Custom fields: track the details that matter to your stock
Most inventory tools give you a fixed set of columns: a name, a count, maybe a price. That covers the basics, but real stock carries details those columns can’t hold. Which lot is this? When does it expire? What’s the serial number, the color, the bin it lives in? Custom fields let you add exactly those details, on your terms, without bending your inventory to fit someone else’s schema.
What a custom field actually is
A custom field is a named piece of information you attach to an inventory item: a field name (like “Expiry”) and a value (like “2027-03”). You define the field once and can reuse it on any other item, so “Expiry” means the same thing across your whole catalog. It’s the difference between a structured detail you can scan, sort and search, and a sentence buried in a notes box.
When to reach for one
If you’ve ever wished your inventory had “just one more column,” that’s a custom field. Common ones:
- Lot or batch number for traceability and recalls.
- Expiry or received date to rotate stock first-expiry-first.
- Serial number for individually tracked, high-value items.
- Color, size or variant for retail and apparel.
- Supplier SKU or manufacturer part number next to your own naming.
- Bin or shelf location so anyone can find it fast.
Add it, reuse it, show it
The workflow is deliberately simple. Open an item, add a custom field, give it a name and a value, and save. The next time you add that field to another item, pick it from a dropdown of fields you already use, so you never end up with “Color,” “colour” and “Colr” competing in the same catalog.
Keep your fields clean
- Reuse an existing field instead of typing a near-duplicate name.
- Only promote a field to a column if you scan it often. The rest live on the item detail.
- Keep value formats consistent (pick YYYY-MM for dates and stick with it) so sorting works.
Let AI do the typing
Because Simple Inventory Management has a built-in MCP server, you can also set custom fields by chatting. Tell Claude “set the lot number on the saline to L-33027” and it fills the field in for you. More on that in adding custom fields by asking Claude.