> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.aide.app/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Custom fields on conversations and customers

> Custom fields store structured data, such as an order number, the reason for contact or whether a replacement was offered, on a conversation or on a customer.

Custom fields store structured data, such as an order number, the reason for contact or whether a replacement was offered, on a conversation or on a customer. Aide can fill them in, and your team can too. Manage fields in Settings > Fields.

## Field types

Text, Number, Date, Yes / no, Single choice and Multiple choice.

## Conversation or customer

Each field has a scope. A **Conversation** field belongs to one conversation. A **Customer** field follows the customer across all their conversations.

## Name, key and description

* **Name** is what your team sees.
* **Key** is used in templates, rules and the API. It starts with a lowercase letter and uses lowercase letters, numbers and underscores, for example `order_number`. It can't be changed after the field is created.
* **Description** is what Aide reads to recognise the value and to ask for it, so be specific: "The order number from the confirmation email, starting with #."

## How Aide fills it

* **AI reads it**: Aide reads the value out of the conversation, using the description.
* **Pattern**: Aide takes the first value a pattern you write finds in the customer's messages, then in the subject. No AI involved.

Aide can read and ask for Text, Number, Single choice and Yes / no fields. Date and Multiple choice fields are set by teammates.

## Letting Aide ask for a field

Add the field to the AI Agent's **Fields** tab, or use a scenario's collect-a-field action. For each, choose how it's collected:

* **Extract only**: Aide reads the value from the conversation and never asks.
* **Ask if missing**: Aide uses the value if the customer already gave it, and asks otherwise.
* **Always ask**: Aide asks even when the value appears in the conversation.

On the field you can also set the **Question Aide asks** (blank lets Aide phrase it from the name) and, for text and number fields, a pattern the **Answer must match**.

## Required on close

Turn on **Required on close** and a person can't close the conversation until the field has a value.

## Fields from your helpdesk

Fields from a connected Zendesk, Front or Gorgias show a "From Zendesk", "From Front" or "From Gorgias" badge. Their name and options come from the helpdesk; change them there.

## Where values come from

On a conversation, each value shows where it came from: from the conversation, from your site, answered by the customer, set by a teammate, or corrected.


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