Custom Objects and Settings

Ambivo comes with standard objects like Leads, Contacts, and Opportunities, but your business may need to track other types of data. Custom objects let you create entirely new modules tailored to your specific needs. This guide covers custom objects in depth and also walks through the main settings areas for configuring your workspace.

What Are Custom Objects?

A custom object is a new type of business data that you define. It becomes a full-featured module in your workspace — with its own list view, detail pages, fields, automation support, import/export, and access controls.

Examples by Industry

Custom objects work just like standard objects — your team interacts with them the same way they interact with Leads or Contacts.

Getting There

• Go to Settings in the left sidebar
• Click Objects
• You will see a list of all objects (standard and custom) configured in your workspace

Create a Custom Object

1. 1

   Open create form

   In Settings > Objects, click + New Object.

2. 2

   Enter details

   Object Name — The name users will see in the sidebar (e.g., "Projects", "Properties", "Memberships"). Description — A brief explanation of what this object represents (optional).

3. 3

   Create

   Click Create.

What Happens Next

The new object appears in the objects list and in the sidebar navigation. It starts with a few default fields (like Name and Created Date). You now need to add custom fields (attributes) to define exactly what data each record stores.

Add Custom Fields (Attributes)

Fields are the building blocks of your object. Each field defines one piece of information that a record can hold.

1. 1

   Open attributes

   In Settings > Objects, click on the object you want to customize and go to the Attributes tab.

2. 2

   Add attribute

   Click + Add Attribute. Configure Field Name, Field Type, Required, and optional Default Value. Click Save.

Available Field Types

Configuring Dropdown Options

• Click Add Option to define each choice
• Enter the option label (e.g., "High", "Medium", "Low")
• Arrange the options in the order you want them to appear
• Set a Default option if most records will use the same value

Editing or Removing Fields

• Find the field in the Attributes list
• Click Edit to change its label, type, or settings
• Click Remove to delete it

Important: Removing a field permanently deletes the data stored in that field across all records. Export your data first if you need a backup.

Reference Fields: Linking Objects Together

Reference fields create relationships between objects, letting you connect records across different modules.

How Reference Fields Work

When you add a Reference field to an object, it creates a dropdown on the record form that lets users select a record from the linked object. For example, a custom "Projects" object with a Client reference field linked to Accounts lets users tie each project to a client account.

1. 1

   Add reference field

   Add a new attribute with Field Type = Reference, select the Target Object (e.g., Accounts), and click Save.

Configure Object Views

Views control how records appear in the list — which columns are shown, how they are sorted, and what default filters are applied.

1. 1

   Open views

   In Settings > Objects, click on the object and go to the Views tab.

2. 2

   Configure view

   Edit the default view or create a new one: Select Columns, Column Order, Default Sort, and Default Filters. Click Save.

When to Create Multiple Views

• Create a "My Records" view filtered by the current user as owner
• Create an "Active Only" view that hides inactive or closed records
• Create a "High Priority" view filtered by priority level

Object Studio (AI-Powered)

Object Studio is an AI-powered tool that lets you describe a new object in plain language, and the AI generates the full configuration — including fields, field types, and relationships.

1. 1

   Open Object Studio

   In Settings > Objects, click Object Studio. A chat interface opens where you can describe what you need.

2. 2

   Describe and refine

   Examples: "I need an object to track real estate properties with fields for address, price, square footage..." or "Create a Projects object with client reference, start date, end date, budget, and status dropdown." Review suggestions and ask the AI to adjust as needed.

3. 3

   Create

   When satisfied, click Create.

What Gets Generated

• Object name and description
• All fields with appropriate types
• Dropdown options pre-filled
• Reference fields linked to the right objects
• Sensible defaults and required flags

Object Configuration Tab

Each object has a Config tab where you can adjust higher-level settings:

• Display Name — Change how the object name appears in the sidebar and throughout the UI
• Icon — Choose an icon to represent the object in the navigation
• Access Defaults — Set default access permissions for new records (who can view, edit, delete)

Customizing Statuses and Stages

Every record type that has a lifecycle field (Lead Status, Contact Status, Account Status, Opportunity Stage, Order Status, Invoice Status, Task Status) comes with a built-in set of values. Admins can customize these in two ways:

• Override a built-in value — rename, recolor, or reposition any seeded value
• Add a new value — insert tenant-specific values alongside the built-in ones

Overriding a built-in value only changes how it is displayed. The underlying identifier is preserved, so all automation tied to the value continues to work. Pure custom values do not inherit built-in business logic — build a workflow in Automation Studio if you need automation for a new stage.

1. 1

   Open status configuration

   Navigate to Settings > Objects > [Object Name], open the Attributes tab, and select the Status or Stage field.

2. 2

   Customize values

   To customize a built-in value: click Edit on a "System" row, change label/color/position, and Save. To add a new value: use the Add custom stage form. To reset: click Reset on an "Override" row. To remove a pure custom value: click Delete.

Where This Is Used

• Pickers — customized labels and colors appear in dropdowns
• Kanban / Pipeline view — column headers reflect overrides; position determines column order
• Filters and search — both the original identifier and override label are searchable
• Reports — historical analytics use the underlying identifier so renaming does not break trend lines
• Tenant Copy — status/stage customizations are carried over when cloning tenant configuration

Feature Settings

Control which platform features are available in your workspace. Features that are disabled do not appear in the sidebar.

1. 1

   Open feature settings

   Go to Settings > Features.

2. 2

   Toggle features

   Browse available features (E-Sign, Campaigns, Automation, Widgets, Routing, Sales Performance, and more) and toggle each on or off. Changes take effect immediately for all users.

Appearance Settings

1. 1

   Open appearance

   Go to Settings > Appearance.

2. 2

   Customize and save

   Customize Theme Colors, Company Logo, and Font. Click Save. Individual users can also toggle light and dark mode from the top bar.

Usage and Billing

Monitor how your workspace is being used and manage your subscription.

• Go to Settings > Usage & Billing (admin access required)
• View User Count, Record Counts, Feature Usage, and Billing Information
• Upgrade your plan or update your payment method from this section

Roles and Permissions

Control what each team member can see and do within the platform.

How Roles Work

• A Role is a named set of permissions (e.g., "Sales Agent", "Operations Manager", "Tenant Admin")
• Each user is assigned one or more roles
• When a user has multiple roles, their permissions are the union of all roles
• Permissions are set per module: Create, Read, Update, Delete, and Admin

Managing Roles

1. 1

   Open roles

   Go to the roles management area in Settings.

2. 2

   Configure permissions

   View existing roles or click + New Role. For each module, set Create, Read, Update, Delete, and Admin permissions. Click Save.

3. 3

   Assign roles

   Assign the role to users when inviting them or from user management.

Example Role Configurations

Common Questions

Tips and Best Practices

• Plan your custom objects before creating them — sketch out fields, relationships, and workflows first
• Use Reference fields to create meaningful connections between objects
• Start with essential fields and add more over time
• Use descriptive field names (e.g., "Annual Revenue" not "Rev")
• Set up views that match how your team works — "Active", "My Records", and "Recently Created"
• Review Usage & Billing monthly to stay within plan limits
• Create role templates for common positions before inviting team members
• Use Object Studio for rapid prototyping — describe what you need and refine the AI's output
• Document your custom objects so new team members understand the structure
• Test before rolling out — create test records to verify fields and views work as expected

Related Guides

• CRM-021 — Setup Assistant and Onboarding
• CRM-005 — Data Import and Export
• CRM-014 — Workflows
• CRM-022 — Welcome and Platform Overview