields” screen.
   
4. Here you can add a title, select the type, and include a brief description. Make adjustments as needed.
   
5. Check the box that allows you to add the field to your organization’s library. This will make the item available to the entire organization. Alternatively, don’t check the box if you want to create a project-specific field only certain people can access.
   

Adding Custom Fields to My Tasks

Unfortunately, there’s no way to include custom fields in the “My Tasks” section. You can only work with them on individual projects after loading an existing file or creating a blank project from scratch.

Adding a Custom Date Field

Currently, Asana doesn’t support custom date fields. The only three types of items you can incorporate into your projects are drop-down, number, and text.

The good news is that you can easily add dates with Asana’s built-in date feature. This is what you should do to add your start date:

1. Open a task.
   
2. Click “Due Date” within your task. Type in the due date or choose it from the drop-down list.
   
3. Enter or click the desired date on the left part of the screen. The program should now update the task with start and due dates, and the range should be included in your workspace.
   

Keep in mind that Asana first lets you decide on your due date. If you establish the start date before the due date, the due date will, by default, have the same value as your start date.

Additionally, your task dates default to today’s date in the following scenarios:

1. Your start time doesn’t have a due time or date.
2. Your due and start time don’t have a date.
3. You’ve set your time range, but you removed your due date.
4. You only included a start date or start time.

FAQs

How do I group and filter data by custom field in Asana?

A great way to organize your workspace is to group and filter data by your custom fields. Take these steps to set up this arrangement:

1. Install Screenful for Asana. It’s an extension that unlocks many convenient features, such as grouping by custom fields.

2. Open your project or start a new one.

3. Strike the “+” symbol in the upper-right part of the display.

4. Select a “Drop-down” field from the “Type” section.

5. Name the field and add as many categories as you want.

6. For each task in the project, designate a corresponding category from your “Category” menu.

7. Go to Screenful and select the name of your field in your “Group by” section.

What are the limitations of custom fields in Asana?

While custom fields are useful, they come with their fair share of limitations. As previously mentioned, the only three types you can choose are the drop-down, text, and number. Additionally, you can only include up to 50 items/options, and your projects can have up to 20 fields. Another drawback is that your task list can show just five fields at a time.

Why can‘t I add custom fields in Asana?

There are a number of reasons you may not be able to add custom fields in Asana. But in most cases, your organization might be using the Basic version. Adding custom fields is reserved for Premium plans or higher.

What can I do with text fields in Asana?

Asana’s text fields are incredibly helpful, especially for account or candidate tracking. This type allows you to enter certain information (e.g., phone number, address, company, and email address) and obtain crucial data. You can stay on top of your customers, check out their status, and see who manages each account.

Robust Functionality at Your Fingertips

If you want to enhance your Asana experience, adding custom fields is the simplest way to do so. It’s an easily accessible feature that accelerates your projects and helps declutter your workspace. Just use appropriate names and types, and your fields will do you a world of good.

How often do you use custom fields in Asana? What’s your favorite field type? Let us know in the comments section below.