How do I create a custom field in my Action Alert/Survey that displays as a drop-down list?

Jeffrey Kingsland

If you have a piece of information that you need to gather but does not fit the default Constituent Profile, Site Admins have the ability to create custom fields in the database and expose them to the client in an Action Alert or Survey. It is a good idea to limit the possible values in a drop-down list; allowing clients to enter text with no restrictions can lead to variations in the data that can cause problems later when trying to report on the custom field. Below are the steps to create a custom database field and to create a drop-down list of values for the client to choose from.

First create the custom database field (if you do not have access, contact Convio Support):

1. Navigate to Setup > Database Configuration.

2. Scroll down to Additional Fields and click Expand.

3. Under the Field column, find the first default name (should be "String #x") and replace the default text with your field name.

4. Place a checkmark under Use This Field, User Can See, User Can Change, Admin Can See, Admin Can Change.

5. (optional) If the field is required for registration, place a checkmark under Required for Registration.

6. Click Save.

To create a question in your Action Alert to update that field:

7. Navigate to Advocacy > Action Alerts.

8. Click Edit next to the alert in question.

9. Click 6. Include Questions.

10. Edit an existing question or add a new one with type "Multiple Choice Single Response (Drop Down)" and then edit it.

11. Under step 7. Contact Record Field Update:, select "Select existing field"

12. Under Select a Field Type and a field:, select "Additional Information" as the field type and the field you created in step #3 as the field.

To create a question in your Survey to update that field:

7. Navigate to Content > Surveys.

8. Click Edit next to the survey in question.

9. Click 2. Include Questions.

10. Edit an existing question or add a new one with type "Multiple Choice Single Response (Drop Down)" and then edit it.

11. Under step 7. Contact Record Field Update:, select "Select existing field"

12. Under Select a constituent contact record field:, select "Additional Information" as the field type and the field you created in step #3 as the field.