Creating candidate custom fields
Last updated: September 22, 2026
Kula's default candidate fields won't always cover everything your team needs to track — things like a certification, a source-specific ID, or an internal classification. Custom fields let you add your own structured data points to every candidate record. This article covers how to create a candidate custom field, what field types are available, and what to watch for.
Who can do this: Users with permission to manage candidate fields — typically Admins and Super Admins.
Where to find it: Settings → Custom Fields → Candidate Fields (a separate tab from Job Fields and Offer Fields, which have their own custom field sets).
Creating a candidate custom field
Go to Settings → Candidates & Applications → Candidate fields.
Under Custom fields, click Add field
Select a field type (see below), then give the field a name.
Save. The field now appears wherever candidate details are captured — the manual "New Candidate" form, the candidate profile, and CSV import mapping.
Field types available
Field type | Description |
|---|---|
Short text | A single line of free text, up to 255 characters, such as a referral name. |
Long text | Longer free text, such as notes. |
Single select | One selection from a list of options you define. |
Multi select | One or more selections from a list of options you define. |
Yes/No | A fixed Yes or No answer. |
Date | A calendar date, such as availability or notice end date. |
Number | Numeric values only, such as years of experience. |
URL | A web address, such as a portfolio link. |
A field's type can't be changed after it's created. If you need a different type, create a new field and delete the old one.
Where custom fields show up
Once created, a candidate custom field appears on the manual candidate-creation form, the candidate's profile (editable inline), and as a mappable column during CSV import — you don't need to configure it separately in each place.
Good to know
File upload isn't available for candidate fields. If you need to attach documents to a candidate, use the existing file/resume attachment functionality rather than trying to create a custom field for it.
Yes/No fields have fixed options. You can't relabel "Yes" and "No" — for anything needing custom option text, create a Single choice field instead.
You choose whether each field is mandatory, optional or hidden. On Settings → Candidates & Applications → Candidate fields, set a field's status to Mandatory, Optional or Hide. Mandatory fields must be filled in before the candidate can be saved, and hidden fields don't appear on the form. The order of candidate fields is fixed.
Short text and Long text fields have length limits. Short text holds up to 255 characters.
Number fields preserve exactly what you type, including comma formatting — useful for compensation-style figures where formatting matters, but be precise on entry since Kula won't reformat it for you.
FAQ
Who can create a candidate custom field? Anyone with the Manage fields permission, which is typically limited to Admins and Super Admins.
Where do I go to create one? Settings → Candidates & Applications → Candidate fields. Job fields and Offer fields are separate pages with their own custom fields.
Can I create a custom field to store a document or file? Not currently — file-type custom fields can't be created from the UI today. Use the existing resume/file attachment option on the candidate profile instead.
I created a Yes/No field and both options show as "No" — is that a bug? No — Yes/No fields intentionally have fixed, non-renameable options. If you need custom option labels (for example, capturing consent language), create a Single choice field instead and write your own option text.
Can I make a candidate custom field required? Yes. On Settings → Candidates & Applications → Candidate fields, set the field's status to Mandatory. For Source and Credited to, you can also tick Make Mandatory everywhere candidates are added so the field is required when a candidate is added to a job, transferred to another job, or added from the browser extension.
Is there a character limit on custom field descriptions? Likely, yes — a similar field type hit a limit of around 500 characters in a real support case, though this hasn't been independently confirmed as identical for candidate custom fields specifically. If you're writing longer description text (like consent language) and it won't save, length is worth checking first.
Need help?
If you have questions or need assistance, reach out to us at support@kula.ai or use the in-app chat.