# Contact / Appointment Fields with questions In pickAtime, you can collect specific data from your participants at two different stages: when they first create an account or when they book a specific appointment. --- ### **1. Choosing the Right Field Type** Before setting up your fields, determine when you need the information:
##### **Feature** ##### **Contact Fields** ##### **Appointment Fields**
When it’s collected During initial Account Sign-up. Every time a slot is booked.
Frequency Collected once per user. Collected for every appointment.
Best Used For Phone numbers, address, or language preference. Contact specific information. Student name, specific questions for the teacher, or meeting topics. Appointment specific information.
Location **Global Setup / Contacts Setup** **Settings / Appointment Fields**
--- ### **2. How to Set Up Fields** Both Contact and Appointment fields are configured using the same simple process: 1. Navigate to either **[Global Setup / Contacts](https://help.pickatime.com/books/additional-event-features/page/global-setup-contacts-setup) Setup** or **Settings / Appointment Fields.** 2. Add the Field: Type the name of the information you want (e.g., "Phone Number") into the Add New box and click add. 3. Activate the Field: The new field will appear in the Available Fields section. Click the < button to move it into the Included Fields column. 4. Admin Visibility: Check the box under "Required for Admins" if you want staff members to see and fill out these prompts when testing the system. 💡 Pro-Tip: Do not create fields for "First Name," "Last Name," or "Email." The system collects these automatically during registration; adding them here will force the user to enter the same info twice. --- ### **3. Viewing the Collected Data** In the Appointments Grid (Admin View) For Appointment Fields, you can see the data immediately without running a report: - Go to the Appointments page. - Click on any booked slot. - Look at the section below the calendar on the left-hand side to see the custom information provided by the participant. In Reports To include these custom fields in your report: 1. Go to the Reporting section. 2. Click the blue Contact Fields or Appointment Fields link. 3. Check the box in the upper right-hand corner of the pop-up to select all fields (or select specific ones). 4. Confirm your selection; the data will now appear as a new column in your report. ### **FAQ** ##### **We have had a large number of people entering the current date in the DOB field. Is there a way that we can not allow anything later than 2000?** Yes, we have added an update to the Date Field in both the Appointment and Contact Field Setup sections. This update allows you to add 'restrict dates' to control the date range that participants can enter to ensure that there are fewer erroneous entries. [![image.png](https://help.pickatime.com/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/scaled-1680-/QRYimage.png)](https://help.pickatime.com/uploads/images/gallery/2026-05/QRYimage.png)