Custom Fields

🌟 Custom fields are a premium feature of LabHQ. Please click here for more information.

What are Custom Fields?

Custom fields can be used to configure what additional data users should store in LabHQ. Up to 10 custom fields can be configured for both job and samples. Custom fields can be used to store text, numeric or date values and fields are always optional when in use.

Custom fields may be recorded and edited via the job and sample viewers.

Custom field values are restricted to their specified input types. Numeric fields accept only numeric values, date types require valid dates, and list fields display a dropdown of all available list values.

If a list associated with a custom field is deleted, the custom field will display List: <deleted> . This custom field will revert to a text input on the Job and Sample viewers.

ℹ️ You do not need to assign all 10 positions for job- or sample-level custom fields. Any custom field positions which are left blank will not be shown on the job or sample. Only custom fields with an assigned field title will be displayed.

Job Custom Fields

Custom job fields can be used to configure what additional data users store in LabHQ LIMS against a job once it has been submitted. Custom job fields can be both recorded and edited via the View job screen, along with all other job-related information. The View Job screen can be accessed via the main job viewer by clicking on a Job ID.

Adding a New Job Custom Field

To add a new job custom field:

Select Setup from the sidebar.
Under the Custom Job Fields section, enter the name of the field (title) in any of the 10 input fields.
Optionally select the input type. This can be set to text, date, number or list by selecting the dropdown in the custom field. The default input type will be "Text".
When you have made all required updates to the custom job fields, select the [ Save ] button under the job fields section.

ℹ️ If you have added a new custom job field, this will not impact jobs already in the lifecycle. The new custom field will only be available to record for new jobs created after the field was added.

Sample Custom Fields

Custom sample fields can be used to configure what additional data users store in LabHQ LIMS against each sample once it has been submitted. Custom sample fields can be both recorded and edited via the View sample screen, along with all other sample-related information. The View Sample screen can be accessed via the View Job screen by clicking on a sample ID.

Adding a New Sample Custom Field

To add a new custom sample field:

Select Setup from the sidebar.
Under the Custom Sample Fields section, enter the name of the field (title) in any of the 10 input fields.
Optionally select the input type. This can be set to text, date, number or list by selecting the dropdown in the custom field. The default input type will be "Text".
When you have made all required updates to the custom sample fields, select the [ Save ] button under the sample fields section.

Editing Custom Fields

You can amend the title or input type of an existing custom field:

Select Setup from the sidebar.
Under the relevant custom fields section (job or sample), go to the field position you wish to amend.
You can change the title or the input type for the custom field.
To save changes, select the [ Save ] button under the relevant section.

ℹ️ Amending custom field titles or input types do not impact data already in the lifecycle. Jobs and samples already processed through the lifecycle will maintain all fields that existed prior to any custom field changes. Custom field changes will be available on new jobs created after the field changes are saved.

Client Custom Fields

Custom fields can also be configured per client.

To create client custom fields for a job or sample, select a client in the Custom fields dropdown in either the job or sample panel and follow the steps for Adding a New Custom Job/Sample Field .

📒 Clients must be stored as a LabHQ client for them to appear in the list of clients.

Custom Field Priority

Client custom fields will take priority over default custom fields of the same field number.

Client custom fields do not need to have the same input type as the default custom fields.

See the table below for all scenarios for the custom field at position 1:

Default Field	Client Field	Outcome
-	-	No title on both. Custom field is not used on job or sample.
Field 1	-	Title on default but not on client. Default custom field is used on job/sample.
-	Client field 1	Title not on default but on client. Client custom field is used on job/sample.
Field 1	Client field 1	Title on default and on client, client custom field is used on job/sample.

📒 The system helps identify which custom fields are being used for a client:

If the field title is in bold, the client custom field is used.
If the field title is in grey, the default custom field is in use but can be overridden.

Custom Fields in Use

After a job is submitted, any of the associated default or client custom fields are available for entry.

All custom fields will be present on the job and sample details screens. Enter a value into the input box and click the [ Save ] button.

Version Control

The custom fields configured at the point of job submission will be the fields used for the job and associated samples.

Any subsequent modifications to custom fields will not affect existing jobs and samples in the lifecycle.