How Do I Manage Custom Fields, Labels, and Lists with ChatSyncs?
How to create and manage Labels, Lists, and Custom Fields in ChatSyncs — the three ways to group and store subscriber data — and how that data flows to sheets, webhooks, and messages.
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Labels vs. Lists vs. Custom Fields#
All three live under the Manage dropdown on the Subscriber Manager list, and all three add structure beyond a subscriber's built-in phone number, subscriber ID, and name — but they solve different problems. Knowing which one you actually need saves a lot of backtracking later:
| Stores | Use it to | |
|---|---|---|
| Label | Nothing by itself — it's a tag you attach | Group subscribers into a segment you can filter by, target with a broadcast, or trigger an automation from |
| List | Nothing by itself — it's a separate namespace of groups | Group subscribers into their own set of reusable groups, kept apart from your Labels — e.g. one list per campaign or import batch |
| Custom Field | One extra piece of data, per subscriber | Remember something specific about that person — their email, department, an order ID, an appointment date |
A simple rule of thumb: if the answer is the same word for a whole group of people (VIP,
Lead, batch1), it's a Label or a List — pick whichever you use as your everyday
segments and keep the other free for a separate purpose (e.g. Labels for customer type, Lists for
campaign batches). If the answer is different for every single subscriber (priya@company.com,
Order #4521), it's a Custom Field.
Example: A clothing store imports 500 contacts from a sale event. They label everyone
event_signup_jan (same word for the whole group) so they can broadcast to just that segment
later. On the same import, each row also has an email column — that becomes a Custom Field,
because Priya's email and Raj's email are different values, one per person.
The Manage dropdown#
From the subscriber list, the Manage dropdown opens Manage Labels, Manage Lists, and Manage Custom Fields as a panel on the right — this is where all three are defined, before any of them can ever be assigned to a subscriber.
Create a label#
Labels group subscribers into segments (e.g. batch1, Lead, VIP Customer) that you can
filter by, target in broadcasts, or trigger automations from.
Open Manage → Manage Labels
From the subscriber list, open Manage, then Manage Labels.
Click Create New Label
Click + Create New Label in the panel.
Name the label
Enter a Label Name, e.g.
batch2.Save
Click Save — the label is now available to assign to subscribers.
Expected result: The new label appears in the All Labels list and in every label picker across ChatSyncs — ready to filter subscribers by, or attach to a broadcast's audience.
Creating a label only defines it — it doesn't attach it to anyone yet. Assign it to subscribers from the Subscriber Manager overview's bulk actions, or automatically from a flow built using How to Create a Keyword-Based WhatsApp Chatbot, via its Automation Actions.
Rename or delete a label#
Open Manage → Manage Labels and each row in the All Labels list has its own edit and delete icons. Renaming a label updates it everywhere it's already assigned — you don't need to reassign it to anyone. Deleting a label removes the tag from every subscriber who had it; it does not delete the subscribers themselves.
Create a list#
Lists work the same way as Labels — group subscribers so you can filter, target, or automate against them — but they're a separate namespace, so you can keep one system for your everyday customer segments and the other for something like campaign or import batches, without the two mixing together in the same picker.
Open Manage → Manage Lists
From the subscriber list, open Manage, then Manage Lists.
Click Create New List
Click + Create New List in the panel.
Name the list
Enter a name, e.g.
list test.Save
Click Save — the list is now available to add subscribers to.
Expected result: The new list appears in All Lists, with a running count of how many subscribers are currently in it.
Creating a list only defines it — it doesn't add anyone yet. Add subscribers to it the same way you assign a label: from the subscriber list's bulk actions, from the Chat Actions panel in Shared Inbox, or automatically from a flow's Add to List(s) automation action, alongside Add Label(s).
Rename or delete a list#
Open Manage → Manage Lists and each row in All Lists has its own edit and delete icons, plus a subscriber count so you can see how many people are in it before touching it. Deleting a list removes it and un-groups every subscriber who was in it; it does not delete the subscribers themselves.
Custom Fields#
A Custom Field stores one extra piece of structured data per subscriber, beyond the
built-in Phone Number, Subscriber ID, and Name — e.g. email, designation, department, or
employee id. Create one from Manage → Manage Custom Fields, picking a type that matches
the data:
Open Manage → Manage Custom Fields
From the subscriber list, open Manage, then Manage Custom Fields.
Click Create Custom Field
Click + Create Custom Field in the panel.
Name the field and choose its type
Pick a type that matches the data you'll store — see the table below.
Save
The field is now available on every subscriber's profile, and as a mapping target during import.
| Type | Stores | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| Text | Any free text | Company name, city, notes |
| Number | A numeric value | Order ID, quantity, budget |
| URL | A web link | Portfolio link, product page, resume link |
| File | An uploaded document | ID proof, signed contract, resume |
| Image | An uploaded picture | ID photo, product photo, screenshot |
| Video | An uploaded video | Testimonial clip, walkthrough recording |
| Date | A calendar date | Appointment date, date of birth |
| Time | A time of day | Preferred callback time, booked slot |
| Datetime | A combined date and time | Appointment date & time, event start |
| An email address | Contact email for follow-ups | |
| Phone | A phone number | An alternate or referral contact number |
How a custom field gets filled in#
Creating a custom field only defines the storage slot — it starts empty for every subscriber until it's populated one of three ways, all covered elsewhere on this site:
- Manually or via import — any extra column beyond phone number and name in an imported file (see How Do I Import Subscribers Using a CSV File?) becomes a custom field automatically, matched by column header.
- From a conversation — a Keyword Replies flow's Save to Custom Field action stores whatever the subscriber types (e.g. their email) the moment they answer.
- From a form submission — an Input Flow or WhatsApp Flow question can save its answer straight to a custom field.
Rename or delete a custom field#
Open Manage → Manage Custom Fields and each row in the All Custom Fields list has its own edit and delete icons, plus a usage count showing how many places (templates, flows) already reference that field. Renaming a field keeps every subscriber's stored value intact — only the label changes. Deleting a field removes it, and its stored value, from every subscriber.
How that data flows back out#
Once populated, a custom field's value flows back out the same way it flows in:
- To Google Sheets — Keyword Replies' Sync Data to Google Sheets maps each custom field to a spreadsheet column on every submission.
- To a webhook — Keyword Replies' Forward Data to Webhook, or a dedicated Outbound Action (see How to Connect a Bot Flow to External Systems) with Input Flow Data enabled, sends the same custom field values as JSON to a CRM, Zapier, Make.com, or your own server.
- Back into messages — a custom field's value can be inserted into a
Message Template or Keyword Replies text as a
#fieldname#variable, e.g.Hi #name#, your appointment is on #preferred_appointment_date#.
Frequently asked#
What's the difference between a label and a custom field?
A label is a shared tag for grouping subscribers into a segment (VIP, batch1) — it
holds no data of its own. A custom field stores a different value per subscriber
(an email address, an order ID). See the comparison table above.
What's the difference between a Label and a List?
Functionally, very little — both group subscribers so you can filter, target, or automate against them. The real difference is that they're separate namespaces with their own pickers, so teams often use one for everyday customer segments (Labels) and the other for campaign or import batches (Lists) to keep the two from mixing together.
How do I tag or segment my subscribers?
Create a Label under Manage → Manage Labels, then select subscribers in the Subscriber Manager list and use Options → Assign Label (or Remove Label to undo it). You can then filter the subscriber list by that label, or target it in a broadcast.
How do I add a subscriber to a List?
Create the list first under Manage → Manage Lists, then add subscribers to it from the subscriber list's bulk actions, the Chat Actions panel in Shared Inbox, or an Add to List(s) automation action inside a flow.
How do custom fields get filled in automatically, without typing them in one by one?
Three ways: an extra column in a CSV/Google Sheet import, a Save to Custom Field action in a Keyword Replies flow, or a form answer from an Input Flow / WhatsApp Flow. See "How a custom field gets filled in" above.
Can I send a custom field's value inside a WhatsApp message?
Yes — reference it as a #fieldname# variable in a Message Template or Keyword Replies
text block, e.g. Hi #name#, your order #order_id# has shipped.
What field type should I use for something like a budget or order ID?
Number — it keeps the value sortable and usable in calculations, unlike Text, which stores it as an unstructured string.
Can I rename a label or custom field without losing existing data?
Yes — renaming updates the label everywhere it's assigned, or the field name on every subscriber that has it, without touching the underlying data.
What happens to subscribers if I delete a label they're assigned?
Nothing happens to the subscribers themselves — only the tag is removed. Deleting a label never deletes a subscriber record.
Can I edit labels later?
Yes — you can add or remove labels from subscribers at any time, and rename or delete the label itself from Manage → Manage Labels.
Can I delete a custom field?
Yes — but deleting it also removes its stored data from every subscriber that had it, and breaks any template or flow still referencing it. Check the field's usage count first.
Should I reuse a label name like batch1 across different campaigns?
It's safer to make each label specific (batch1_jan2026 rather than just batch1) so you
can always tell which campaign or import it came from once you have a long label history.
Related Documentation#
- Subscriber Manager — the subscriber list, Options menu, and bulk label/sequence actions.
- How Do I Import Subscribers Using a CSV File? — how extra columns become custom fields automatically.
- Keyword Replies — Save to Custom Field and Sync Data to Google Sheets actions.
- Message Templates — inserting a custom field's value into an outgoing message.
- How to Connect a Bot Flow to External Systems — forwarding custom field data to a CRM or webhook.
Learn From a Use Case#
- Clinic Appointment Booking Automation — Custom Fields store each answer submitted through the appointment form.
Watch the video lesson
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