Setting up fields

• 24/03/2026
• 10 minutes to read

With Expense Management, you can easily configure the fields relevant for your organization when creating expenses, mileages, per diems, and expense reports. For each document type, it’s possible to define which fields are mandatory or not, and whether certain fields are visible to expense users in the Expense App and the Expense Portal.

Work through the following sections to set up fields that comply with your company's policies and the users' workflow.

Add fields

To add a new field:

1. Search for and click Configured Fields.
2. Select the row above where you want the new field to be located. {% hint style="info" %} Some locations are reserved, in which case, the field will be added at the next available location. {% endhint %}
3. On the action bar, click Add (+).
4. In the Field Description column, click the field you would like to add to your configured fields.
5. Click OK.

Set visibility of fields

You can choose which fields you want to be visible for your users. If you haven't already added the field you want to make visible, refer to the previous section Add fields.

To specify the visibility of fields:

1. Search for and click Configured Fields.
2. In the Visibility column for the field code you've chosen, click either Show or Show when required.

Hide fields

Just as you can make fields visible, you can also hide fields so they're only visible when needed. For example, hiding the "Attendees" field by default, but have it become visible if the "Dinner" field is used.

To hide any of the fields by default:

1. In the Visibility column, click the line of the field you want to configure.
2. Click the dropdown menu, then click Shown when required. This means the field will be hidden from view unless it is required for the expense.

Make editable fields

To make any of the fields editable:

• In the Editable column, select the checkbox(es) of the fields you want to make editable.

Set fields as mandatory

To make any of the fields mandatory:

• In the Mandatory column, select the checkbox(es) of the field(s) you want users to have to fill in.

Delete fields

To delete a field:

1. To the right of the field you want to remove, click to open the three dot menu.
2. Click Delete Line.
3. In the dialog that opens, click Yes to confirm deletion.

Synchronize changes

After you've set up the fields you've been working on, you must synchronize your changes so they are also updated in the Expense Portal and in the Expense App.

To synchronize your changes:

1. On the action bar, click the three dot menu (...).

2. From the dropdown menu, click Force Synchronize with Continia Online.

   Tip

   The fields you configure are only visible in the Continia Expense App or the Continia Expense Portal after you synchronize with Continia Online.

Considerations for labelling fields

You have control over how you label fields. Tailoring field labels to suit the different document types of Expense, Mileage, Per Diem, and Expense Reports, makes tracking information easier and more precise for your organization.

The following best practices help reduce errors and misunderstandings, and bring clarity to a user's workflow. When you define field labels:

• Use specific terms that align with the policies and regulations of your organization, as this makes it easier for employees to submit expenses correctly.
• Be specific about the type of information you're seeking for each field. When you describe a field label it must describe the field precisely in relation to its document type for expenses, mileage, and per diems. For example, you could describe an expense-type for expenses by labelling the field "Description", whereas you would label the same field for mileage label as "Purpose".
• Remember every field label you create is an opportunity to bring yet more clarity. For example, where you would use "Attendee" for expenses, use "Passenger" for mileage.

Setting up user-defined field types

The Expense Management assisted setup sets a wide range of field types that you can use in most common scenarios. However, you can add more field types to support your specific business cases. The standard configuration provides a large selection of the most common fields, but you can also configure new fields yourself.

To set up a new field type:

1. Search for and select Configured Fields.

2. On the action bar, click +Add.

3. On the action bar, click the three dot menu (...), then click Create Field Type.

4. Use the wizard to help you create custom field types:

   1. In the Create Field Type wizard, add the Code and Description for your new field type.
   2. Select the Data Type from the dropdown menu. The data type you select affects the field dependencies options for the field type. For example, if you require the field type to have a value, you can only use the data types Option and Code.
   3. Add a numeric value for Length, then click Next.
   4. If applicable, add the translation details for this field, then click Next.
   5. Review your changes, then click Finish.

5. On the action bar, click the three dot menu (...).

6. From the dropdown menu, click Force Synchronize with Continia Online. The fields you configured to be visible are visible in the Expense Mobile App or the Expense Portal after you’ve synchronized with Continia Online.

   Note

   Adding a new field type doesn't change anything in the system. You must add the field to Configured Fields then, after synchronizing, it will be available in the Expense Mobile App and the Expense Portal.

   If you prefer to make the field more easily accessible in Business Central, add it to Expense Management Setup > Custom Fields. Then it will also be visible in the documents on the Dimensions tab.

Example scenario for setting up fields and field dependencies

In this scenario we are setting up fields and field dependencies so your company can report on sustainability initiatives within the organization.

1. Work through steps 1-4 of the previous section (Setting up user-defined field types).
2. Click the field description to open the Field Type Card for that field.
3. On the Field Type Card, under General > Lookup Values, in the Source Table field, choose Sustainability Account from the dropdown list.
4. Click in the field of No. of Source Table Filters.
5. In Table Filters, click in the Filter column for No.
6. Click the three dot menu to the right of the field to access the Sustainability Account List and add the filter number(s) for the sustainability accounts. To do this, use a pipe (|) for adding separate account numbers (13301|13321), or two dots (..) to add numbers that are in consecutive order (13301..13303).
7. Click OK > Close.
8. On the action bar, click Lookup Values. You can now see the number of accounts that you've added.

Custom fields in the Web Approval Portal

If you're using the Web Approval Portal, see Customizing the Web Approval Portal to learn how to enable custom fields for it.

Related information

Setting up field dependencies
Setting up restrictions on field value access