Scheduling Fields

Scheduling fields are custom fields that get answered while creating a new event – while scheduling it, if you will. You can build out scheduling fields in the client-level admin and apply them by Program and/or Event Type. So let’s take a closer look at how scheduling fields can help you make the most of your events.

Where to find them

Scheduling fields, unlike recap fields, don’t have their own tab on the navigation menu, so they can be a little trickier to track down. But fear not! We’re here to show you where to look and it just might be somewhere that you’ve already been. The client level admin. Click Admin in the navigation menu and select View.

From the global configuration menu, expand Global and select Clients.

Now you’ll be looking at the Clients list. Find the client you want to add scheduling fields for and either click the blue Client Name or Edit. 

This will bring you to the Client level admin page. Now’s where things get interesting, or at least specific to your needs. Click to expand Events in the Configuration menu and select Custom Fields.

Now you’ll be looking at the Edit Events Fields page, and contrary to the title, you do not edit the fields here so much as look and see what you have. This page will list all your active Scheduling Fields. Want to see the Inactive fields? Click the Show Inactive Fields checkbox.

To get started adding new fields, you’re going to want to click Add New Field in the upper right of the page.

Now we’re really looking at the Edit Event Fields page. This is where you’ll build out each scheduling field you need to create for your program. We’ll start where we so often do, with the name. Enter the scheduling field question here.

Next, you’ll need to select the type of field you want this scheduling field to be. Your options are: Date, Display Text, Document Upload, Float (1 or 2 decimal places), Formula, Hyperlink, Integer, Money, Multi-select, Phone Number, Select, Subsection Label, Text, Text Area, Time, Yes/No Select.

Date

Enter a date using a calendar select field

Display Text

Enter information that you want people creating an event to see while scheduling, or perhaps offer tips about other scheduling fields to follow. This information will not display in the Event Description field, it will display, in order, with the other scheduling fields at the bottom of the Add Events page.

Document Upload

An upload button that will allow people creating events to upload a document.

Float

One or two decimal places added after a whole number. Ie. 1.1 or 2.22.

Formula

Allows a calculation with order of operations and/or other custom field responses.

Hyperlink

Allow users to create a hyperlink to a website.

Integer

A number field.

Money

Like the 2 decimal float field, but with a dollar sign. $1.00.

Multi-Select

Create a list of options that users creating events will be able to choose from to respond to the question.

Phone Number

Allows a 10 digit phone number to be entered and formatted.

Select

Create a list of options that people creating events will get to pick from (just one this time!) to respond to the question.

Subsection Label

If you’re creating a bunch of scheduling fields, you may want to break them up into sections. You can label those sections with this option.

Text

Your everyday, standard text entry field.

Text Area

Another standard text entry field, but longer.

Time

Formatted for HH:MM AM/PM, enter a time.

Yes/No Select

A two-option select field for yes/no questions.

So, now you know what you can use, let’s pick an option. For this example, we’re going to go with Multi-Select. The multi-select setup will also work to show you how to build out a single select field. To learn about building out formula fields, you can read here.

And you might be thinking that’s the task mostly wrapped up, but that would be a mistake. There’s lots of flexibility with scheduling fields and with flexibility comes decision making. You’re going to see many fields beneath the Type field and before the Options field, so we’re going to take a look at all those before we set up our select options.

First up is Section. This one is really just for looks. Your only option is Scheduling and that’s pre-selected for you so there’s nothing you need worry about here.

Next up is the Scheduling Field Visibility. Here you can decide what type of events you want to view this scheduling field. Your options are: Standard Events Only, Requested Events Only, and All Events.

Standard Events Only

Events that are created within MainEvent by a management user. These can be created manually or via the mass import tool These events will be created in Scheduled status.

Requested Events Only

Events that are submitted via the Event Request functionality. This could be internal requests or external. These events will be created in Requested Status and would require approval to move to Scheduled.

All Events

The ‘all under one tent’ option. Requested and Scheduled status events will all see the field.

If your program doesn’t use the Event Request functionality, All Events and Standard Events Only will really amount to the same thing. For our example, we’re sticking with the default, Standard Events Only.

The final in these dropdown fields is Standardized Question Tag. If you’ve created Question Tags in the admin, you can apply them to your new field.

Now we come to the checkbox portion of our setup. Each checkbox is really a Yes/No question. If the box is checked, yes, if not, no. The checkboxes are: Active, Required, Repeatable, Alphabetically Sort Options, Display on Staff Application, Display on Events Index, Display as Media Filter, and Display as Calendar Filter, Display as Notification Filter.

Active

Needs to be checked if you want people to view your field. Is, by default, the only checkbox that is pre-selected.

Required

When enabled, users will not be able to submit an event without responding to the field.

Repeatable

Can use the field more than once.

Alphabetically Sort Options

Your added options will automatically display in alphabetical order.

Display on Staff Application

Select this option to allow the field to display on the Staff Application Event Details section.

Display on Events Index

Allows you to display the field as a column on the events index. Will also allow you to filter the index by the field.

Display as Media Filter

Allows you to filter your media gallery using the field.

Display as Calendar Filter

Filter your calendar view with results from your scheduling field

Display as Notification Filter

Use as a way to establish if a notification email should be sent.

We’re sticking with the basics here and just keeping Active selected.

Next up, you have an option for Min and Max Length. This is for text entry fields to establish either a minimum or maximum (or both!) response length. Enter the character length in either of the fields. Both of these fields are optional.

Next up is the optional help text. Enter any information that you think would be useful to the people responding to your scheduling field.

Now you have to make some decisions about who sees the field when creating events. You’re going to pick the Program and Event Type Assignments. These assignments work with OR logic, not AND logic, meaning that if either the criteria (Program OR Event Type) are met, the field will display. From the dropdown multi-select menus, pick all the Programs and Event Types that you want to apply the field for.

For many field types, this would be the end of the road. But remember how we picked multi-select? Yeah, that means we have one more step to do. We need to enter those options that the people responding to this field are going to pick from. Under Options, click Add Another Option.

This will expand to include a text field where you can enter the option. The order will automatically populate in ascending numeric order. There’s also an Active checkbox if you want to make some options active or not.

Continue to click Add Another Option and complete those fields until you have all your options. If you selected to alphabetize your options, you can enter them in any order you want and they’ll display alphabetized on the user end.

When you have everything entered as you want it, click Submit if you only need to create this one field. If you need more than one, click Submit & Add Another.

Your field(s) will now be visible on the Event Fields page.