What are Custom Fields
Custom fields in Retino Returns allow you to extend the standard set of information you store about tickets and products. They enable you to collect additional business-specific data from customers or internally track information needed for your processes.
Custom fields are divided into two main types:
Ticket custom fields - add extra information to the entire ticket
Product custom fields - add extra information to specific products within a ticket
Important Note. Deleting or modifying an existing field can corrupt data in existing tickets. If you need to replace an old field with a new one, we recommend keeping the old field and removing it from the forms. Then, create a new field with the desired properties and use it in the forms instead of the original field.
Ticket Custom Field Types
Retino Returns supports the following custom field types for tickets:
Field Type | Description | Example Use Case |
Bank Account Number | Text field validated for correct bank account format | Customer account number for refund |
Czech Account Number | Validated field for Czech account number | Czech account number for refund |
IBAN | Validated field for international bank connections | Customer IBAN for international refund |
Text Field | Single-line text field without special validation | Any short text, e.g., reference number |
Date | Field for selecting a date | Product shipment date, required resolution date, etc. |
Multi-line Text Field | Field for longer text inputs | Defect description, customer notes, etc. |
Number Field | Field for entering numerical values | Package weight, product size, etc. |
Checkbox | Yes/No type field | Terms and conditions agreement, confirmation of receipt, etc. |
Dropdown | Dropdown list with predefined options | Reason for claim, preferred resolution method, etc. |
Multiple Choice | Selection of multiple options from a list | Multiple return reasons, selection of multiple required actions, etc. |
URL | Validated field for web addresses | Link to a video demonstrating the defect |
File | Field for uploading a file | Photo documentation of the defect, scanned document, etc. |
Product Custom Field Types
Product custom fields have a more limited set of types compared to ticket custom fields, but allow you to add specific information to each product within a ticket individually:
Field Type | Description | Example Use Case |
Text Field | Single-line text field | Product color, dimensions, specific variant |
Multi-line Text Field | Field for longer text inputs | Description of a specific product defect |
Date | Field for selecting a date | Product manufacturing date, defect discovery date |
Dropdown | Dropdown list with options | Product status, defect type, etc. |
File | Field for uploading a file | Photos of a specific product |
Link | Field for storing a link with a description | Link to product manual, link to a replacement part |
Differences Between Ticket and Product Custom Fields
While both custom field types serve a similar purpose, they have several key differences:
Aspect | Ticket Custom Fields | Product Custom Fields |
Focus | Relate to the entire ticket | Relate to a specific product within the ticket |
Available Types | Wider selection of types, including bank accounts, URLs, multiple choice, etc. | More limited set of types, but includes a special "Link" type |
Display in Portal | Displayed in the ticket detail for the customer if assigned to the used ticket type | Has a special "Show in customer detail" option to control visibility in the customer portal |
Data Storage | Stored within the ticket data | Stored within the data of the specific product |
Creating and Managing Custom Fields
Go to Settings > Custom Fields
Select the "Custom Fields" or "Product Custom Fields" section as needed
Click the "Create new custom field" button
Fill in the field name in all supported languages
Select the field type based on the data you want to track
For "Dropdown" and "Multiple Choice" fields, enter the available options
For product custom fields, you can activate the "Show in customer detail" option
Select the ticket types where the field will be available
Save the settings
Custom Fields in the Customer Portal
Custom fields can be displayed to customers in the customer portal, enabling the collection of specific information directly from them. Key points about custom fields in the portal:
Ticket custom fields are added to the portal in the customer information section settings
Product custom fields are displayed in the portal only if the "Show in customer detail" setting is checked or if they were added in the portal settings
Validation errors are displayed in the portal if the customer enters invalid values (e.g., incorrect bank account format)
Fields are rendered according to their type - for example, a date field displays a calendar, a dropdown displays a dropdown menu, etc.
Different Naming in Portal and Administration. Custom fields might have different names in the customer portal than in the administration. This allows for user-friendly labels in the customer portal (e.g., "Enter the reason for return"), while shorter technical names are used in the administration (e.g., "Return reason"). Portal naming is configured in the form editor in the Settings > Portal section, where you can assign specific labels for customers for each field.
Adding Ticket Custom Fields to the Customer Portal
Ticket custom fields are most commonly displayed in the "Customer Information" step of the customer portal, where the customer can provide additional details about the entire ticket. These fields help gather information crucial for processing the entire ticket, not just specific products.
To add a ticket custom field to the portal:
Create the ticket custom field in Settings > Custom Fields and assign it to the relevant ticket type
Go to Settings > Portal and select the relevant form in the forms section
Click on the form editor and go to the "Customer Information" section
Click the "Add field" button
In the dialog box, select the ticket custom field you want to add
Set whether the field should be mandatory and adjust its label for customers if needed
Save the changes
You can change the order of fields by dragging them. Fields will appear in the portal in the same order as they are arranged in the form editor.
Adding Product Custom Fields to the Customer Portal
Product custom fields are displayed in the "Order Items" step of the customer portal, used to find information about the products related to the ticket. For example, why a customer is returning an item or what the defect is in case of a claim.
To add a product custom field to the portal:
Create the product custom field in the settings with the "Show in customer detail" option activated
Go to Settings > Portal and select the relevant form in the forms section
In the form editor, in the "Order Items" section, click the "Add field" button (as seen in the example screenshot)
Select the desired product custom field in the dialog
Set whether the field should be mandatory
Save the changes
When a customer uses the portal, product custom fields are displayed for each product individually, allowing you to collect specific information for each item (e.g., the reason for returning a specific product or details about a defect).
Tip. To collect a customer's bank account in the portal, enable refund options with the "Refund to account" option. Then, either a Czech account number field or an IBAN field will be displayed in the portal, depending on the order currency.
Automation and Custom Fields
Custom fields can be effectively used in Retino Returns automation rules:
Automation allows the "Fill custom field" action to automatically set the value of a custom field when certain conditions are met
Supported field types for automation include: text field, number field, checkbox, dropdown, bank account, URL, and date
For date fields, you can set a relative date (e.g., "in 2 days") in automation
Automation enables efficient ticket management based on custom field values
Best Practices and Limitations
When working with custom fields, we recommend the following practices:
For multiple choice fields - changing option identifiers can cause issues, carefully consider the structure of these fields before using them
File type fields - files are internally stored as references to saved files in the system
For product custom fields - carefully consider which ones should be visible in the customer portal
During integration - use client-side validation that matches the validation performed by Retino Returns
Important Limitation: Field Type Change Not Possible. After creating a custom field, it is not possible to change its type (e.g., from text field to number field or from single choice to multiple choice). This limitation exists to maintain data consistency; changing a field type could make previously stored data incompatible with the new type. If you need to change a field type, you must create a new field with the desired type and stop using the original field.
Limitation. After changing the ticket type, some custom fields might become unavailable if they are not configured for the new ticket type. Proceed cautiously when changing ticket types to avoid losing important data.