If you’re drowning in contacts in Affinity, you’re not alone. Whether you’re wrangling investors, recruiting talent, or just trying to keep your network straight, things get messy fast. The good news? Affinity gives you tools—tags and custom fields—that (when used right) can turn chaos into something you can actually manage. This guide is for anyone who’s tired of searching for that one contact or wondering, “Didn’t I already email this person?”
Let’s cut through the fluff and get to what really works.
Why Tags and Custom Fields Matter (And Where People Go Wrong)
Before you start creating a million tags or fields, take a breath. In Affinity, tags and custom fields are your best shot at organizing contacts in a way that fits your work—not someone else’s idea of a “pipeline.” But if you’re not careful, you’ll end up with a graveyard of unused tags, duplicate fields, and more confusion than you started with.
- Tags are best for broad buckets or labels: “Investor,” “Alumni,” “2024 Prospects,” etc.
- Custom fields are for specific, structured info: “Deal Size,” “Last Contacted,” “Company HQ City.”
What usually goes wrong? - People create tags for everything (“Met at conference 2023” = not a tag, that’s a note or field). - Teams add custom fields they never actually fill out. - No one agrees on conventions, so “VC” and “Venture Capitalist” live side by side.
Let’s fix that.
Step 1: Audit What You’ve Got (Don’t Skip This)
Before you go wild adding structure, see what’s already there.
- Export your contacts, or scroll through your Affinity list.
- Write down the main ways you actually search for or group people. (Is it by role? Stage? Geography?)
- Check existing tags and custom fields—are they relevant? Are there duplicates or dead ones?
Pro tip: If you already have 20+ tags and can’t remember what half of them mean, it’s time for a cleanup.
What to ignore: Don’t bother with tags for things like “Contacted on Tuesday” or one-off situations. If it doesn’t help you find or group people later, skip it.
Step 2: Decide on Your Tagging Strategy
Tags are great for quick labeling and filtering. But if you have more than 10–15, things get unwieldy. Here’s how to keep it sane:
- Pick 3–5 high-level tags you’ll use most.
- Example: “Investor,” “Client,” “Candidate,” “Advisor,” “Alumni.”
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These should answer “What is this person to us?”
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Limit tags to things you’d want to filter by.
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If you wouldn’t ever click on it to see a group—don’t make it a tag.
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Decide on naming conventions—together.
- Agree as a team: Is it “VC” or “Venture Capital”? “2024 Prospect” or “2024_Prospect”?
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Consistency beats creativity here.
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Avoid one-off, hyper-specific tags.
- If you’re tempted to create “Met_at_SXSW_2024,” stop. Put that in a note or use a custom field if it really matters.
How to add tags in Affinity: - Open a contact record. - In the tags section, start typing your tag. If it exists, select it; if not, create a new one. - Tags apply instantly—no need to save.
What doesn’t work: Making everyone use tags for things like “Needs follow-up”—that’s what tasks or reminders are for.
Step 3: Use Custom Fields for Structured Data
Custom fields are where Affinity gets powerful, but also where complexity creeps in.
Custom fields are best for: - Data you want to sort, filter, or report on. - Info you need to update over time (like “Last Contacted” or “Deal Stage”). - Anything that has a defined set of values (dropdowns, numbers, dates).
How to get it right: 1. Brainstorm the key info you track. - Example: “Intro Source,” “Region,” “Current Status,” “Industry.” - If you have to ask, “Will we actually use this?”—you probably won’t.
- Pick the right field type.
- Use dropdowns for standardized choices.
- Use dates for things like “Last Meeting.”
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Use text fields sparingly (they’re easy to mess up).
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Create fields at the list or workspace level.
- Go to Settings > Custom Fields, or add a new field directly from the contact view.
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Give it a clear, unambiguous name.
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Set field permissions if needed.
- If some info is sensitive, restrict who can view or edit.
What to ignore: Don’t create a custom field for info that belongs in a note (“Met at the bar, talked about hockey”). Notes are for context, fields are for filterable data.
Pro tip: Review your custom fields every few months. Kill the ones no one fills out.
Step 4: Tag and Fill Fields in Bulk
Manually tagging hundreds of contacts is a pain. Affinity has a few tools to help:
- Bulk edit:
- Select multiple contacts (shift-click or use checkboxes).
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Add or remove tags, or update custom fields for all at once.
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Import with tags/fields:
- If you’re importing from CSV, map columns to Affinity tags or fields during the import.
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Double-check your mappings—bad imports are a nightmare to clean up.
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Automations:
- With Affinity’s workflow features, you can sometimes auto-tag or update fields based on triggers (like form submissions or status changes).
- Don’t overdo it—automation is only helpful if it saves you real time.
What doesn’t work: Trying to clean up your whole database in one sitting. Tackle it in batches.
Step 5: Search, Filter, and Actually Use Your Organization
All this tagging and custom field setup is pointless if you never use it.
- Filter by tag:
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Use the sidebar or search to narrow down by tag—great for quick outreach or event invites.
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Filter and sort by custom field:
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Want to see all “2024 Prospects” in “San Francisco”? Easy, if you built those fields right.
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Save views:
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If you always look at “Active Clients in Healthcare,” save it as a view for one-click access.
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Export as needed:
- You can export filtered lists for mail merges, reports, or handoffs. Just double-check your export doesn’t include sensitive info.
What to ignore: Don’t build elaborate dashboards unless you’re actually going to use them. Start simple; add complexity only when you hit real friction.
Step 6: Keep It Clean (and Make It a Habit)
The best tagging and field system is only as good as your team’s habits.
- Do a monthly review:
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Delete unused tags. Merge duplicates. Archive stale contacts.
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Train your team:
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Make sure everyone knows your tag/field conventions. If people go rogue, things get messy fast.
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Set up reminders:
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If certain fields need updating (like “Last Contacted”), set up nudges or calendar reminders.
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Document your system:
- A quick Google Doc goes a long way. List your active tags, custom fields, and naming rules.
What doesn’t work: Hoping people will just “figure it out.” Write it down and remind people until it sticks.
Common Pitfalls and What to Skip
- Too many tags or fields.
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If you can’t remember what something means, you’re overdoing it.
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Using tags for things that change often.
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“Needs follow-up” isn’t a tag. That’s an action.
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Not cleaning up old stuff.
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Outdated tags and fields just confuse people. Prune regularly.
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Letting everyone create new tags/fields on a whim.
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Have a gatekeeper or approval process if your team is big.
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Assuming structure will fix bad data.
- Garbage in, garbage out. Take the time to fill things in right.
Wrap-Up: Keep It Simple—Iterate as You Go
Don’t get hung up on building the “perfect” system from day one. Start with a handful of tags and a few key custom fields. See what you actually use, then adjust. The goal is to make finding, filtering, and acting on your contacts easier—not to win a spreadsheet beauty contest.
Most teams that succeed with Affinity keep things simple, communicate their conventions, and clean up once in a while. That’s it. Every few months, check in and tweak—because your needs will change, and that’s fine.
Got a mess already? Don’t stress. Pick one area, clean it up, and move forward. You’ll thank yourself later.