# Basic and Custom Fields

> Mark the parts of a snippet that change, and fill them in each time it expands.

A Field is a blank in a snippet that you fill in each time you use it. Instead of keeping ten versions of the same reply for ten customers, keep one reply with a Field for the name. SimpleFill asks for it as the snippet goes in.

There are two kinds, and they work the same way:

- A **Custom Field** is saved in your Fields list, so any snippet can use it.
- A **Basic Field** lives inside one rich snippet, for a blank only that snippet needs.

## How it works

1. You create a Custom Field, say `first-name`.
2. You put it in a snippet: `Hi {{first-name}}, thanks for your order!`
3. You insert the snippet. A window opens showing your whole message, with a text box where `{{first-name}}` was.
4. You type `Jane` and press **Insert**. The page gets `Hi Jane, thanks for your order!`

## Create a Custom Field

1. Go to **Fields**.
2. Enter a **Name**, like `first-name`. Names are lowercase, with hyphens between words.
3. Choose a **Type** (see below) and fill in its settings.
4. Optionally add a **Description** of up to 160 characters, to remind you what it’s for.
5. Click **Add Field**.

![The Fields page, with the form for a new Field above three Custom Fields: first-name, plan, and call-date](https://simplefill.app/images/docs/dashboard-fields.webp)

## Field types

Both kinds of Field come in the same types.

| Type | What you fill in | Settings |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Text** | A single line, like a name or an order number | **Default** value |
| **Textarea** | A few lines, like a note or a reason | **Default text** |
| **Dropdown** | One choice from a list | **Options**, **Default option** |
| **Multi-select** | Several choices from a list | **Options**, **Join with**, **Default selections** |
| **Date** | A date from a date picker | **Default date**, **Inserted format** |

### Dropdown and Multi-select options

Write one option per line. To show one thing in the menu but insert another, separate them with `|`:

```
Starter
Pro | Pro plan, with priority support
Team | Team plan for up to 10 people
```

Choosing *Pro* inserts `Pro plan, with priority support`. A line without `|` inserts exactly what it shows.

If a Dropdown has no default, you must pick an option before **Insert** becomes available, so you never send a message with a blank in it. A Multi-select joins your choices with `, ` unless you change **Join with**.

### Date formats

A Date Field inserts the date in the **Inserted format** you choose:

| Format | Example |
| --- | --- |
| Local date (the default) | `23/10/2026` or `10/23/2026`, depending on your browser’s language |
| `YYYY-MM-DD` | `2026-10-23` |
| `MM/DD/YYYY` | `10/23/2026` |
| `DD/MM/YYYY` | `23/10/2026` |
| Short month | `23 Oct 2026` |
| Long month | `23 October 2026` |

When the box you’re filling on the page is itself a date picker, SimpleFill always uses the format the page expects.

## Add a Custom Field to a snippet

- **Rich snippet**: type `{{` and choose the Field, or use **Insert field** > **Custom Fields**.
- **Plain snippet**: type its name in double curly braces, like `{{first-name}}`.

## Basic Fields: blanks for one snippet

Sometimes a blank only makes sense in one snippet. Instead of creating a Custom Field, choose **Insert field** > **Basic Fields** in the [rich text editor](https://simplefill.app/docs/rich-text-editor) and pick **Text**, **Textarea**, **Dropdown**, **Multi-select**, or **Date**. Click the pill to set it up under **Field settings**.

It works like any Field, but it lives only inside this snippet and doesn’t appear in your Fields list. Marketplace templates use Basic Fields, so a template never clutters your library.

## The fill-in window

When you insert a snippet with Fields, from a shortcut, the right-click menu, or Quick Access, SimpleFill opens a window titled with the snippet’s name:

- It shows a preview of the whole snippet, with an input wherever a Field sits.
- [Smart Fields](https://simplefill.app/docs/smart-fields) show as labels; they fill in on their own.
- The first input is ready for typing. Press Tab to move to the next.
- Click **Insert** to put the finished text on the page, or **Cancel** (or press Escape) to stop.

> [!IMPORTANT]
> Using the same Field twice in a snippet gives you two boxes to fill. To fill both from one box, click one of the pills and use **Link fields**.

Snippets with only Smart Fields, and no Fields to fill in, skip the window and go straight in.

## Change your text as it goes in

Add a [Transform](https://simplefill.app/docs/transforms) to a Field’s pill to tidy up whatever you type. Put `titleCase` on a name Field, and typing `jane doe` inserts `Jane Doe`. Click the pill, then **Add transform**.

## Rename or delete a Field

- Renaming a Field updates it everywhere it’s used.
- A Field that’s in use can’t be deleted. SimpleFill lists the snippets and Blocks that use it, so you can remove those first.
- Each Field’s row tells you where it’s used: *Not used yet*, or *Used in 3 snippets or Blocks*.

## Examples

**Personal follow-up**

```
Hi {{first-name | titleCase}},

Great speaking with you on {{call-date}}. As discussed, I’ve attached
the proposal for {{company}}. Let me know if you have questions!
```

**Plan-specific reply.** A Dropdown `plan` with *Starter*, *Pro*, and *Team*, used in a reply that explains what’s included. Pair it with an [If / Else](https://simplefill.app/docs/conditions) to add a line only Pro customers see.

**Meeting notes header.** A Multi-select `attendees` with your team’s names, joined with `, `, and a Date Field `meeting-date` in Long month format.

## Limits

Custom Fields count toward your plan: 5 on Free, 50 on Standard, and unlimited on Pro. Basic Fields and Smart Fields don’t count.

Source: https://simplefill.app/docs/fields