What are custom objects?
A custom object is a user-defined data model — a new type of record you can create, track, and relate to the rest of your data in Orbis. Common examples:Deals
Track sales opportunities through stages from qualification to close
Projects
Manage client engagements, deliverables, and timelines
Investments
Record investment rounds, valuations, and portfolio positions
Portfolio Companies
Track companies you’ve invested in with custom metrics
Events
Log conferences, meetings, or networking events you attend
Partnerships
Manage strategic alliances with status, value, and contacts
Creating a custom object type
Go to Settings → Custom Objects and click New Object Type to open the object editor.Name your object
Enter a singular name (e.g., “Deal”) and a plural name (e.g., “Deals”). Orbis uses these in the UI and navigation automatically.
Add a description (optional)
A short description helps teammates understand what this object tracks when they see it in the sidebar.
Define your fields
Add one or more fields. The first field you mark as Title field becomes the record’s display name throughout Orbis.At least one field is required before you can save the object type.
The URL slug for your object is generated from the name and cannot be changed after creation. Choose a clear, concise name before saving.
Field types
When you add a field to a custom object, you choose its type. Each type controls how data is entered and displayed.Basic fields
| Type | Use for |
|---|---|
| Text | Names, notes, descriptions, or any free-form text |
| Number | Quantities, scores, or any numeric value |
| Email addresses (renders as a mailto link) | |
| URL | Website or external links |
| Phone | Phone numbers |
Date and time
| Type | Use for |
|---|---|
| Date | Calendar dates like close date or start date |
| Date & Time | Timestamps with time precision |
Selection
| Type | Use for |
|---|---|
| Checkbox | Yes/no, true/false fields |
| Select | A single value from a predefined list (e.g., Stage, Status) |
| Multi-Select | Multiple values from a predefined list (e.g., Tags, Categories) |
Numeric
| Type | Use for |
|---|---|
| Currency | Monetary amounts with currency formatting |
| Percentage | Ratios or completion percentages |
| Rating | Star ratings with a configurable maximum |
Relation fields
Relation fields link records together within Orbis.| Type | Use for |
|---|---|
| Contact (Person) | Link a record to a person in your Contacts |
| Record Reference | Link to a record in another custom object type |
| Record Link | Link to contacts, companies, or organization members |
Field options
Every field has two optional settings:- Required — the field must be filled in when creating a record
- Title field — this field’s value is used as the record’s name throughout Orbis (only one field per object can be the title)
Using templates
When creating a new object type, you can start from a built-in template instead of building from scratch. Templates include a pre-configured set of fields for common use cases:- Deal — sales pipeline with Stage, Value, Status, and close dates
- Partnership — alliance tracking with Type, Status, and Contract Value
- Invoice — billing records with Amount, Due Date, and payment Status
Creating records
Once your object type is set up, you can add records to it.Add a record
Click Add [Object Name] in the top right. You can also import records in bulk from a CSV file.
Fill in the fields
Complete the form for your new record. Required fields are marked with an asterisk.
Linking records to contacts and companies
Any field with type Contact (Person) or Record Link (targeting contacts or companies) creates a relationship between your record and existing Orbis data. When you open a contact’s profile, Orbis shows related records from your custom objects — for example, all Deals linked to that contact — in the contact’s detail view.Views
Your records can be viewed in two modes, toggled from the toolbar:Table view
The default view. Every record is a row, and every field is a column. You can:- Sort by any column
- Filter records using the filter builder
- Show or hide columns
- Enable edit mode to update fields inline
- Export records to CSV
Pipeline (kanban) view
If your object has at least one Select field with defined options, the pipeline view becomes available. Records are arranged as cards in columns based on the value of the select field.- Drag cards between columns to update the field value
- If you have multiple select fields, use the column picker to switch which field controls the grouping
- Click any card to open the record detail