As you've started to learn about Insightly, you may have come across the terms objects, records, and fields. So, what are they?
The items in the navigation bar on the left of Insightly are examples of objects. When you click on the contact object, you'll see a list of contact records. When you click on a contact record, you'll see the fields that contain the information specific to that contact.
Let's take a more in-depth look at objects, records, and fields.
Objects
Objects are the types of records you can create in Insightly. Insightly has several standard objects, such as contacts, organizations, and tasks.
Records and their fields function based on how an object is set up. For example, a company that manufactures roller skates could customize their opportunity object so that its records include a field with a dropdown list of shoe sizes. Every time a new opportunity is created, the salesperson will select a size from that list.
Records
Records live within objects and contain fields. They organize the data you've collected and can also be linked to other records.
Organization records, for example, can be companies that you do business with. Say you run a business selling treats for pets. You could create an organization record for the local shelter to keep track of who runs the shelter, how to contact them, and any special discounts they receive.
Fields
Fields are the information that fills a record. Names, dates, phone numbers - any data you need to track is recorded in a field. You can use Insightly's standard fields or you can create custom fields to contain details specific to your work.