Client custom fields

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Custom fields let your practice store extra information on a client in OnboardMe, show selected fields during onboarding, and keep values in sync with Xero Practice Manager (XPM) or FYI Elite when those integrations are connected.

Before you start

Only Owner or Admin users can add or edit custom field types.
To sync with XPM, connect Xero Practice Manager first. See Connecting and configuring Xero Practice Manager.
To sync with FYI, you need FYI Elite (not FYI Documents). See OnboardMe integration with FYI Elite.

What custom fields are

A custom field type is a practice-wide field (for example Industry, Referral source, or BAS frequency). Each client then has a value for that field.

Supported field types:

Text
Long Text
Number
Date
Checkbox
Drop-Down (you define the options)
Link
User List (practice users)

Create or edit custom field types

If connected to XPM or FYI, please only make changes to Custom Field Types in that system, do not make changes or create new Custom Fields in OnboardMe.

Go to Settings, then Custom Fields.
Select New Custom Field, or select an existing row to edit it.
Enter a Field Name and choose a Field Type.
If the type is Drop-Down, add at least one option.
Turn on Mandatory if staff (and clients, when the field is shown to them) must complete it.
Turn on Show During Onboarding if the field should appear on the client onboarding form.
When editing, you can mark a field Inactive so it is no longer used for new values. Existing client values are kept.
Select Create or Update.

Use search on the Custom Fields page to find a field by name or type.

Mandatory vs Show During Onboarding

Show During Onboarding controls whether the client sees the field on their onboarding link.
Mandatory controls whether a value is required. Staff must complete every mandatory field during onboarding. Clients are only required to complete a field if it is both shown to them and mandatory.

A common pattern is to keep internal-only fields (for example a partner code) mandatory for staff, with Show During Onboarding turned off so clients never see them.

Sync field definitions from XPM or FYI

OnboardMe can import custom field definitions (name, type, and dropdown options) from XPM or FYI Elite. Matching is by field name.

If an OnboardMe field already has the same name, it is linked to the XPM or FYI field.
If no matching name exists, OnboardMe creates a new custom field. New synced fields are not mandatory and are not shown during onboarding until you turn those options on.

Linked fields show an XPM or FYI badge on Settings, Custom Fields.

OnboardMe does not create new custom field definitions inside XPM or FYI. It maps to fields that already exist there, then sends and receives values for those linked fields.

Xero Practice Manager

Go to Settings, then Integrations, and open the XPM sync options.
Run Sync Custom Fields to import definitions from XPM.

A clients-only XPM sync does not include custom field definitions. After clients are linked, custom field values are synced separately (and you can also pull values for one client from the client record).

If dropdown options in XPM have changed, use the custom fields reprocess option on the XPM sync screen. That refreshes the linked OnboardMe fields without recreating them.

FYI Elite

Go to Settings, then Integrations, and open the FYI sync options.
Run Sync Custom Fields, or run a Full Sync (full sync includes custom fields).

FYI Documents does not map custom fields in OnboardMe. Custom field badges and Sync from FYI on a client record appear only for FYI Elite.

How clients and staff see fields during onboarding

When at least one eligible custom field exists, onboarding includes an Additional Information step.

What clients see

On the onboarding link the client receives, they only see active fields that have Show During Onboarding turned on. They must complete those fields if Mandatory is also on. Fields without Show During Onboarding never appear on the client form.

If no fields are marked Show During Onboarding, the Additional Information step is omitted from the client form.

What staff see

When staff complete or review onboarding inside OnboardMe, they see the practice custom fields, including fields that are not shown to clients. Staff must complete every Mandatory field before they can continue, even if the client never saw that field.

How values go to XPM and FYI

When a client is linked to XPM or FYI Elite, OnboardMe keeps linked custom field values in step with the other system:

Into OnboardMe: values are pulled when clients are synced, and you can pull them again for one client from the Custom Fields tab.
Out to XPM or FYI: when you save custom field values in OnboardMe (including at the end of onboarding, or from the client record), linked values are pushed to the connected system.

Only linked fields are sent. Fields that exist only in OnboardMe stay in OnboardMe. FYI push is skipped for leads and terminated clients (the client must be active and already linked in FYI).

If you need a field in both systems, create it in XPM or FYI (or in OnboardMe with the same name), then run Sync Custom Fields so the names match and the badge appears.

Edit custom field values on a client

Open the client from Clients. The Custom Fields tab is available after the client has been saved (it is not shown while you are creating a brand-new client).
Open the Custom Fields tab.
Required fields are listed first. Edit a value, or use Add Custom Field to fill a field that does not have a value yet.
Select Save on the client to keep the changes. Linked XPM or FYI values are then pushed to the integration.

On this tab you can also:

Manage - opens Settings, Custom Fields in a new tab (Owner or Admin).
Refresh - reloads field types and values for this client.
Sync from Xero - pulls this client's custom field values from XPM (shown when XPM is connected).
Sync from FYI - pulls this client's custom field values from FYI Elite (shown when FYI Elite is connected).

Mandatory fields must be completed before you save an active client. That check is skipped for leads and terminated clients.

XPM and FYI badges on a field mean that field type is linked and can sync values with the other system.

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