How do I make a custom field required?

Additional information is available to FareHarbor employees.

Required custom fields ensure customers provide essential information before completing a booking, and helps you collect complete and accurate information up front.  Required custom fields help reduce follow‑up work, prevent operational issues, and improve reporting accuracy.

Tips & best practices

• To avoid slowing down the booking flow, only require fields that are essential.
• Use clear field labels so customers understand what information is required.
• Test your booking form after making changes to confirm required fields behave as expected.

Setting up a required custom field

Label and Waivers fields cannot be required.

Step 1: Choose where the field is required

Decide whether the field should be required everywhere it is used or only for a specific item.

• If required at a Dashboard level, set the field as required via Settings > Custom Fields. Learn how to create a custom field.
• If required for a specific item, set the field as required via Items > select the item > Options & Prices.  Learn how to add a custom field to an item.

Step 2: Choose who must complete the field

Next, determine who should be required to fill out the field. For example, you may want to make the field required for online customers only, not logged-in Dashboard users.

1. Click the Prices and Visibility option in the toolbar.
   
2. Select the price sheet that applies to the users who should be required to complete the field (for example, online customers or Dashboard users).

Not sure which price sheet to choose? Here are some of the most common examples:

• Base: Makes the field required for everyone, including logged-in Dashboard users
• Online: Makes the field required for online customers only (if you have more than one Online sheet, the one closest to the top of the list will be reflected on your website)
• Direct: Makes the field required for logged-in Dashboard users only
• Affiliates: Makes the field required for any affiliates who make bookings with that sheet

Price sheet names can vary. If you are unsure which one to update, contact a Dashboard administrator or FareHarbor Support.

Step 3: Make the field required

1. Locate the custom field.
2. Click the Visibility status.
3. Select Visible.
4. Check the Require an answer box.
   
   
5. Click the Save button.

Required fields appear on the booking form with a red asterisk. (*)

Requiring a custom field for a resource

Custom fields can also be required when they’re attached to a resource requirement. This setup can be useful when customers must provide numeric information, such as passenger counts or weights.

To attach a custom field to a resource requirement:

1. Go to the Items tab, and select the item.
2. Select the Resource requirements subtab.
   
   
3. Create a new resource requirement, or edit a pre-existing one.  Learn how to add or update a resource requirement.
4. Configure the resource requirements.  Select the Per custom field option from the dropdown to require that associated custom fields use the resource options when a booking is created.
   
   
5. Check the box next to custom fields that should use these resource options.
6. Choose whether to allow split parties.
7. Click the Save button to finalize setup.

Frequently asked questions

Customers say they cannot complete a booking.  What should I check?

Confirm all required fields are visible and apply to the correct price sheet and customer types.