# Objects and Attributes > Understand CRM record types, create custom objects, link their records to People, Companies, Leads or Deals, and add fields or field packs safely. Canonical: https://help.spacebrain.ai/crm/objects-and-attributes/ Last modified: 2026-09-25T00:00:00.000Z Objects are the types of record in your CRM, like People or Companies. Attributes are the fields on those records, like "Phone" or "Industry". This guide shows you how to add your own record types and fields, and how to link records together. ## Before you begin [#before-you-begin] * Creating and editing attributes and field packs needs an admin or owner role. * Custom objects are included with paid plans. On other plans, **Objects** shows an upgrade message. * Plan your changes first. Renaming or deleting something that's already in use can affect views, imports, and automations. ## Understand Objects [#understand-objects] Open **CRM → Objects**. You'll see: * **Standard** objects: **People**, **Companies**, and **Deals**. These are built in and have protected system fields. * **Custom** objects: record types you create for things that aren't a person, company, or deal. The table shows each object's **Type**, number of **Records**, and number of **Attributes**. Use the **Active** and **Archived** filter to find archived objects. ## When to create a custom object [#when-to-create-a-custom-object] Create a custom object for something your business tracks that has its own list of records. For example: * A property agency tracks **Properties**. * A gym tracks **Equipment** or **Classes**. * An agency tracks **Projects** for each client. Don't create a custom object for something that's really a field. "Customer tier" is an attribute on a Company, not its own object. ## Create a custom object [#create-a-custom-object] 1. Open **CRM → Objects** and choose **New custom object**. 2. Enter the **Plural noun**, for example "Properties". The **Slug** fills in automatically. 3. Enter the **Singular noun**, for example "Property". 4. Optionally add a **Description (optional)**. 5. Choose **Create object**. **What you should see:** **Custom object created**. The object appears under **Records** in the CRM menu. ## Add fields to a custom object [#add-fields-to-a-custom-object] 1. Open the object and choose **Add attribute**. 2. Enter a **Name** and choose a **Type**: Text, Number, Currency, Date, Date & time, Checkbox, Select, Multi-select, Email, Phone, URL, Payment link (buy button), or **Link to a CRM record**. 3. For select types, add the **Options**. 4. Tick **Required for new records** if every record must have a value. 5. Save. Each attribute becomes a column in the object's table. ## Link custom-object records to People, Companies, Leads, or Deals [#link-custom-object-records-to-people-companies-leads-or-deals] Use a **Link to a CRM record** attribute to connect, for example, a Property to its owner (a Person). 1. Open the custom object and choose **Add attribute**. 2. Choose the type **Link to a CRM record**. 3. Under **Link to**, choose **Person**, **Company**, **Lead**, or **Deal**. You can't change this later; create a new attribute if you need a different target. 4. Save the attribute. 5. Open or create a record, for example with **New Property**. In the link field, search with **Search records by name** and pick the record. **What you should see:** the table and record panel show the linked name. Click it to open that record. Choose **Edit linked records** in the panel to change it. Each link field holds one record. Links show on the custom-object record. They don't currently show on the Person, Company, or Deal page. ## Manage attributes on People, Companies, and Leads [#manage-attributes-on-people-companies-and-leads] Open **CRM → Attributes**. You can search and filter by **Object**. * To add a field, choose **New attribute**. (When viewing one object's attributes, the button is **Create attribute**.) * To change a field, choose **Edit** on its row. * To reorder fields on People or Companies, drag the handle at the start of a row. On a phone, use the arrow buttons. Fields marked **System** are built in. You can use them, but not change or remove them. See [attributes and lead scoring](/crm/fields-and-scoring/) for a step-by-step guide to creating a field. ## Add a field pack [#add-a-field-pack] A field pack adds a ready-made set of fields for an industry. 1. Open **CRM → Attributes**, showing all objects. 2. Expand **Quick start: field packs**. 3. Pick the pack that fits your business, such as **Real Estate**, **Dental & Healthcare**, **Home Services**, or **Agency & B2B**. Packs add fields to Leads. 4. Choose **Add fields** on the pack. **What you should see:** a message confirming the fields were added. The list updates straight away. If you see that the fields are already added, nothing changes. ## Change or delete a field safely [#change-or-delete-a-field-safely] Before you change or delete a field that's in use: 1. Search for it in imports, forms, automations, sequences, templates, lead scoring, reports, and integrations. 2. Export any values you need to keep. 3. Test the change on a sample record. ## If something goes wrong [#if-something-goes-wrong] * **Objects shows an upgrade message.** Custom objects are included with paid plans. * **New attribute is missing.** You need an admin or owner role. * **I can't edit a field.** It's a **System** field, or its **Field Name** and **Field Type** are fixed after creation. * **"Could not save attribute order."** Refresh the page and try again. ## FAQ [#faq] ### Should I use a custom object or a field? [#should-i-use-a-custom-object-or-a-field] Use a field for a single fact about a record, like "Industry". Use a custom object when you need a list of separate things, each with its own details, like the properties a client owns. ### Can I archive a custom object? [#can-i-archive-a-custom-object] Yes. Use **Archive** in the object's row menu. Use **Restore** to bring it back. ## Next step [#next-step] Create fields and rank leads in [attributes and lead scoring](/crm/fields-and-scoring/).