How to use custom fields effectively on Asana

intermediate 8 min read Updated 2026-03-18

Quick Answer

Custom fields in Asana allow you to add structured data to tasks and track specific information like priority, status, budget, or departments. Create custom fields at the project level, configure field types (dropdown, number, text, date), and use them consistently across tasks to enable powerful filtering, sorting, and reporting capabilities.

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Prerequisites

Active Asana account with project management permissions
Basic understanding of Asana projects and tasks
Access to Premium, Business, or Enterprise Asana plan
Familiarity with project workflows and data tracking needs

Step-by-Step Instructions

Access Custom Fields Settings

Navigate to your project and click the Customize button in the top toolbar. Select Fields from the dropdown menu. This will open the custom fields panel where you can view existing fields and create new ones. You can also access this by clicking the three dots menu in your project header and selecting Edit project details, then Custom fields.

Custom fields are only available on Premium, Business, and Enterprise plans. Free accounts cannot create custom fields.

Create Your First Custom Field

Click Add field or the + button in the custom fields panel. Enter a descriptive name for your field (e.g., "Priority Level", "Department", "Budget"). Choose the appropriate field type: Dropdown for predefined options, Number for quantities or costs, Text for short descriptions, Date for deadlines, or People for assignees. Configure your field settings and click Create field.

Use consistent naming conventions across projects to maintain organization-wide standards.

Configure Dropdown Options and Field Settings

For dropdown fields, add relevant options by typing each choice and pressing Enter. You can drag and drop to reorder options, with the most important typically at the top. Set a default value if most tasks will use the same option. Enable Color coding to make different values visually distinct in list and board views. Click Allow multiple selections if tasks can have multiple values for this field.

Limit dropdown options to 10 or fewer choices to keep fields manageable and encourage consistent usage.

Apply Custom Fields to Tasks

Open any task in your project and locate the custom fields section in the task details pane. Click on each custom field to set its value - select from dropdown options, enter numbers or text, or choose dates using the date picker. You can also set custom field values in bulk by selecting multiple tasks in list view, right-clicking, and choosing Edit fields. Custom fields will appear in your project's list view as additional columns.

Establish team guidelines for when and how to fill out custom fields to ensure consistent data entry.

Use Custom Fields for Filtering and Sorting

In your project view, click Filter in the toolbar and select your custom fields from the dropdown menu. Choose specific values to show only tasks matching your criteria (e.g., only "High Priority" tasks). Click the Sort button and select any custom field to organize tasks by those values. You can combine multiple filters and save frequently used filter combinations as Saved views.

Create saved views for common scenarios like "This Week's High Priority Tasks" or "Tasks by Department" for quick access.

Leverage Custom Fields in Project Templates

When creating a project template, include your custom fields so they're automatically available in new projects. Go to Project Settings > Convert to template, and ensure Include custom fields is checked. This ensures consistent field structure across similar projects. You can also copy custom fields from one project to another using Import fields in the custom fields panel.

Standardize custom fields across your organization by creating master templates that teams can use as starting points.

Create Reports and Dashboards with Custom Field Data

Navigate to Reporting in the main menu and create a new report or dashboard. Select your projects and choose custom fields as data sources for charts and graphs. You can create visual reports showing task distribution by priority, budget tracking, departmental workload, or progress over time. Use Chart types like pie charts for categorical data or line charts for numerical trends.

Schedule automated reports to be sent weekly or monthly to stakeholders who need custom field insights.

Common Issues & Troubleshooting

Custom fields not appearing in task details

Ensure you're viewing a task within the project where the custom field was created. Custom fields are project-specific and don't appear in tasks from other projects unless manually added to each project.

Unable to create custom fields

Check your Asana plan - custom fields require a Premium, Business, or Enterprise subscription. Also verify you have project admin permissions, as only project owners and editors can create custom fields.

Custom field data not showing in reports

Refresh your browser and ensure the custom fields have data entered. Empty custom fields won't generate meaningful reports. Also check that you've selected the correct projects containing your custom fields in the report settings.

Team members not filling out custom fields consistently

Create project templates with required custom fields, provide training on their importance, and use project status updates to remind team members. Consider setting up automation rules to notify when custom fields are left empty on important tasks.

Prices mentioned in this guide are pulled from current plan data and may change. Always verify on the official Asana website before purchasing.

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