What you’ll learn: Essential rules, naming conventions, and best practices to make your custom fields work perfectly every time.

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The Golden Rules of Custom Fields

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Rule 1: No Spaces Ever 🚨

This is the most important rule: Custom field names cannot contain spaces.
✅ Correct❌ WrongWhat Happens
{FirstName}{First Name}❌ System error
{AccountNumber}{Account Number}❌ Data not found
{PaymentAmount}{Payment Amount}❌ Field fails

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Rule 2: Use Underscores for Multiple Words

When you need multiple words, connect them with underscores: 
{Account_Number}     ✅ Correct
{Payment_Amount}     ✅ Correct
{Appointment_Date}   ✅ Correct
{Doctor_Name}        ✅ Correct

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Rule 3: Be Consistent with Naming

Choose a naming style and stick to it throughout your system: PascalCase (Recommended) 
{FirstName}
{AccountNumber}
{PaymentAmount}
Important: Pick this style and use it consistently. Don’t mix different naming conventions in the same system.

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Field Naming Guidelines

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✅ Good Field Names

  • Clear and descriptive: {AccountNumber} instead of {Acc}
  • Consistent format: All fields follow the same pattern
  • Easy to understand: {PaymentAmount} instead of {PayAmt}
  • Professional: {CustomerName} instead of {CustName}

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❌ Avoid These Naming Patterns

  • Abbreviations: {AccNum} (unclear)
  • Mixed formats: {FirstName} and {last_name} (inconsistent)
  • Too long: {CustomerAccountPaymentAmountDueDate} (confusing)
  • Special characters: {Account#} or {Amount$} (causes errors)

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Common Custom Field Categories

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Personal Information Fields

Field NamePurposeExample
{FirstName}User’s first name”Hello John”
{LastName}User’s last name”Mr. Smith”
{FullName}Complete name”John Smith”
{Title}Professional title”Dr. Smith”
{Company}Company name”ABC Corporation”

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Contact Information Fields

Field NamePurposeExample
{PhoneNumber}Contact phone”555-123-4567”
{EmailAddress}Email address”john@email.com”
{Address}Physical address”123 Main St”
{City}City name”New York”
{State}State/province”NY”
{ZipCode}Postal code”10001”

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Account and Financial Fields

Field NamePurposeExample
{AccountNumber}Account identifier”ACC12345”
{AccountType}Type of account”Savings”
{Balance}Current balance”$1,250.00”
{AmountDue}Outstanding amount”$500.00”
{DueDate}Payment deadline”March 30, 2024”
{LastPayment}Last payment amount”$200.00”
{PaymentDate}Last payment date”February 15, 2024”

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Time and Date Fields

Field NamePurposeExample
{today}Current date”March 15, 2024”
{time_zone}User’s time zone”+05:30” or “Asia/Kolkata”
{AppointmentDate}Scheduled date”March 20, 2024”
{AppointmentTime}Scheduled time”3:00 PM”

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Product and Service Fields

Field NamePurposeExample
{ProductName}Product name”Premium Plan”
{ServiceType}Service category”Technical Support”
{OrderNumber}Order identifier”ORD789”
{OrderDate}Order placement date”March 10, 2024”
{ProductPrice}Product cost”$99.99”

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Advanced Custom Field Techniques

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Combining Multiple Fields

You can use multiple custom fields in the same sentence for rich, personalized conversations: 
"Hello {FirstName}, I can see you have an outstanding balance of {AmountDue} 
on account {AccountNumber} that was due on {DueDate}. Based on your 
payment history, I'd like to discuss a payment plan that works for you."

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Conditional Custom Fields

Some systems support conditional logic with custom fields: 
"Hello {FirstName}, your account {AccountNumber} shows a balance of {Balance}. 
{IfBalancePositive: Since you have a credit, you're all set!} 
{IfBalanceNegative: You have an outstanding amount of {AmountDue} due by {DueDate}.}"
Note: Conditional custom fields require advanced system support. Check with your platform provider for availability.

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Testing Your Custom Fields

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Before Going Live

  1. Test with sample data - Use real user information to verify fields populate correctly
  2. Check field names - Ensure no spaces or special characters
  3. Verify data accuracy - Confirm the right information appears in the right places
  4. Test conversation flow - Make sure the personalized message sounds natural

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Common Testing Scenarios

Test CaseWhat to CheckExpected Result
Basic fields{FirstName}, {LastName}Names appear correctly
Financial fields{AmountDue}, {DueDate}Numbers and dates format properly
Time fields{today},{time_zone}Current date displays
Empty fieldsMissing dataGraceful handling or fallback text

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Troubleshooting Common Issues

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Problem: Field Not Populating

Possible Causes:
  • Field name has spaces
  • Field name doesn’t match database
  • Data is missing for that user
  • System configuration error
Solutions:
  1. Check for spaces in field name
  2. Verify field name matches exactly
  3. Confirm data exists in database
  4. Check system configuration

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Problem: Wrong Data Appearing

Possible Causes:
  • Field name too similar to another field
  • Database mapping error
  • Data corruption
Solutions:
  1. Use unique, descriptive field names
  2. Verify database field mapping
  3. Check data integrity

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Problem: Field Causes Error

Possible Causes:
  • Invalid characters in field name
  • System doesn’t recognize field
  • Syntax error in prompt
Solutions:
  1. Remove special characters
  2. Use only letters, numbers, and underscores
  3. Check prompt syntax

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Best Practices Checklist

Use this checklist to ensure your custom fields work perfectly:
  • Field names have no spaces - Use underscores instead
  • Naming is consistent - Same format throughout system
  • Names are descriptive - Clear what each field contains
  • Testing completed - Verified with real data
  • Error handling - Graceful fallbacks for missing data
  • Documentation updated - Team knows how to use fields
  • Backup plan - What happens if fields fail

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Performance Considerations

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Field Loading Speed

  • Keep field names short - Long names can slow processing
  • Limit field count - Too many fields may impact performance
  • Cache frequently used data - Reduce database lookups

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Data Accuracy

  • Real-time updates - Ensure data is current
  • Validation rules - Check data quality before using
  • Fallback values - Provide defaults for missing data

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Security and Privacy

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Data Protection

  • Sensitive information - Don’t include passwords or SSNs in custom fields
  • Access control - Limit who can see custom field data
  • Audit logging - Track when custom fields are used

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Compliance

  • GDPR considerations - Ensure user consent for personal data
  • Industry regulations - Follow financial, healthcare, or other specific rules
  • Data retention - Know how long to keep custom field data

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Next Steps

Now that you understand custom field best practices:
  1. Review your current fields - Apply these best practices to existing custom fields
  2. Plan new implementations - Use proper naming conventions from the start
  3. Test thoroughly - Verify everything works before going live
  4. Train your team - Ensure everyone follows the same standards
  5. Monitor performance - Watch for any issues and optimize as needed
Ready to implement custom fields correctly? Following these best practices will ensure your custom fields work reliably, efficiently, and professionally. Start implementing them today to create more engaging and personalized AI conversations.
Need the basics? Check out our Custom Fields Introduction to understand the fundamentals before diving into these best practices.