How to better create & manage idea custom fields in Confluence

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Here is the scenario: You have a new idea that you want to share with your team. Obviously, you will be using a Confluence template for that. You are going to add a description, maybe the idea status, category, and so on. But is it enough info for your idea to be properly reviewed by your peers and managers? The answer is no. You will need idea custom fields (Roll credits!)

If you’re new to idea custom fields or just looking to refine your approach, you’ve come to the right place. Let's dive in!

What Are Idea Custom Fields, and When to use them?

Imagine you’re trying to capture every possible detail about a new idea. You could just toss everything into a single blank Confluence page, or maybe add headers and native macros but that sounds like a complex process, right? This is where custom fields come into play. Custom fields in Confluence allow you to structure and categorize information efficiently, making it easier to sort, filter, and find later on.

Custom fields are especially handy when you need to capture specific details like requirements or impacts, sort ideas by criteria such as priority or department, or maintain consistency across team inputs. They also help in evaluating ideas based on various attributes and tracking progress through different stages.

Best practices to work with ideation custom fields

• Keep you custom fields simple
  

You might be tempted to create a custom field for every tiny detail (if you have the right to create ones, of course), but resist that urge. Too many fields (especially when marked mandatory) can clutter your page and overwhelm idea creators. Stick to the essentials and make sure each field serves a clear purpose.

• Use descriptive names and placeholders
  

Clear, descriptive names for your custom fields are a must. Your team should be able to understand what information goes where at a glance. Think “Idea Priority”, or “Idea complexity” instead of just “Priority.” or “Complexity. With placeholders, you can also add more context and guide users to understand the field's purpose.

• Choose the right custom field type

Select the appropriate field type for the data you want to capture. You may choose text fields, single select, multi-select, date fields, and more. Choosing the right type ensures that the information is captured accurately and is easy to use later.

• Display your custom fields for easy access

Custom fields should not be accessed via the idea page only, especially when it comes to the review process. You want key information about your ideas to be displayed within holistic lists. Ideation for Confluence comes with content-rich ideation index pages, that group ideas within either a timeline or list views. You can easily incorporate your custom fields directly within the ideation list macro by adding the custom fields ID. 

• Regularly review and update your custom fields

Over time, unused fields can accumulate and clutter your idea pages. Set aside time periodically to review your custom fields. Make sure to delete outdated custom fields that aren’t adding any value. This keeps your ideation pages easier to fill and update.

• Associate custom fields with specific Confluence spaces

Don't’ waste your teams’ time, because they are going to hate you for it! Applying custom fields to all spaces by default (and worse, marking them as mandatory) will add unnecessary complexity to the idea creation process. 

If you have a variety of spaces where you run ideation campaigns, make sure to link custom fields to specific ones to avoid unnecessary clutter and ensure relevance. This way, you only fill in fields that are pertinent to the space and project at hand.

• Specify If custom fields are mandatory

Indicate which fields are mandatory to ensure essential information is captured without overloading users with too many required fields. This helps in prioritizing critical data collection.

Custom fields help you better contextualize your ideas and facilitate the idea creation process as a whole. Like any other feature, custom fields need to be used thoughtfully. Make sure to keep them simple, organized, and you know the rest if your read the post 😛

All the screenshots in this post were made using Ideation for Confluence Data Center. If you like what you saw and want to enhance your ideation process, then make sure to give it a try here.  

Got any other tips or best practices? Share them in the comments below!