Manage custom fields

Required role: Technical admin  
Required permissions: Payer Administration

Overview

Custom fields are user-defined data fields allowing you to capture, track, and report on specific, non-standard information beyond default system fields.

Custom fields can be configured to display on bills, bill lines, payees, purchase orders, purchase order lines, or expenses. Tipalti supports the following custom field types:

• List: Best for standardized coding and reporting (reduces typos and variations). Ensure the list values are added and maintained so AP teams can select the correct option.
• Free text: Best for unique values that don’t fit a predefined set (may reduce reporting consistency).
• Date: Best for date-based tracking (for example, service period date).

For information on limitations, go to Custom field limitations.

Add a custom field

Add a custom field when you need to capture a new business dimension or meet a downstream requirement, such as:

• ERP segments or dimensions (for example, cost center, department, location, project/class).
• Internal tracking (for example, grant ID, campaign, contract ID, internal ticket number).
• Policy and reporting needs (for example, spend type, region, business unit).

To add a custom field:

1. Go to Administration > General in the left menu. Then click the Custom fields tab.
2. Click + Add custom field (top right).
   
3. In Name, enter the technical name for the field.
   Tip: If you sync to an ERP or use integrations, keep this name aligned with what your integration expects.
4. In Display name, enter a descriptive label in Tipalti. This is displayed to company members who use the Tipalti Hub for finance processing.
5. In Description, enter a short explanation of what the field is used for.
6. In Choose entity, select where the field should appear. Here, entity refers to where you want the field to display, not your legal business entity. 
   
   Even if you don't use Bills or PO matching, you can still have PO custom fields available in Procurement and for your employees when submitting expenses.
   
7. Choose:
   • The field type, value type, category, and display options.

   • If you want to group bills that share the same custom field value.

     You can base the settings on how the field is set up in your accounting system.

8. If you use Bills and want the field to be reviewed at the bill approval stage, select Use custom field values in bill approval rules.
9. Click Create, or to add another field, click Create + add another.

You can add the custom field to the CSV Bills file if you import invoices by CSV.

Choose the field type

Choose the field type based on how the data will be used downstream.

• List
• Free text
• Date

If the field is used for approvals, reporting, CSV imports, or syncing to your accounting system, choose a field type that ensures consistent and correct data entry.

Edit a custom field

Edit a custom field when you need to improve clarity or governance, such as:

• Updating Display name or Description so AP teams enter values consistently.
• Changing the level where the field is captured (for example, moving from bill header to bill line if coding varies by line).
• Adjusting value options (commonly for list-type fields) to match ERP or reporting needs.

To edit a custom field:

1. Go to Administration > General in the left menu.
2. Click the Custom fields tab.
3. Click the custom field you want to change.
4. Click Edit and update the field. Then save your changes.
   The changes are applied everywhere the custom field displays.
   

The changes apply everywhere the custom field is used and can affect approvals, integrations, and reporting.

Delete a custom field

Before deleting a custom field, confirm it isn’t used in:

• Bill approval rules
• ERP or integration mappings
• Import or export templates
• Reports or historical analysis

Deleting a custom field can break existing workflows and may not be reversible.

To delete a custom field:

1. Go to Administration > General in the left menu.
2. Click the Custom fields tab.
3. Click the custom field row.
4. Click the 3-dot menu to the right of the row and select Delete.