Set "Required" custom fields

Currently a user can create a custom field for their projects and tasks.

It would help if, there was a way to set these custom fields as required.

And, if the problem is because the fields are specific to the user, then I would like the ability to make custom global fields that are required.

It's the missing ingredient in custom fields. They're useful for one person. but human nature means they might not get filled out, unless forced.

Maybe there's already a way, or already a suggestion for this

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Permanently deleted user

Hi Charles, thank you for the suggestion! I'm really interested in learning about the types of fields you feel should be required in your workflow, and the steps which are taken after the fields are filled out. It's always helpful to learn about the use cases which drive the need for such requests, and I'm definitely eager to learn more about your setup!

Charles Sanderson

Hi Anastacia,

There are a couple tasks for in-house maintenance of projects:

Task type - containing options such as: Umbrella task, Content creation, Design, QA, Resource provision, kickoff/planning. They come close to a standard, but every company might have different standard tasks. (after, I use this to filter tasks that don't truly require certain types of action)
Freelancer - a list of names, plus "none" . For tracking if some work is outsourced, thought the task is managed by an in-house person.

There are also fields for quick access to information needed to work the task. Things that could be in notes, but need to be standard/consistent.
Industry - A list of different verticals, for quick reference.
Geographic - What country/region is this work targeting
Product - What product is this work for.
and so on.

And there could be any number of other uses, I imagine: Budget, Statuses specific to that type of task, etc. I'm sure some info could be put in the "Notes" area, and a 'creative brief' document, but a standardized, required field/dropdown ensures consistency of info provided and ease of access to that info.

Hopefully that helps?

Permanently deleted user

Charles, thank you, that definitely helps! I think this is really interesting and after discussing your use case with the team, we had one more follow-up question: what kind of action do you think should be linked to this requirement? For example, a user can't assign a task until they have filled out the Custom Fields, or can't change its status, or perhaps you see this as a requirement during task creation? Looking forward to hearing from you!

Charles Sanderson

Ah! Good question. If I were to be greedy, I'd say all options! But, I don't wanna get tooo greedy!

A lot of our preferred use-cases would be required custom fields being completed in order to create the task. That way the assignee's got the information needed to do their work, from the beginning.

But, perhaps, the information isn't known at the time the task is created. In that case, it might be more helpful to not be able to assign the task until the required Custom fields are completed

I suspect there's a good use-case for being unable to change the status until these required fields are completed, but a different situation from what I was considering - in this scenario, it becomes part of what needs to be done by the task assignee. I'm looking for ways to ensure all the information to do the task is provided at the start.

...that being said, maybe that's a secondary option? Set required, but also a toggle to set whether the field must be completed 1) upon task creation/assignment, or 2) upon task completion.

Permanently deleted user

Charles, thank you for the clarification! You're right, I agree that there could be several use cases which would require different triggers, and thank you for sharing your preferred options. Would love to learn what other teams think about this too!

Martha Liliana Hernandez Pastrana

I have the same problem; I need to be able to define required fields before assigning or creating the task. It would be great to have something like this

Romy Vizzini

People are forgetting to fill the custom fields like Charles says. It will be an idea not to to be able to select the last completed status if the customfields are not filled.

And better if we can choose which customfield are requiret to select done. Some are not required and you can select done if they are not filled.

Kahwon Taylor

I can not stress how important this feature is. It is one of the main reasons I want to switch back to Jira.

Claudia Tietze

I also would appriciate to have the ability to make a custom field mandatory. The committment to fill in all necessary fields for tracking and reporting is always poor.

Izmir Vodinaj

This is a really needed feature. It is a game changer when it comes to workflow management.

sebastien BRUNIN

I need equally this feature when the task status change.
For example if the status is "estimed" , the field "allocated hours" must be required.
If the status is "planned" the start date and end date must be obviously filled.

Michael Cohen

My organization would also find great value in having "required" fields, whether custom or not. This kind of validation would help significantly with getting better metrics about our work, once users are required to fill in certain fields. Any idea when this will become a feature (if it hasn't already?)

Stephen Powell

Same here- I've just had a request from my Director for this feature. We also need to capture a variety of custom data for better reporting and just to cut down on the "what project number is this" kind of questions.

Jeni Bell

Would like to chime in here and agree that this would be a HUGE help for my organization -- in fact, it's a main reason we haven't fully adopted Wrike for our creative requests.

Gianluca Gori

I also agree it would greatly help, and would give more meaning to the tools itself - we choose it because it allows productive PM collaboration, and mandatory fields are required to improve the quality of the collaboration and of PM activities themselves.

I'd see it as an attribute to tick once the custom field is being created. I also read comments such as making fields mandatory after specific conditions: this would also be very useful, but please at least add the "mandatory field" option.

Jonathan DeLouker

I would include other business tracking fields such as

Job Number
Timecode
Cost Center
Department
Project Type
Billable/Non-Billable
Region/Country/City

Olivier Le Floch

Another use case: require “Review URL” be filled before task is switched to the Review status.

Ulrik Binzer

Yes this is absolutely needed for Wrike to be able to compete with systems like Asana, Jira and Trello.

Angi Hast

Gretchen Linder

Currently, we have set some custom fields as required in the request form. However, if a user does not go through the process of using the request form and simply clicks the plus sign to add a project, this is where we cannot control the user behavior. We manage a system with several business groups that can have their own data, etc., however we have a system-wide mandate of several fields for executive reporting and archiving compliance that are also involved.

Would love to have the ability to manage our use case.

Amandine on maternity leave starting the 22nd of July

I strongly agree it would help to have better reports and so on !

Dean Burgoon

This a huge need for us. We are finding that tasks are being missed when a filter is set because a user is not updated the custom field.

Elizaveta Bogdanova

Hi Everyone, thanks for sharing your feedback here! For now, this feature isn't on the Product roadmap, but I'll get back to you if/when that changes.

Charles Sanderson

We're only 19 away from 60 votes, everyone! We need a few more to get this on the To-Do list!

Steve Kline

We need this feature also - you have my vote!

Jared Bresee

YESSSS PLEEEEEAAAASEEE

magome hayato

we need this so strongly!

Ralph Armstrong-Astley

We use custom fields to identify which strategic objective a project falls under. Ideally, this would be mandatory.

Daniel Stublen

For our team's use-case the required entry of data into custom fields is most necessary before marking a task as "completed," but there are other times when we would need it during task creation, different steps, etc.

We would really like this to be on the product roadmap, and ideally expedited!

Rich Perkins

I also have a need for "required" fields.