Creating custom objects to integrate with custom data

<body>
<p id="docs-hc-snippet" style="display: none;">Zendesk provides many types of native data objects for storing and managing your customer data, including tickets, users, organizations, and more. We call thesestandard objects. However, standard objects can't provide every possible type of data object that your organization might want. Withcustom objects, admins can create custom objects to capture data that doesn't fit into standard objects. Extending the Zendesk data model with custom objects enables you to seamlessly integrate your custom data with tickets, triggers, and Explore analytics.</p>
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<p id="docs-ai-summary-toggle">Summary: <span id="up-triangle">◀</span><span id="down-triangle">▼</span></p>
<p id="docs-ai-summary-content">You can create custom objects to capture data that doesn't fit standard types, defining their schema with custom fields and connecting them to related objects. Customize record naming, set permissions for agents and customers, and add lookup relationships to integrate custom data with tickets and analytics. Use templates, manual setup, or AI to build objects tailored to your workflows and data needs.</p>
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<div class="body">

<div class="p">
<div class="note fastpath">
<span class="fastpathtitle">Location: </span> <span class="ph">Admin Center &gt; Objects and rules &gt; Custom objects &gt;
Objects</span>
</div>
</div>
<p class="p">Zendesk provides many types of native data objects for storing and managing your customer
data, including tickets, users, organizations, and more. We call these <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 <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/5914453843994" target="_blank">custom objects</a>, admins can create custom objects to capture
data that doesn't fit into standard objects. Extending the Zendesk data model with
custom objects enables you to seamlessly integrate your custom data with tickets,
triggers, and Explore analytics.</p>
<p class="p">Creating a custom object involves creating the actual object, defining the schema with
custom fields, connecting the object to related objects, and granting agents access to
the custom object's records. For your workflows, you may also want to reference custom
objects in your triggers.</p>
<div class="p">This article contains the following topics:<ul class="ul" id="topic_d5f_yhy_kwb__ul_z4c_tmy_kwb">
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_scr_vmy_kwb">Creating a custom object</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_cq4_1sn_lwb">Defining a custom object's schema with custom fields</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_phx_lgf_5cc">Configuring how a custom object's records are named</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_p51_3rs_3yb">Understanding permissions for custom object records</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_bwf_zmy_kwb">Adding object relationships</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="p">Related articles: <ul class="ul" id="topic_d5f_yhy_kwb__ul_asz_r1w_jzb">
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6084239129626" target="_blank">Managing custom objects</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/5402508938778" target="_blank">Adding custom object records to capture
custom data</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/5928347565082" target="_blank">Using custom objects in triggers</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title2" class="topic nested1" id="topic_scr_vmy_kwb">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title2">Creating a custom object</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">At a technical level, a custom object consists of a <em class="ph i">name</em>, a <em class="ph i">key</em>, and
<em class="ph i">fields</em>. The name and key are used to identify the object, and the fields
create the schema of attributes for the object. Note that the schema doesn't contain
any information about a specific instance of the object; it describes the
information you can collect for this type of object.</p>
<p class="p">Admins can create custom objects based on templates, which include pre-defined names,
fields, and relationships to other Zendesk objects, or from scratch. Before you
start creating custom objects, we recommend <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6070642803610" target="_blank">planning your custom objects workflow</a> and reviewing the
<a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/10134429187610" target="_blank">custom object templates</a>.</p>
<p class="p">The creation of custom objects is recorded in the <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408828001434" target="_blank">audit log</a>.</p>
<div class="p">You can create a custom object using one of the following methods:<ul class="ul" id="topic_scr_vmy_kwb__ul_gvl_tzl_1jc">
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_t5w_ynl_rhc">From a template</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_evp_znl_rhc">Manually</a></li>
<li class="li"><a class="xref" href="#topic_mvf_jtk_1jc">With AI</a></li>
</ul>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title3" class="topic nested2" id="topic_t5w_ynl_rhc">
<h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title3">Creating templated custom objects</h3>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">Templates are provided to assist admins in creating several of the most common
types of custom objects. Each template can be used once and includes a
pre-defined but editable schema of custom fields. For details, see the <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/10134429187610" target="_blank">Custom object templates reference</a>.</p>
<div class="p">
<strong class="ph b">To create a templated custom object</strong><ol class="ol" id="topic_t5w_ynl_rhc__ol_hn5_znm_rhc">
<li class="li"><span class="ph">In <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4581766374554#topic_hfg_dyz_1hb" target="_blank">Admin Center</a>, click <img class="image" id="topic_t5w_ynl_rhc__image_gnv_xzt_whc" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/ac_objects_rules_icon.png">
<strong class="ph b">Objects and rules</strong> in the sidebar, then select <strong class="ph b">Custom objects &gt;
Templates</strong>.</span></li>
<li class="li">Click the name of the template you want to use: <strong class="ph b">Contracts</strong>,
<strong class="ph b">Orders</strong>, <strong class="ph b">Products</strong>, <strong class="ph b">Projects</strong>, or
<strong class="ph b">Subscriptions</strong>.<p class="p">Each template can be used once. After a
templated object is published, the list of templates is split into
<em class="ph i">Available</em> and <em class="ph i">Published</em>. Only available templates
can be selected.</p>
</li>
<li class="li">In the template preview dialog, click <strong class="ph b">Get started</strong>.</li>
<li class="li">Confirm the automatically populated <strong class="ph b">Name</strong> is the name you want to
give your object, or update it as needed.<p class="p">This will be visible to
agents.</p>
</li>
<li class="li">Confirm the <strong class="ph b">Fields</strong> are correct for your custom object.<p class="p">Click
the <strong class="ph b">x</strong> next to any fields you don't want.</p>
</li>
<li class="li">Click <strong class="ph b">Next</strong>.</li>
<li class="li">Confirm the <strong class="ph b">Object relationship</strong> fields that are automatically
defined for the template.</li>
<li class="li">Select the <strong class="ph b">Ticket form</strong> you want to add a lookup field to that
points to this new custom object.</li>
<li class="li">Click <strong class="ph b">Publish</strong>.<p class="p">After the object is published, you can add and
edit fields and manage other details about the object, such as how
the object's records will be named, whether records can have icons
or attachments, and the object's permissions.</p>
</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title4" class="topic nested2" id="topic_evp_znl_rhc">
<h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title4">Creating unique custom objects</h3>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">If the templates aren't a good fit for your custom objects, you can create custom
objects from scratch manually.</p>
<div class="p">
<strong class="ph b">To manually create a custom object</strong><ol class="ol" id="topic_evp_znl_rhc__ol_lv3_c1f_lwb">
<li class="li"><span class="ph">In <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4581766374554#topic_hfg_dyz_1hb" target="_blank">Admin Center</a>, click <img class="image" id="topic_evp_znl_rhc__image_tm2_1jc_ksb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/ac_objects_rules_icon.png">
<strong class="ph b">Objects and rules</strong> in the sidebar, then select <strong class="ph b">Custom objects &gt;
Objects</strong>.</span></li>
<li class="li">Click <strong class="ph b">Create object</strong>.</li>
<li class="li">Enter the following information:<ul class="ul" id="topic_evp_znl_rhc__ul_acl_c2f_lwb">
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Name</strong>: The name of the object, as it will appear to
agents.</li>
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Plural display name</strong>: The plural version of the object
name for use in navigation and lists.</li>
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Object key</strong>: A unique identifier for this object.</li>
<li class="li">(Optional) <strong class="ph b">Description</strong>: A description to help other
admins understand the purpose of the object. If you exceed 92
characters, the description is truncated in the Objects page
list.</li>
<li class="li">(Optional) <strong class="ph b">Add image icons for individual records</strong>: Allow
admins and agents with permission to add and manage icons for
this object's records. When deselected after being selected,
existing icons will remain visible unless removed, but no new
record icons can be added.</li>
<li class="li">(Optional) <strong class="ph b">Add attachments to individual records</strong>: Allow
admins and agents with permission to add and manage attachments
for this object's records. When deselected after being selected,
attachments become inaccessible, but are preserved in case the
setting is turned on again in the future.</li>
</ul>
<p class="p"><img class="image" id="topic_evp_znl_rhc__image_cpp_5w2_3zb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/custom_object_create_details.png" width="300"></p>
</li>
<li class="li">Click <strong class="ph b">Create object</strong>.</li>
<li class="li">Open the custom object's <strong class="ph b">Name</strong> field (field key
<strong class="ph b">standard::name</strong>), and <a class="xref" href="#topic_phx_lgf_5cc">specify how you want the object's records to be
named</a>:<ul class="ul" id="topic_evp_znl_rhc__ul_l3h_lr4_jdc">
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Name records manually</strong>: By default, agents must manually
enter a name for each record they add. Optionally, you can
<strong class="ph b">Require unique record name</strong> if you want to use record
names as unique identifiers.</li>
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Name records with autonumbering</strong>: Select autonumbering if
you want records to be named with unique,
automatically-generated values based on the structure you
configure.</li>
</ul>
<div class="note" id="topic_evp_znl_rhc__note_gcs_31m_1jc">
<span class="notetitle">Note:</span> Record naming settings can't be changed
if records exist for the custom object.</div>
</li>
<li class="li">Click the <strong class="ph b">Fields</strong> tab to <a class="xref" href="#topic_cq4_1sn_lwb">add custom fields to the object</a>. These create
the schema or properties of the object.</li>
<li class="li">
<a class="xref" href="#topic_bwf_zmy_kwb">Connect the custom object
to related objects</a>. Think of this as your data model,
defining how this object is related to other objects and data within
Zendesk. <div class="note" id="topic_evp_znl_rhc__note_hcs_31m_1jc">
<span class="notetitle">Note:</span> Not all relationships to a custom
object should be defined on the object's side. You might need to
create <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408883152794" target="_blank">custom ticket fields</a>,
<a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408822051866" target="_blank">user fields</a>, <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408842677786" target="_blank">organization fields</a>, or
lookup fields on other custom objects. See <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6070642803610#topic_vb5_5xh_4yb" target="_blank">Defining
relationships</a>.</div>
</li>
<li class="li">(Optional) Click <strong class="ph b">Edit order</strong> to drag and drop the fields into the
order you want them displayed to agents in the <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6097369527322" target="_blank">record preview</a>, then click
<strong class="ph b">Save</strong> when you're done.</li>
<li class="li">Click the <strong class="ph b">Permissions</strong> tab to review agent permissions to access
the object's records. On Enterprise plans, you can <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6034260247066#topic_yv1_5xs_3yb" target="_blank">configure permissions for object
records</a>. On Team, Growth, and Professional plans, agent
permissions are <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6034260247066#topic_n1g_bys_3yb" target="_blank">predefined</a>.</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title5" class="topic nested2" id="topic_mvf_jtk_1jc">
<h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title5">Creating custom objects using the AI object builder</h3>
<div class="body">
<div class="note" id="topic_mvf_jtk_1jc__note_tb5_kfc_cjc">
<span class="notetitle">Note:</span> You must be on Zendesk Suite Professional or higher to
use the AI object builder.</div>
<p class="p">If you have the <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/10013995711386" target="_blank"><u class="ph u">Admin Copilot turned on</u></a>, you
can use the AI object builder to design complex data systems using natural
language processing and generative AI. You can describe what you need in plain
language, similar to explaining your ideas to a colleague or friend. Then the AI
uses context aware logic to interpret your prompt, including information about
your company’s domain for industry clues and existing custom objects in your
account, and then translates your prompt into the required backend setup,
including fields and relationships. After the AI proposes a model, you can
refine it to better suit your needs, and then deploy all of it at once. </p>
<p class="p" dir="ltr">Unlike traditional methods, such as manually creating objects or using
templates for individual objects, the AI can understand complex business needs
and create multiple custom objects, fields, and lookup relationships
simultaneously, connecting them into a unified system.</p>
<div class="p">Consider the following limitations when using the AI object builder:<ul class="ul" id="topic_mvf_jtk_1jc__ul_c1n_c1m_1jc">
<li class="li">Only custom objects are supported. This means it can’t add custom fields
to standard objects like tickets or organizations. Furthermore, it can
create lookup fields on a custom object that point to a standard object
like a ticket, but it can’t add a lookup field to a ticket that points
back to your new custom object.</li>
<li class="li">Your conversation history (<img class="image" id="topic_mvf_jtk_1jc__image_tm2_1jc_ksb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/cd-conversation-icon.png">) with the AI object builder is stored for
at least 30 days and can be re-opened as needed. However, the schema
designer is session-based, so the visualizations aren’t saved as part of
the conversation but can be re-generated if needed.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="p">
<strong class="ph b">To create custom objects using AI</strong><ol class="ol" id="topic_mvf_jtk_1jc__ol_yd2_sxk_1jc">
<li class="li"><span class="ph">In <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4581766374554#topic_hfg_dyz_1hb" target="_blank">Admin Center</a>, click <img class="image" id="topic_mvf_jtk_1jc__d10e1767" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/ac_objects_rules_icon.png">
<strong class="ph b">Objects and rules</strong> in the sidebar, then select <strong class="ph b">Custom objects &gt;
Objects</strong>.</span></li>
<li class="li">Click <strong class="ph b">AI Powered Objects</strong>.</li>
<li class="li">In the Admin Copilot sidebar, use plain language to describe the data
structures you want to create. For example:<p class="p">"I need an asset
management system to track company hardware, the suppliers we buy
from, and which employees are using them."</p>
</li>
<li class="li">If more information is needed, answer the AI's clarifying questions so
it can better model your specific use case.</li>
<li class="li">Review the <strong class="ph b">Object Summary</strong> generated by the AI. This includes the
proposed objects, field types, and relationships.</li>
<li class="li">Click <strong class="ph b">Preview schema</strong> to open the schema designer. This
interactive canvas lets you validate the AI's draft and make manual
adjustments. You can:<ul class="ul" id="topic_mvf_jtk_1jc__ul_sxm_vxn_bjc">
<li class="li">Rename objects and fields.</li>
<li class="li">Add and remove fields from an object.</li>
<li class="li">Change a field's type.</li>
<li class="li">Manually add an object and its schema.</li>
<li class="li">Add and remove relationships between objects.</li>
</ul>
<div class="note">
<span class="notetitle">Note:</span> The schema designer can display a maximum of five custom objects and their relationships at a time.</div>
</li>
<li class="li">When satisfied with the custom objects, click <strong class="ph b">Publish</strong>.<div class="note" id="topic_mvf_jtk_1jc__note_hmc_zxn_bjc">
<span class="notetitle">Note:</span> If you’ve reached your plan’s limit for custom
objects, you can still design and preview a schema, but you won’t be
able to publish the new model until you delete other custom
objects.</div>
</li>
<li class="li">After objects are created, configure the objects' <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6034260247066" target="_blank">permissions</a> and add lookup
relationship fields to standard Zendesk objects, such as tickets, to
make objects visible in the Agent Workspace.</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title6" class="topic nested1" id="topic_phx_lgf_5cc">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title6">Configuring how a custom object's records are named</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">Custom objects always have two fields: <em class="ph i">Name</em> and <em class="ph i">External ID</em>. Typically,
the name field is a text field that agents use to manually enter values for each
record they create. However, even with excellent training, this can still lead to
inconsistencies in the data and formatting of record names. </p>
<p class="p">Admins have two options to ensure record names are unique and identifiable: requiring
unique record names or autonumbering. Requiring uniqueness prevents agents from
adding records until they enter unique names for them, while autonumbering provides
automatically-generated unique record names.</p>
<div class="p">When autonumbering is turned on, you configure a prefix and starting number to
establish the naming pattern for the object's records. The autonumber value
increments by one for each new record. If you create records in excess of the
numeric format you specify, autonumbering of your records continues with additional
digits as necessary.<div class="note">
<span class="notetitle">Note:</span> You can only modify record name settings when no records
exist for the custom object.</div>
</div>
<div class="p">
<strong class="ph b">To configure record naming</strong><ol class="ol" id="topic_phx_lgf_5cc__ol_qbs_3hf_5cc">
<li class="li"><span class="ph">In <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4581766374554#topic_hfg_dyz_1hb" target="_blank">Admin Center</a>, click <img class="image" id="topic_phx_lgf_5cc__image_tm2_1jc_ksb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/ac_objects_rules_icon.png">
<strong class="ph b">Objects and rules</strong> in the sidebar, then select <strong class="ph b">Custom objects &gt;
Objects</strong>.</span></li>
<li class="li">Click the name of the custom object you want to edit.</li>
<li class="li">Click the <strong class="ph b">Fields</strong> tab.</li>
<li class="li">Click the display name for the field with a field key of
<strong class="ph b">standard::name</strong>. <p class="p">By default, the display name is <strong class="ph b">Name</strong>,
but it's possible to change this value. The field key can't be changed,
so it's a reliable identifier.</p>
</li>
<li class="li">Under <strong class="ph b">Record name type</strong>, configure how you'd like the object's records
to be named:<ul class="ul" id="topic_phx_lgf_5cc__ul_e5w_pv4_jdc">
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Name records manually</strong>: Requires agents to manually enter a
name. <ul class="ul" id="topic_phx_lgf_5cc__ul_ulw_wx4_jdc">
<li class="li">If you want to enforce uniqueness, select <strong class="ph b">Require unique
record name</strong>.</li>
</ul>
</li>
<li class="li">
<strong class="ph b">Name records with autonumbering</strong>: Automatically generate
unique record names. Specify the following details for the structure
of the auto-generated name:<ul class="ul" id="topic_phx_lgf_5cc__ul_ptg_dw4_jdc">
<li class="li">Enter a <strong class="ph b">Prefix</strong> of 1–30 characters that will be used
at the beginning of each record's name.<p class="p">The prefix
defaults to the first two letters of the custom object's
name.</p>
</li>
<li class="li">Enter a <strong class="ph b">Starting number</strong> for the initial record,
including leading zeros to define the total number of digits
used for autonumbering the initial records. Maximum of 9
digits. The starting number defaults to <em class="ph i">0001</em>.</li>
</ul>
<p class="p">Use the <strong class="ph b">Preview</strong> pane on the right to review your
autonumbering format.</p>
</li>
</ul>
<p class="p"><img class="image" id="topic_phx_lgf_5cc__image_rpm_5kx_ldc" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/custom_objects_naming_options.png" width="300"></p>
</li>
<li class="li">Click <strong class="ph b">Save</strong>.</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title7" class="topic nested1" id="topic_cq4_1sn_lwb">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title7">Defining a custom object's schema with custom fields</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">Before you can use a custom object you've created, you must add <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408838961562" target="_blank">custom fields</a> to it. These fields define the properties
or schema of the custom object and will be used by agents when they create records.
The list of fields is ordered alphabetically by name. </p>
<div class="p">
<strong class="ph b">To add custom fields to a custom object</strong><ol class="ol" id="topic_cq4_1sn_lwb__ol_f3s_2jg_lwb">
<li class="li"><span class="ph">In <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4581766374554#topic_hfg_dyz_1hb" target="_blank">Admin Center</a>, click <img class="image" id="topic_cq4_1sn_lwb__image_tm2_1jc_ksb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/ac_objects_rules_icon.png">
<strong class="ph b">Objects and rules</strong> in the sidebar, then select <strong class="ph b">Custom objects &gt;
Objects</strong>.</span></li>
<li class="li">Click the name of the custom object you want to add a field to.</li>
<li class="li">Click the <strong class="ph b">Fields</strong> tab, and then click <strong class="ph b">Add field</strong>.<p class="p"><img class="image" id="topic_cq4_1sn_lwb__image_g5n_zw2_3zb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/custom_object_fields.png" width="600"></p>
</li>
<li class="li">Select the <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408838961562" target="_blank">field type</a> and enter a <strong class="ph b">Display
name</strong>.</li>
<li class="li">Verify that the <strong class="ph b">Field key</strong> is the value you want it to be.<p class="p">A field key
enables the custom field to be referenced in the API. When you enter a
name for the field, the field key is automatically populated. If you
want the name and key to be different, you must edit the field key. You
can't change the field key after you create the custom object
field.</p>
</li>
<li class="li">Set other properties for your field. Options vary depending on the type of
field you're adding.</li>
<li class="li">(Optional) If applicable, select <strong class="ph b">Required to add or update custom object
records</strong>.</li>
<li class="li">Click <strong class="ph b">Save</strong> or <strong class="ph b">Save and add another</strong>.</li>
<li class="li">Repeat steps 4–7 as needed.</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title8" class="topic nested2" id="topic_bbk_bzp_4yb">
<h3 class="title topictitle3" id="ariaid-title8">Ordering an object's fields for the agent experience</h3>
<div class="body">
<div class="p">While working tickets, agents can preview details about custom object records
that are related to the ticket. All of an object's fields will be displayed in
the record preview panel, but you might want to put the most important fields at
the top for your agent's convenience.<div class="note">
<span class="notetitle">Note:</span> The first three custom fields in this
list are displayed as columns in the Custom object records list.</div>
</div>
<div class="p">
<strong class="ph b">To reorder a custom object's fields</strong><ol class="ol" id="topic_bbk_bzp_4yb__ol_c1q_fzp_4yb">
<li class="li"><span class="ph">In <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4581766374554#topic_hfg_dyz_1hb" target="_blank">Admin Center</a>, click <img class="image" id="topic_bbk_bzp_4yb__image_tm2_1jc_ksb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/ac_objects_rules_icon.png">
<strong class="ph b">Objects and rules</strong> in the sidebar, then select <strong class="ph b">Custom objects &gt;
Objects</strong>.</span></li>
<li class="li">Click the name of the custom object you want to add a field to.</li>
<li class="li">Click the <strong class="ph b">Fields</strong> tab, and then click <strong class="ph b">Edit order</strong>.</li>
<li class="li">Drag and drop the fields into the order you want them to appear.</li>
<li class="li">Click <strong class="ph b">Save</strong>.</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title9" class="topic nested1" id="topic_p51_3rs_3yb">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title9">Understanding permissions for custom object records</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">When creating custom objects, you also need to understand how agents and customers
can access the object and its records. For agents, there are two levels of access:
visibility in the Custom object records page in the Agent Workspace and how
an agent can interact with a custom object's records. Customers (also called <em class="ph i">end
users</em>) can also be granted permission to view, edit, add, and delete a
custom object's records.</p>
<p class="p"><strong class="ph b">Agent permissions</strong></p>
<p class="p">On all plans, you can determine whether an object will be visible on the Custom
object records page for all agents and admins or only admins. </p>
<p class="p">Then, you can use role-based permissions to determine the degree to which agents can
interact with an object's records. On all plans, the ability to interact with custom
object records is <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6034260247066#topic_n1g_bys_3yb" target="_blank">pre-defined</a> for the standard admin and
agent roles, and configurable for the light agent and contributor roles. On
Enterprise plans, you can use the Roles page in Admin Center to <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6034260247066#topic_yv1_5xs_3yb" target="_blank">configure every custom role's access</a> to
each object. To <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6034260247066#topic_qsw_tqz_3yb" target="_blank">view a summary of agent access</a> to a
specific object's records, use the Permissions tab within the custom object.</p>
<p class="p"><strong class="ph b">Customer permissions</strong></p>
<p class="p">Customers (also called <em class="ph i">end users</em>) can be granted permission to view, add,
edit, and delete a custom object's records. Granting customers permission to view or
otherwise interact with a custom object's records makes it possible for them to
reference relevant custom object records directly when submitting a ticket rather
than providing details in a comment and leaving it up to the agents to identify and
select the relevant custom object record. Within the Zendesk user interface, it's
possible to apply filters to lookup relationship fields to restrict the records
displayed to only those relevant to the current user. However, because permissions
are granted at the object level, technically customers are granted access to all of
an object's records, not just those related to themselves.</p>
<p class="p">For more information, see <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6034260247066" target="_blank">Configuring access to custom object records</a>. </p>
</div>
</div>
<div aria-labelledby="ariaid-title10" class="topic nested1" id="topic_bwf_zmy_kwb">
<h2 class="title topictitle2" id="ariaid-title10">Adding object relationships</h2>
<div class="body">
<p class="p">After you create the custom object and define its schema of custom fields, it's
important to connect it to other standard or custom objects. <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4591924111770" target="_blank">Lookup relationship fields</a> provide a way to define how
the custom object relates to standard Zendesk objects (users, organizations, and
tickets) and other custom objects. A lookup relationship can be described as
<strong class="ph b">source object</strong> → <strong class="ph b">related object</strong>. The source object is the Zendesk
object that contains the lookup relationship field (among other fields). The related
object is the object specified by the lookup relationship field.</p>
<p class="p">Adding related objects doesn't automatically create an association between two
specific records. Instead, it describes the relationship and enables agents to
associate records this way. </p>
<div class="p">You can add relationships for custom objects to:<ul class="ul" id="topic_bwf_zmy_kwb__ul_pmz_2fm_lwb">
<li class="li">another custom object</li>
<li class="li">a standard object</li>
</ul>
</div>
<p class="p">If you want the custom object to contain the lookup relationship field, use the
following instructions. Alternatively, if you'd like a different object to include
the custom object as a lookup relationship field, see <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408883152794" target="_blank">Adding custom fields to your tickets</a>, <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408822051866" target="_blank">Adding custom fields to users</a>, or <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408842677786" target="_blank">Adding custom fields to organizations</a>.</p>
<p class="p"><strong class="ph b">To add a relationship to a custom object</strong></p>
<ol class="ol" id="topic_bwf_zmy_kwb__ol_efh_bjm_lwb">
<li class="li"><span class="ph">In <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4581766374554#topic_hfg_dyz_1hb" target="_blank">Admin Center</a>, click <img class="image" id="topic_bwf_zmy_kwb__image_tm2_1jc_ksb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/ac_objects_rules_icon.png">
<strong class="ph b">Objects and rules</strong> in the sidebar, then select <strong class="ph b">Custom objects &gt;
Objects</strong>.</span></li>
<li class="li">Hover over the custom object you want to add a field to, then click the option
menu icon (<img class="image" id="topic_bwf_zmy_kwb__image_jbj_22n_lwb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/uc_options_icon.png">) and select <strong class="ph b">Edit</strong>.</li>
<li class="li">Click the <strong class="ph b">Fields</strong> tab, and then click <strong class="ph b">Add field</strong>.</li>
<li class="li">Set the <strong class="ph b">Display name</strong>, <strong class="ph b">Field key</strong>, and <strong class="ph b">Description</strong>.</li>
<li class="li">Select a related object to list in the lookup relationship field.<p class="p">This can be
another custom object (<img class="image" id="topic_bwf_zmy_kwb__image_hz5_d4n_lwb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/icon_LURF_custom_object.png">), a ticket (<img class="image" id="topic_bwf_zmy_kwb__image_z4m_f4n_lwb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/icon_LURF_ticket.png">), a user (<img class="image" id="topic_bwf_zmy_kwb__image_bn4_h4n_lwb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/icon_LURF_user.png">), or an organization (<img class="image" id="topic_bwf_zmy_kwb__image_hhm_34n_lwb" src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/icon_LURF_organization.png">). For example, if you select <strong class="ph b">user</strong> as the
related object, the lookup relationship field will display a list of Zendesk
users.</p>
</li>
<li class="li">Click <strong class="ph b">Add filter</strong> to define one or more filters to reduce the number of
options that the field can display.<p class="p">You can filter objects by any number of
tags or custom fields. For more information, see <a class="xref" href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4591924111770#topic_t14_w3l_5tb" target="_blank">Filtering the fields
options</a>.</p>
</li>
<li class="li">Click <strong class="ph b">Save</strong> or <strong class="ph b">Save and add another</strong>.</li>
</ol>
</div>
</div>
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