Custom Objects and Fields
What are Custom Objects ?
Every business applications used to have Standard objects like Contacts, Leads, Accounts etc . But only some applications supports Custom Objects. Custom objects are objects that you create to store information that's specific to your company or Industry.
What are Custom Fields ?
Custom Fields are the specific fields that can be easily created by your own for customers, vendors, contacts and other entities. Each field can be set up with a field type for data entry .
Why we use Custom Objects and Custom Fields ?
With Custom Data Objects and Custom Fields you can create custom objects and custom fields to fit scenarios that more closely align with your own business needs, and store data in the cloud for automation , validation, dashboards and reporting purposes.
How you will get your Custom Objects and Custom Fields in Looker Studio Connector?
All your custom objects will be listed with standard objects of connector in Object dropdown.
All your customFields will be listed with standard fields in schema of its respective object.
How to add Custom objects ?
Not all applications supports adding custom objects. But whichever application supports custom objects feature, has its own steps to add custom object.
Example of adding custom object to Salesforce is as shown in image.
How to add Custom fields ?
Most of applications supports custom fields feature, and their own steps to add custom fields.
Example of adding custom fields to Salesforce is as shown in image.
Technical Feasibility
How do we get Custom Objects as Objects in connector configuration ?
In Looker Studio Connector, usually all standard objects will be listed at connector configuration. If we wish to have custom objects includes with standard objects, then we need to do API call for it.
How do we use API to get custom objects ?
To enable any feature to the connector, that connector application's API should support that feature. If the application's API documentation contains details about supporting this API call, then custom objects feature can be enabled for application.
How do we get Custom Fields as schema fields ?
Custom fields are always associated with objects. Each object may have different set of custom fields. To get respective custom fields with selected object's schema fields, we need to use API.
API to get custom fields :
If API can supports retrieving custom fields, it will provide an endpoint. Using that endpoint in url we will get custom fields of respective of selected object and then these fields will be listed with standard fields of that object.
API to get custom field values :
Similar to custom fields, to get values of custom fields also we need API support. We get custom fields values in two ways, either from data end point or specific end point. In data end point we can get values for both standard and custom fields. In specific end point only custom fields values can be retrieved.
Can we use custom fields as date range filters?
If looker studio connector supports date range control, then we can use custom date fields as date range filter. Since date range filter supported in API level itself, we cant select date fields in report for filtering. Instead we can select date fields in connector's configuration. To get custom date fields for filtering we need to do API call.
API to support filter by custom field :
To filter data using custom date fields, API should allow using custom fields as query parameter in url for data filtering. If API supports retrieving custom fields using API call, then we can provide dropdown in connector's config to select desired date fields for filtering. Date fields may include both standard and custom date fields.
Examples of connectors in which custom fields, custom objects and custom date field filter supported :
In Salesforce we can add custom object. And that will be listed with standard objects of Salesforce connector. As shown in image "Custom Object" is the object added in Salesforce.
In Salesforce we can add custom field also. That field will be listed with its respective object's standard schema fields. Here "Custom Field" is the field added.
In Clickup connector you can select custom date field in config to filter data with date range control. As shown in image "Last Occurence" is the custom date field.
Examples of connectors in which we cant support custom fields, custom objects and custom date field filter :
HubStaff connector's API wont support custom fields, custom objects and custom date fields filter.