Adding custom object records to capture custom data

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Admins can create custom objects to capture unique data types not covered by standard objects, allowing you to add custom object records for more tailored data management. You can also add related records and attachments to enhance data connectivity and detail. Use the search feature to find specific records easily, improving your ability to manage and access critical information.
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<div class="note fastpath">
<span class="fastpathtitle">Location: </span> <span class="ph">Support &gt; Custom objects</span>
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<p class="p">Zendesk provides many types of native data objects for storing and managing your customer
data, including tickets, users, organizations, and more. These are called <em class="ph i">standard
objects</em>. However, standard objects can't provide every possible type of data
object that your organization might want. With custom objects, admins can <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/5392409465370" target="_blank">create custom objects</a> to capture data that doesn't fit into
those standard objects. Then, <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6034260247066" target="_blank">agents with permission</a> can add that information to Zendesk
by creating custom object records.</p>
<div class="p">This article contains the following topics:<ul class="ul" id="topic_tmk_dy4_mwb__ul_qw1_ty4_mwb">
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_f2g_ty4_mwb">Understanding custom objects</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_ibh_1bp_mwb">Adding a custom object record</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_hhc_dbp_mwb">Adding a related custom object record</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_abp_byp_pgc">Adding attachments to a custom object record</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_bxl_dxq_fyb">Searching for custom object records</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<p class="p">If you're looking to update custom object records, see <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6093145333786" target="_blank">Managing custom object records</a>.</p>
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<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title2" class="topic nested1" id="topic_f2g_ty4_mwb">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title2">Understanding custom objects</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p" id="topic_f2g_ty4_mwb__d9e13">A custom object is a user-defined object with unique fields and permissions.
Custom objects can be almost anything, including a product, contract, delivery
driver, asset, or event. Think of a custom object as a data table. Each of the
custom object's fields is a column in the table. After the table is created and the
columns are added, agents can add data to the table. Each row of data in the table
represents a custom object record. Another way to think of a custom object is as a
schema or model, which is created and made available to users to add data, such as
in a ticket or form. Every time an agent uses the custom object to add data to
Zendesk or an admin bulk uploads data for an object, new records are created. These
records can then interact with business rules, such as triggers and lookup
relationship fields. </p>
<p class="p">Here's an example. Let's say you're a car rental company. A Zendesk admin at your company created
two custom objects to track vehicles and reservations: <em class="ph i">vehicles</em> and <em class="ph i">rental
agreements</em>. Using these custom objects, every vehicle and reservation can be
tracked within Zendesk. Now, when a customer contacts the company to rent a car, a
ticket is created for them. The standard ticket and user objects hold information
about the customer and their request. In your account, an admin defined lookup
relationship fields connecting the rental agreements and vehicles to tickets and
users, so everything the agents need to resolve the request is now available in the
ticket. They're able to search records of available cars in the requested location
and date, create a rental agreement, and relate the rental agreement to the vehicle
and user.</p>
<p class="p">Later, the customer has an issue with their rental car, and they contact your company again.
Again, a ticket is created for them and is associated with the user, the vehicle,
and the rental agreement. Because each of these custom objects has been added to the
ticket form, agents can see details about both the vehicle and the rental agreement within
the ticket while they assist the customer.</p>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title3" class="topic nested1" id="topic_ibh_1bp_mwb">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title3">Adding a custom object record</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">To add data to a custom object, you create a record. Within the record you'll add the
information to the custom object's fields. Admins and <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6034260247066" target="_blank">agents with permission</a> can edit records. </p>
<p class="p"><strong class="ph b">To create a custom object record</strong></p>
<ol class="ol" id="topic_ibh_1bp_mwb__ol_slk_vhp_mwb">
<li class="li"><span class="ph">In <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408838272410" target="_blank">Support</a>, click <strong class="ph b">Custom
objects</strong> (<img class="image" id="topic_ibh_1bp_mwb__d10e72" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/icon_custom_objects_records_page.png">) in the sidebar.</span></li>
<li class="li">Select the custom object you'd like to add a record for.</li>
<li class="li">On the records page for that custom object, click <strong class="ph b">Add</strong>.</li>
<li class="li">Enter the required information. If you have it, you can also add the optional
information.<p class="p">If autonumbering is turned on for the custom object, the
record name field is pre-defined and automatically generated when the record
is added.</p>
</li>
<li class="li">(Optional) If the object is configured to allow record icons, you can click the
placeholder icon (<img class="image" id="topic_ibh_1bp_mwb__image_vbh_b5s_kfc" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/edit_custom_object_record_icon.png" width="16">) next to <strong class="ph b">Add <em class="ph i">object name</em></strong>,
select <strong class="ph b">Upload image</strong>, and select and upload an icon for the record.</li>
<li class="li">Click <strong class="ph b">Add</strong>.</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title4" class="topic nested1" id="topic_hhc_dbp_mwb">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title4">Adding a related custom object record</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">When an admin creates a custom object, they also define its relationship to other
standard and custom objects in Zendesk. Adding related records helps connect this
new record to other records in Zendesk as the admin intended. From the Custom object
records page, you can add related custom object records. This isn't supported for
adding related standard object records.</p>
<p class="p">To help you keep track of which object you're adding a related record to, the tab in
agent workspace includes the object's name as a subtitle.</p>
<div class="p">
<strong class="ph b">To add a related record</strong><ol class="ol" id="topic_hhc_dbp_mwb__ol_rzw_nnp_mwb">
<li class="li"><span class="ph">In <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408838272410" target="_blank">Support</a>, click <strong class="ph b">Custom
objects</strong> (<img class="image" id="topic_hhc_dbp_mwb__d10e72" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/icon_custom_objects_records_page.png">) in the sidebar.</span></li>
<li class="li">Select the custom object for which you'd like to edit a record.</li>
<li class="li">Click the name of the record you want to add a related record to.</li>
<li class="li">Scroll to find the related object you want to add a record for and click
<strong class="ph b">+Add</strong>. </li>
<li class="li">Enter the information you have for the related object, then click
<strong class="ph b">Add</strong>.<div class="note note">
<span class="notetitle">Note:</span> All team members with access to a record can select any
value in lookup fields related to brands. However, entering a value in a
lookup field related to brands can immediately restrict access to that
record so that only agents in that brand can view it.</div>
</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title5" class="topic nested1" id="topic_abp_byp_pgc">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title5">Adding attachments to a custom object record</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">When an admin creates a custom object, they can decide whether to allow attachments
to be added to the object's records. If they do, admins and agents with permission
to edit the custom object's records can add up to five attachments per record. Each
attachment can't exceed 10MB in size.</p>
<div class="p">
<strong class="ph b">To add an attachment to a record</strong><ol class="ol" id="topic_abp_byp_pgc__ol_w4q_gzp_pgc">
<li class="li"><span class="ph">In <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408838272410" target="_blank">Support</a>, click <strong class="ph b">Custom
objects</strong> (<img class="image" id="topic_abp_byp_pgc__d10e72" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/icon_custom_objects_records_page.png">) in the sidebar.</span></li>
<li class="li">Select the custom object for which you'd like to edit a record.</li>
<li class="li">Click the record's name to view the record's details, then click the
<strong class="ph b">Attachments</strong> tab.</li>
<li class="li">Click <strong class="ph b">Upload attachment</strong> and select the file from the file
manager.<p class="p">Alternatively, you can drag and drop files onto the list of
attachments to add them.</p>
</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title6" class="topic nested1" id="topic_bxl_dxq_fyb">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title6">Searching for custom object records</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">After creating custom object records, they are visible in the Custom object records
page in Zendesk Support. For more information about using the record lists and
searching for records, see <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6088606067866" target="_blank">About the Custom object records page</a>.</p>
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