Custom Fields and Tags on a Reminder

Custom fields are per-document-type structured fields (e.g., "Policy Number" on Insurance items, "VIN" on Vehicle items). They live on the reminder and can be referenced inside email templates. Tags are workspace-wide labels you apply across reminders for cross-cutting categorisation. Both improve organisation, but they're different tools with different best uses.

Custom fields vs tags — the difference

Custom fields

Setting up custom fields

Custom fields are defined at the document type level, not on each reminder. Go to Manage → Document Types, edit the type, and add custom fields. Once defined, every reminder of that document type can store values for those fields.

Adding custom field values

When you create or edit a reminder:

1. Set the Document Type — the custom fields for that type appear.
2. Fill in the values you want to capture (policy number, license number, contract reference, etc.).
3. Save.

Referencing custom fields in email templates

This is one of the powerful features of custom fields — you can include their values in the email notifications recipients receive.

To include ALL custom fields at once in an email template:

#custom_fields#

Remindax expands this to a list of all custom field values on the item.

To include ONE specific custom field, use:

#cf.field name#

The field name part matches the custom field's label on the document type. Matching is not case-sensitive, so #cf.Department# and #cf.department# both work if the field label is "Department."

Examples:

#cf.vendor name#
#cf.policy number#
#cf.vin#

If a referenced custom field doesn't exist (or has no value), the placeholder renders as empty rather than failing the send.

Where custom field syntax does NOT work

• SMS templates — SMS templates support a fixed set of fields (title, document type, folder name, dates, location, notes, vehicle fields). Custom fields can't be injected into SMS messages using #cf.field name#.
• WhatsApp templates — WhatsApp templates use Meta-approved structures with their own placeholder system. Custom fields are inserted via the WhatsApp-specific custom-fields placeholder, not the email-style #cf.field name#.

This is a real limitation to plan around — if you need a custom value to reach SMS or WhatsApp recipients, put it in the reminder's Notes field (which IS available in SMS templates) or restructure your template approach.

Tags

What tags are for

Tags are short, workspace-wide labels you stick on reminders to enable cross-cutting filtering and grouping. Unlike custom fields (which are structured data tied to a document type), tags are just labels — they don't carry values.

Examples of useful tags:

• Urgent, Normal, Critical — for urgency tiers
• Q1, Q2, Q3, Q4 — for quarter-based reviews
• Under Review, Pending Approval — for workflow states
• Client names — for agency setups tracking by client

Adding tags to a reminder

When creating or editing a reminder:

1. In the Tags field, type the tag name.
2. If the tag exists, it shows in the dropdown — select it.
3. If the tag doesn't exist, you can create it on the fly (it auto-saves to the workspace's tag list).
4. Save the reminder.

Managing tags workspace-wide

The Tags management page is accessible only to master users (Administrators / Owner). They can rename, delete, or reorganise tags. See Manage Tags.

Filtering by tag

Tags are available as a filter in Explorer. Click the Tags filter and select one or more tags to narrow the list to items carrying those tags.

When to use which

• Use custom fields when you need to store structured data per reminder, especially data you'll want to inject into email notifications (policy number, license reference, etc.). Custom fields are also the right tool for fields that vary in value but not in concept across items of the same type.
• Use tags when you need cross-cutting categorisation that spans document types — urgency, quarter, workflow state, owner team.

Many teams use both — custom fields for per-item data, tags for cross-cutting categorisation.

What happens next

• Custom field values populate #cf.field name# and #custom_fields# placeholders in email templates.
• Tag-filtered Explorer searches help your team find related items across document types.
• The Dashboard and Reports respect tag and custom field data where available.

Edge cases & gotchas

• Custom fields are tied to document type. Changing a reminder's document type can lose custom field values if the new type has a different schema.
• Custom field syntax is #cf.field name#, not {{}}. Don't mix syntaxes — Remindax uses #field# for merge tags throughout.
• SMS doesn't support custom fields. Plan your SMS templates around the standard fields available.
• WhatsApp has its own placeholder mechanism. Custom field references in WhatsApp templates use the WhatsApp-specific format, not the email-style #cf.field name#.
• Tag management is master-user only. Editors can add tags on the fly but can't rename or delete them workspace-wide.

Related questions

• How do I add a custom field to a reminder? Set the document type that includes the field, then fill its value when creating/editing the reminder.
• How do I reference a custom field in an email? Use #cf.field name# in the email template body. Use #custom_fields# for all of them at once.
• Can I use a custom field in an SMS template? No — SMS supports a fixed set of fields (title, doc type, folder, dates, location, notes, vehicle fields). Custom fields aren't supported in SMS.
• Can I use a custom field in a WhatsApp template? Through the WhatsApp-specific placeholder, not via #cf.field name#.
• What's the difference between a tag and a custom field? Tags are workspace-wide labels for cross-cutting categorisation; custom fields are structured per-document-type data.
• Why didn't my #cf.policy number# resolve in the SMS? SMS templates don't support custom field placeholders. Use email instead, or put the data in Notes (which SMS does support).
• Can I create a tag on the fly when editing a reminder? Yes — type a new tag in the Tags field, it auto-saves.

Related articles

Manage Document Types · Manage Tags · Email templates · Create a reminder · Edit a reminder