If you’re tired of fighting with your CRM just to get a clear view of your pipeline, you’re not alone. Most CRMs bury you in fields and layouts you don’t care about, or worse—lock you out of customizing them. This guide is for anyone using Attio who wants to cut through the noise and build CRM views that actually make sense for their work, not someone else’s idea of “best practice.”
Let’s walk through building custom views in Attio, step by step. I’ll show you what works, what to skip, and how to avoid making your CRM even messier than when you started.
Why bother with custom views?
Default CRM layouts are designed to be “one size fits all,” which usually means “one size fits nobody.” Custom views let you:
- Focus on the data you actually care about
- Cut out the clutter (no more squinting at 50 columns)
- Make your workflow faster and less annoying
- Share relevant info with your team, without exposing everything
That said, more views aren’t always better. Start simple, or you’ll just trade one mess for another.
Step 1: Know what you want to see (and why)
Before you open Attio, do yourself a favor: jot down what you actually need from your CRM view. Don’t just copy what your last CRM did—think about what’ll actually help you do your job.
Ask yourself: - What are the key things I check every day? (e.g., deal stage, last contacted, next step) - Who needs to see this view—just me, or the whole team? - Am I tracking stuff just because it might be useful, or because it actually is?
Pro tip: Limiting your columns to 5-7 is usually plenty. If you need more, you probably need a different view.
Step 2: Create a new view in Attio
Once you’ve got a plan, log into Attio and jump into the workspace where you want to build your view.
- Go to the relevant collection (e.g., Deals, People, Companies).
- Click the “+ Add view” button—usually at the top of the sidebar or under the collection’s main view dropdown.
- Choose your view type:
- Table: Good for lists and quick scanning. Most folks start here.
- Kanban: If you move things through stages (like sales pipelines), this is your friend.
- Gallery: Nice for visual stuff, but honestly, most people use Table or Kanban 90% of the time.
Name your view something you’ll actually recognize later. “Sales - Q2 Pipeline” beats “Custom View 4.”
Step 3: Pick your columns (don’t overdo it)
Now you’re looking at a blank (or default) view. This is where most people get lost—adding every field just because they can.
- Click “Columns” or the settings/gear icon to choose which fields to show.
- Start with the essentials: name, stage/status, owner, value, last contacted, next action.
- Hide or remove anything you’re not using. If you can’t remember why a field exists, you probably don’t need it right now.
What works:
- Prioritizing fields you update or reference daily.
- Using custom fields sparingly—only add them if they solve a real problem.
What to ignore:
- “Just in case” fields. You can always add them later if you miss them.
- Fancy colors, emojis, or icons. They’re fun, but they won’t fix a cluttered view.
Step 4: Filter your data
Custom views aren’t just about columns—they’re about which records you see.
- Click the “Filter” button (usually a funnel icon).
- Add filters to show only the records you need. Common examples:
- Deals closing this quarter
- Contacts without recent activity
- Companies in a specific industry
- Stack filters for more precise targeting, but don’t go overboard.
Honest take:
Filters are powerful, but if you make them too complex, you’ll forget what you’re looking at. Keep it obvious.
Step 5: Sort and group for clarity
You can usually sort any column by clicking its header. If you’re using Kanban, group by stage or status.
- Sort by next action date, value, or priority—whatever helps you take action.
- Group by owner or stage to spot bottlenecks or handoffs.
Skip sorting by fields you don’t actually use to make decisions. (Sorting by “date created” is rarely helpful after the first week.)
Step 6: Share (or lock down) your view
Attio lets you control who can see or edit each view.
- Private views: Just for you. Good for experiments or personal workflows.
- Shared views: Visible to the team. Use these for agreed-upon processes.
To share a view: - Click the share button or permissions icon (usually near the view name). - Set view/edit rights as needed.
Heads up:
Don’t share everything by default. Views with sensitive info (like salary or deal size) should be private unless everyone needs access.
Step 7: Save and revisit
Congrats—you’ve built a custom view. But don’t treat it as set-and-forget.
- Use the view for a week or two.
- Notice what you keep ignoring or wishing you had.
- Tweak columns, filters, or sorting as needed.
- Delete views nobody uses. (Seriously, it’s fine. Less is more.)
Pro tip:
Set your most-used view as the default. That way, you don’t waste time clicking past stuff you don’t care about every time you log in.
Common mistakes (and how to avoid them)
You’re not the first person to overcomplicate things. Here’s what trips most folks up:
- Too many views: If you have more than 5 per collection, you’re probably overdoing it.
- Over-customizing: Just because you can add a field or filter doesn’t mean you should.
- Not asking teammates: Building views in a vacuum leads to confusion and duplicate work.
- Ignoring cleanup: Archive or delete old views regularly.
Troubleshooting: When your view isn’t working
- Missing data? Check your filters—one wrong filter can hide half your records.
- Confusing layout? Simplify: fewer columns, clear names, logical order.
- Team isn’t using it? Ask why. Maybe it’s not solving the right problem, or it’s buried in too many clicks.
If you’re stuck, sometimes it’s easier to start fresh with a new view. Don’t be precious.
Keep it simple, iterate often
Custom views in Attio are meant to help you see what matters, not create more busywork. Start with what you need today, keep things lean, and don’t be afraid to change it up as your workflow evolves. The best CRM view is the one you’ll actually use—so keep it simple and tune it as you go.