How to add custom fields within SugarCRM

SugarCRM is a customer relationship management software. It comes with default modules grouped into sales, marketing and service functions. Every business has unique requirements and due to this they might want to get custom fields of their own within SugarCRM.

What are Standard Modules and Custom Modules

Standard Module

Standard modules are the modules that come by default in SugarCRM instance like Accounts, Contacts, Leads, Opportunities and Campaigns. These modules comes with predefined fields, relationships, Logichooks and validations.

Custom Module

Not every time the business requirement can be met with the standard module, and calls for the modules designed specifically to meet the business requirement. We can create a custom module in SugarCRM using module builder. For example if XYZ company sells medical devices and wants to maintain customer group specific price list, So we can create a custom module ‘PriceList’ based on the above requirement.

Sometimes a completely new custom module may not be and a field addition to standard module suffice. In this article, we will see how to create a custom field and custom panel in layouts for Standard modules without having to write code. We will be using SugarCRM “Studio”.

Navigating to SugarCRM Administration Panel

To create a custom field in SugarCRM the user must have an “Administration” access for SugarCRM instance. Follow the below steps to navigate to SugarCRM admin panel

Login to your SugarCRM instance (as admin)
As shown below click on the Profile drop-down menu and click on “Admin”

The below screenshot shows the Administration panel in Sugar

In “Administration page” scroll down and find developer tools panel and click on “Studio” as marked in below screenshot

SugarCRM Studio contains a list of modules present in SugarCRM including Standard and custom modules. We can select modules from studio to edit and create a custom field.

Creating a Custom field in the Accounts module

In this article, we will be creating a custom module within the Accounts module. So we select “Accounts” module from SugarCRM studio as shown in below screenshot.

As can be seen in the screenshot below, all fields are listed of Accounts module, click “Add field” as shown in the screenshot to add a new custom field to the list

Once clicked ‘Add Field’, a fresh tab will open as shown in the screenshot,

Select “Data Type” based on the requirement of custom field the below screenshot show list of data-type in SugarCRM.

In this example, we are selecting “TextField”. Enter the details and click on save

The below screenshot shows field (express_agreement) is successfully created and listed in the respective modules field list

Accounts ⇒ Fields ⇒ Edit Fields

Setup layouts for Accounts module to Display field

After successful creation of field we to add to the record layout follow the below steps to navigate as shown below screenshot

Select “Record View” to field in the record view section

The below screenshot show “Record View” and list of field present in the “Accounts” module.
Record view has drag-drop feature

Adding Panel to Layout

SugarCRM has a drag-drop feature we can add a custom panel to record
Select panel and drag-drop to “Record View” Layout as shown in below screenshot

By clicking on “Edit Icon” in the panel we rename to the panel the below screenshot show rename panel to “Express Agreement Details”

Now the panel has been created and renamed successfully.

Adding Field to Panel

The “Toolbox” contains a list of field present in Accounts module
In “Step 2” we created the field “express agreement” now drag-drop to panel as shown below screenshot
Now click on the “Save” button