Custom Data allows administrators to collect additional order-level information from customers during checkout.
Unlike Product Personalization, which is attached to individual products, Custom Data is collected once per order during the checkout process.
This feature is useful for collecting information such as:
- Employee Numbers
- Department Codes
- Factory Locations
- Purchase Order Numbers
- Approval Acknowledgements
- Payroll Deduction Agreements
- Expedited Processing Requests
Custom Data is displayed as the first step of checkout, immediately after the cart and before shipping information is entered.
To get started, navigate to Settings → Custom Data from the left navigation menu.
Creating a Custom Data Collection
A Custom Data Collection is a group of fields that are displayed together during checkout.
To create a new collection, click Add Custom Data Collection.
General Information
Enter a title for the Custom Data Collection.
The title identifies the collection within the administration portal and is also displayed to customers during checkout.
You can also configure optional pricing for the collection.
Pricing Type
Custom Data Collections support two pricing methods:
- Price For The Collection
- Price Per Option
Price For The Collection
When Price For The Collection is selected, a single price modifier is applied based on whether the customer provides a value for the collection.
The modifier can be configured as either:
- Flat Dollar Amount ($)
- Percentage Of The Order (%)
Percentage-based pricing is calculated using the order subtotal before shipping charges and taxes.
Price Per Option
When Price Per Option is selected, pricing is assigned individually to selectable options rather than to the collection itself.
When this pricing method is selected:
- Only Select Options fields can be used.
- Text Field Area fields are unavailable.
- Checkbox fields are unavailable.
- Each option receives its own price modifier.
The modifier type can be configured as either:
- Flat Dollar Amount ($)
- Percentage Of The Order (%)
Percentage-based pricing is calculated using the order subtotal before shipping charges and taxes.
Option pricing is cumulative when multiple priced options are selected.
Example
Field 1:
- Standard Processing (+$0)
- Expedited Processing (+$10)
Field 2:
- Single Location (+$0)
- Multiple Locations (+$5)
If the customer selects Expedited Processing and Multiple Locations, the total Custom Data charge will be $15.
Adding Fields
In the Field Details section, click Add Collection to create your first field.
The available field types depend on the selected Pricing Type.
Available Field Types
When Price For The Collection is selected, the following field types are available:
- Text Field Area
- Select Options
- Checkbox
When Price Per Option is selected:
- Select Options is automatically selected.
- Text Field Area is unavailable.
- Checkbox is unavailable.
Text Field Area
A Text Field Area allows customers to enter freeform text.
Examples include:
- Employee Number
- Purchase Order Number
- Special Instructions
Enter a label for the field and enable the Required option if customers must provide a value before continuing.
Collection Pricing Behavior
If the collection uses Price For The Collection pricing:
- If the field is required, the collection price is always applied.
- If the field is optional, the collection price is only applied when the customer enters a value.
- If the field is left blank, no collection price is applied.
Select Options
A Select Options field allows customers to choose from predefined values.
Enter a label and create the available options.
Additional options can be added using the Add New Option link.
Required
When enabled, customers must select at least one option before continuing through checkout.
If a required field is left blank, the field label will be highlighted in red and marked as required.
Multiselect
When enabled, customers can select multiple options from the same field.
When disabled, only a single option can be selected.
Price For The Collection Behavior
If the collection uses Price For The Collection pricing:
- Required fields always apply the collection price.
- Optional fields apply the collection price only when at least one option is selected.
- If no option is selected, no collection price is applied.
Price Per Option Behavior
If the collection uses Price Per Option pricing:
- Each option can have its own price modifier.
- Option prices are added together when multiple priced options are selected.
- Negative pricing values are not supported.
Example
Available options:
- Standard Processing (+$0)
- Rush Processing (+$10)
If the customer selects Rush Processing, an additional $10 charge is applied to the order.
Checkbox
A Checkbox field allows customers to acknowledge or confirm information during checkout.
Examples include:
- I agree to the payroll deduction policy.
- I acknowledge the artwork approval process.
- I have reviewed the ordering guidelines.
Checkbox fields include:
- Label
- Required
Checkbox fields are only available when Price For The Collection pricing is selected.
Collection Pricing Behavior
If the collection uses Price For The Collection pricing:
- Required checkboxes always apply the collection price.
- Optional checkboxes apply the collection price only when selected.
- If the checkbox is not selected, no collection price is applied.
Adding Additional Fields
To add additional fields to a collection, click Add Additional Field at the bottom of the Field Details section.
You can add as many fields as needed to a collection.
Collections may contain a combination of Text Field Area, Select Options, and Checkbox fields when using Price For The Collection pricing.
When using Price Per Option pricing, all fields within the collection must be Select Options fields.
Activating a Collection
After configuring the collection, return to Settings → Custom Data and enable the Activate switch.
The Activate setting applies to the entire collection.
Only activated collections are displayed during checkout.
Multiple collections can be active at the same time.
When multiple collections are active, customers will see all active collections during checkout.
Customer Group Restrictions
Custom Data Collections can be restricted by Customer Group.
This allows administrators to display specific collections only to certain customer groups.
Example
A company may require employees to enter an Employee Number during checkout, while managers are not required to provide this information.
Using Custom Data Collection Restrictions within Customer Group settings, administrators can determine which collections are visible to each customer group.
Customer Experience
Activated Custom Data Collections appear as the first step of checkout, immediately after the cart and before shipping information is entered.
Customers must complete all required fields before continuing to the next checkout step.
If a required field is incomplete, the field label will be highlighted in red and marked as required.
Customers can return to the Custom Data step and make changes at any point before placing the order.
Checkout Flow
- Custom Data
- Shipping Address
- Shipping Method
- Payment Method
Order Information and Integrations
Custom Data values are stored with the order and remain available throughout the fulfillment process.
The submitted information can be viewed in:
- Order Details
- Administration Portal
- Customer Order History
Custom Data is also transmitted to supported integrations when applicable, allowing external systems to access the collected information.
That's everything that you need to know about custom data collection. In the next article, we will go over the Shipping Settings.