Use this guide to store extra information on a course or on one course date. You need Course Owner or System Admin access to create definitions and save course or date values. Facilitators have access only to records available to their role.
A field definition sets the label and type of information, such as Number or Website. Its value is the information you enter on a particular record. An Occurrence is a course date; the field settings use the label Occurrences.
These fields are for administration. They do not add questions to checkout or appear directly on public course pages. Values deliberately included in emails or shared exports can be seen by their recipients.
Course and Occurrence custom fields
Course custom fields
A Course field stores information for the course as a whole, such as a number of CPD points, directions that apply to every date, or a map link.
Occurrence custom fields
An Occurrence field stores information for one date. Each date can have a different budget, admin contact, parking directions, minimum exam score, minimum number of places or caterer details.
Which should I use?
Use Courses when one value applies to the whole course. Use Occurrences when the value belongs to a particular date. Creating a field in one list does not create it in the other.
For example, store a common CPD number on the course and parking instructions that vary by venue on each date. A custom CPD number is information you enter; it does not award CPD points or configure certificates.
Create and manage custom fields
Create the definition before entering values on a course or date.
Open Settings → Fields. Select Courses for course values or Occurrences for date values.
Select New Field, then choose its type. The field editor opens.
Enter a Label. Add Internal Field Name if you want a different name in the admin dashboard and exports. Leaving it blank uses the Label.
Complete the available settings. Description explains the field; Placeholder, where offered, is a hint inside an empty input. For a choice field, enter at least one non-empty choice under Items, one per line.
Select Save Field. Check Field created, then return to the relevant field list and reopen the field to check its settings.
To edit a definition, open Settings → Fields → Courses or Occurrences, select the field, change its settings and select Save Field. Check Field updated. The existing-field editor does not offer a type selector.
If saving reports a missing Label or Items, complete them before retrying. After another error, check the list before creating a second copy.
Organise fields into sections
On the relevant field tab, select Add Section. A New Section is created immediately.
Select the section name, enter a useful name and press Enter. Drag fields to arrange them or move them into a section; use the section’s up/down controls to change section order.
Check Field layout saved, then reopen the list to confirm the layout. These layout changes save automatically.
Removing a section keeps its fields and makes them unsectioned. When named sections exist, the remaining fields appear under Unsectioned Fields; otherwise the list shows them directly.
Delete a field
Deleting a field cannot be undone. Cademy does not remove the values already saved in that field on courses or dates. A new field with the same label is a separate field with its own field ID, and it starts empty.
If a value has ever been entered in the field on any course or date, contact Cademy Support before you delete it. After the deletion, that course or date may no longer save from its editor.
Open Settings → Fields and select Courses or Occurrences.
On the field’s row, select the cog button, then Delete.
In the Are you sure? window, select Delete. Check Field deleted.
After the field is deleted:
It leaves the field list and no longer appears in the course editor or the date editor.
It is no longer an export column. Course and date exports leave it out, and Choose Columns in an Order or Registration export no longer offers it.
Your email templates are not changed. A tag that uses the field’s ID stays where you entered it, and it can still insert a value that a course or date saved before the field was deleted. Remove the tag from each template that uses it.
If a course or date cannot be saved after a field was deleted, contact Cademy Support with the name of the course or date and of the deleted field.
Supported field types
The type picker offers these options in order:
Text
Text Area
Date
Number
True/False (Boolean)
Telephone
Email
Website
File Upload
Address
Multiple Choice Checkboxes
Single Choice Options
Dropdown
Statement
File Upload fields
Use File Upload to attach files to an existing course or date. Save a new course or date first, reopen it and find its File Upload field. Select Upload file, choose a file and wait for the upload to finish. Use Add another file for additional files when allowed, then select the course or date’s Save. Reopen the record to check the files.
In the definition, Max files accepts 1–10 and Max file size (MB) accepts a whole number from 1–50. Their product cannot exceed 100 MB. The default is one file of up to 10 MB. Accepted file types takes comma-separated extensions or MIME types, such as .pdf, image/png; leaving it blank permits any file type.
If an upload is rejected, check the message against the allowed type, file count and size. File Upload fields are excluded from the CSV exports described below. A merge tag does not attach a file to an email.
Statement fields
Use the definition’s Statement editor for text displayed among the fields. A Statement has no answer to enter or save on each record and is excluded from CSV exports.
Add custom field values to a course
Open Courses and select the course.
Select Edit Course, then open Settings → Advanced Settings.
Find Custom Fields. Select the field and enter or change its value.
Finish editing the input and select the course’s Save button. Check Course saved.
Reopen Edit Course → Settings → Advanced Settings and check the saved value.
Changing an input updates the open editor. Select Save before leaving to check the result. For an existing course, switching to another section inside the course editor can also save its changes automatically. Clearing an ordinary value and saving clears that value on this course.
The saved values belong to the whole course.
Example: a course has custom fields for CPD points and training details. The numbers and labels shown are sample values; the CPD field does not award points.
Add custom field values to a course date
Open Courses, select the course and open the Overview tab.
Find the relevant date, open its actions menu (the three-dot button) and select Edit. Where a pencil button, Edit date, is shown beside the menu, it opens the same editor.
In the date editor, scroll to Custom fields. Enter or change the relevant values.
Select Save. Check Date updated, then reopen that date’s editor and check the saved values.
Changing an input does not save the whole date until you select Save. Clearing an ordinary value and saving clears that value on this date.
These values belong only to this date. Another date on the same course can have different values.
Example: one date has its own budget, contact and parking fields. These values are illustrative.
Who can see these fields
Course and Occurrence custom fields belong to the administration area. Their stored values are not displayed directly in customer or learner course, booking or order pages.
You can deliberately include supported values in an email or export. Check the recipient and content before sharing internal details such as a budget or private contact information.
Export Course and Occurrence custom fields
Export courses or dates
Open Courses. Choose List View for course records or Date List View for date records. Set the relevant filters.
Select Export. A course export starts immediately. For dates, choose Now and select Export Now.
Wait for the file to be ready and select Download CSV. Open it and check the intended records and field columns.
These two routes do not offer a column picker. Supported custom fields are included in their export format.
Include fields in an Order or Registration export
Open Courses, select the course and open its Orders or Registrants tab. System Admins can instead use the main-menu Orders or Registrations list across courses.
Filter the list to the records you need, then open the export window. The buttons for this differ between accounts: see Export Data or Schedule an Export for the export steps and Filter, Sort and Use Saved Filters for filtering.
For an Order export, keep Orders selected under Records.
Select Choose Columns and include the needed fields under Course Fields or Occurrence Fields.
Choose Now, then select Export Now. When ready, select Download CSV and check the columns and values.
Headers use Internal Field Name, falling back to Label and then the field ID. Address values expand into separate columns.
Fields excluded from exports
File Upload and Statement fields are not export columns. If another field is absent, check that its definition is in the intended Courses or Occurrences list. In an Order or Registration export, check the chosen columns as well. If it remains absent, give Cademy Support the export route, field name, type and a relevant record reference.
Use custom fields in emails
A mail merge tag is a placeholder replaced with a saved value when Cademy prepares an email. For example, a tag can insert the course’s CPD number or the recipient’s date-specific parking directions.
Use a template that has the relevant course or date available, or send from the course’s Registrants list. The recipient’s Registration determines the course and date used for that message.
Where these tags work
In supported email template editors, custom fields are absent from the Mail Merge dropdown, but typing {{ offers custom-field suggestions. You can also enter the tag manually using the field ID. For the built-in tags and the records each email can use, see Personalise Emails with Mail Merge Tags.
Inbox conversations and messages opened from an individual Contact page do not use the same template processing. Do not paste these tags there and expect them to be replaced.
For a course message, open Courses → your course → Registrants, select the intended recipients and choose Email or Send Email, whichever your list shows. Complete Subject and Email body *, then use Preview to check the relevant recipient’s course, date and saved values before sending. A tag for a date needs the appropriate date to be available to that email.
Enter a tag using the field ID
Open Settings → Fields, choose Courses or Occurrences and open the required field.
Copy the field ID from the address bar: it is the part after
/fields/and before?. Do not copy the whole URL.Open Courses → your course → Registrants, select the intended recipients and choose Email or Send Email, whichever your list shows. Complete Subject. In Email body *, enter
{{course.FIELD_ID}}, replacingFIELD_IDwith the copied ID. Do not add a#.Select Preview in this Registrants email composer and check the substituted value for the intended recipient before sending.
For example, a field URL ending /fields/6a4ede4c-9fa4-42b6-b5c5-df5140d76ea8?tab=courses gives the tag {{course.6a4ede4c-9fa4-42b6-b5c5-df5140d76ea8}}. This is an example; copy your own field’s ID.
Both Course and Occurrence fields use course in the tag. Do not change it to occurrence. You can also save these tags in a suitable email template. The Settings template editor does not provide a recipient-specific Preview. To check a saved template in a course email, open the Registrants email composer described above, use Select a template... to choose it, check Subject and Email body, then select Preview. If a template is already selected, this dropdown shows its title instead.
If there is no saved value available for that field in the email, the replacement is blank. Check the correct record and save its value, then check Preview again in the Registrants email composer. Check the appearance of Address, choice and other complex values rather than assuming they will read like plain text.
Examples of how to use custom fields
The following are fictional examples. Use the creation and save procedures above, then reopen the record to confirm its value.
Store CPD information on a course
Create a Number field under Courses, labelled CPD points. On a sample course, use Edit Course → Settings → Advanced Settings → Custom Fields to enter 6, then select Save. Reopen the editor to check 6. You can include this information in supported exports or emails; it does not award points or configure a certificate.
Store a map link on a course
Create a Website field under Courses, labelled Map link. Enter the venue’s map URL under that course’s Custom Fields, select Save and reopen the editor to check the link. Use this when the same map applies to the whole course.
Store parking instructions for each date
Create a Text Area field under Occurrences, labelled Parking instructions. In one date’s Custom fields, enter Use the north car park and select Save. Reopen that date to check the instructions. Enter the appropriate instructions separately for another date.
Store an internal session budget
Create a Number field under Occurrences, labelled Session budget (GBP). Enter 250 in a sample date’s Custom fields, select Save and reopen it to confirm the value. A Number field stores the number; the example label identifies the currency. The budget is not displayed directly to learners, but an export or email can disclose it.
Store caterer information
Create the relevant fields under Occurrences: Text or Text Area for notes, Telephone for a phone number, Email for an email address, or Website for an ordering link. Enter the details in the date’s Custom fields, select Save, then reopen that date to check them.
Good to know
Course definitions and Occurrence definitions are separate; each date keeps its own values.
Save the definition with Save Field; save a value with the containing course or date’s Save.
Sections organise fields and save automatically. Removing a section does not delete its fields.
File Upload and Statement fields are excluded from the described CSV exports.
Custom fields are absent from the Mail Merge dropdown. Supported editors offer suggestions when typing
{{; a manual tag uses the field ID.Both Course and Occurrence tags start with
{{course., without a leading#.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a Course field and an Occurrence field?
A Course field stores one course-level value. An Occurrence field stores a value separately for each date, so use it when the information varies between dates.
Where do I create Course custom fields?
Open Settings → Fields → Courses → New Field, choose the type, complete the definition and select Save Field.
Where do I create Occurrence custom fields?
Open Settings → Fields → Occurrences → New Field, choose the type, complete the definition and select Save Field.
Where do I enter Course custom field values?
Open Courses → your course → Edit Course → Settings → Advanced Settings → Custom Fields. Enter the value and select Save.
Where do I enter Occurrence custom field values?
Open the course’s Overview tab, open the date’s actions menu and select Edit, then find Custom fields. Enter the values and select Save.
Can each Occurrence have different values?
Yes. Values are saved separately on each date.
Can I use a Course field when the information changes for each Occurrence?
Use an Occurrence field instead. A Course field stores one value for the course, rather than a different value for each date.
Can customers or learners see these fields?
Not directly in their course, booking or order pages. They can see values you deliberately include in emails or shared exports.
Can Course and Occurrence custom fields be exported?
Yes. Supported values are included in Course or Date exports and can be chosen in Order or Registration exports. File Upload and Statement fields are excluded.
Why is my custom field missing from the export column picker?
File Upload and Statement are excluded. For another type, check whether it belongs to Courses or Occurrences and look in the matching column group. Course and Date exports have no column picker.
Can File Upload fields be used for Courses and Occurrences?
Yes. Save the course or date before uploading, then save the record after changing its files. File Upload fields are excluded from the CSV exports described here.
Why is my Statement field not saving a value?
A Statement displays the text saved on its definition. It has no separate data-entry answer on each course or date.
Can Course and Occurrence custom fields be used in emails?
Yes, in supported templates with the relevant course/date and in emails from the course’s Registrants list. Type {{ for suggestions or enter the field-ID tag manually. In the Registrants email composer, complete Subject and Email body, then check Preview. The Settings template editor has no recipient-specific Preview.
How do I find a custom field ID?
Open Settings → Fields → Courses or Occurrences and select the field. Copy the part of its URL after /fields/ and before ?.
What is the format for a custom field mail merge tag?
Use {{course.FIELD_ID}}, replacing FIELD_ID with your field’s ID. Do not include a leading #.
Do Occurrence custom fields use an occurrence mail merge tag?
No. Both Course and Occurrence fields use {{course.FIELD_ID}}. The relevant date must be available to the email.
Why is the email showing the raw mail merge tag?
Check that you used a supported template editor or a course Registrants email, rather than an Inbox or individual Contact conversation. Check the complete ID and {{course.FIELD_ID}} syntax. In the Registrants email composer, complete Subject and Email body before using Preview. If the raw tag remains, give Cademy Support the editor route and tag used.
Why is the custom field blank in the email?
When no saved value is available for the field, the replacement is blank. Reopen the intended course or date, check and save its value, confirm the tag’s ID and check Preview for the intended recipient in the Registrants email composer.
Why can I see the field in Settings but not in the Course editor?
Check its field tab. Only definitions under Courses appear in Edit Course → Settings → Advanced Settings → Custom Fields. Occurrence definitions belong in the date editor.
Why can I see the field on the Course but not on an Occurrence?
A Course field does not become a date field. Create an Occurrence definition under Settings → Fields → Occurrences when each date needs a separate value.
Why can I see the field on an Occurrence but not under Advanced Settings?
An Occurrence definition appears in the date editor. Only Course definitions appear in the course editor’s Advanced Settings → Custom Fields.