Changing a field's type

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A field made with the wrong type can be changed later, and the values already in it are converted to the new type. A Text field of sectors can become a Multi-select, a Workspace user can become plain Text, and a number typed into a text field can become a Number.

Owners, admins and analysts can change a field's type. Viewers cannot.

Change it

Select your firm's name at the top left, then Settings, then Objects under CRM, then the object, for example Contacts. For a field that belongs to a list, open the list and select the Configure list button (the pencil icon) in its header instead.
Select the pencil at the right of the field's row (hover over it to see Edit). The Edit window opens. A grey box shows Type and the field's current type, with a Change type button.
Select Change type. The Change the type of window opens.
Select the box under New type and choose a type. For Currency, a Currency code box appears too; it starts at USD.
While Checking the values… shows, Deeluge works out what would happen. A grey box then tells you, without changing anything yet:
- how many values convert, for example 13 values convert.;
- in red, how many do not fit the new type, with up to five of those records by name and the reason, such as “about ten” is not a number.;
- New options: for a single select, multi-select or status, the options it will gain.
Select Change type to go ahead, or Cancel to leave the field alone. All the values change at once, or none do. A message at the bottom of the screen confirms it, and says how many values need fixing when some did not fit.

How values convert

To Text: what you see. An option becomes its label, a teammate becomes their name, a ticked checkbox becomes Yes, and several values are joined with commas.
To Single select, Multi-select or Status: each different value becomes an option. Going to Multi-select, text is split at commas, semicolons and line breaks, so Healthcare, Software becomes two options. A field can gain at most 100 new options this way.
To Number, Percent or Currency: $1,250.50, 12% and (300) all read as numbers. A number keeps its value, so 25 becomes 25%. Words do not fit.
To Date or Date and time: 2026-10-15, 10/15/2026 and Oct 15, 2026 read as dates.
To Checkbox: Yes, True, 1, X, Done and On tick it; No, False, 0 and Off leave it unticked.
To Email, Phone or URL: the value must look like one.
To Workspace user: each name or email address is matched to a teammate.
A record with two values going to a type that holds one does not fit. Nothing is cut off without telling you.

Values that do not fit

Deeluge never guesses. The field is left empty on that record, and the value it had is kept:

In the table, the cell shows the old value in red with a red circle. Hover over it to see why.
On the record's page, the field shows Was: and the old value in red, with the reason under it.
In Settings → Objects, the field's row says, in red, how many values need fixing. Select it to see each record, what it was, and why. Select a record's name to open it.

Set the value on the record and it drops off the list. Owners, admins and analysts can also select Dismiss, or Dismiss all, to leave those records empty.

Restricted records are converted too, because a field has one type for everyone. Their old values only show to people who can open them.

What you cannot do yet

Built-in fields such as Email and Domains keep their type. Name can only become an Auto-number (and back to Text): see Formulas, roll-ups and auto-numbers.
A field cannot become a Formula or Roll-up; add a new one instead.
Relationship (link to records) fields cannot change type, and no field can become one.
A field a board view is grouped by cannot change type until that view is deleted or grouped by another field. Change type names the view.
A Status field ticked as Pipeline stage cannot change type until that box is unticked.
If another field shows, or is required, only when this field is certain options, this field can only switch between Single select, Multi-select and Status. Change type names that other field; change its condition first.
Switching back does not restore what a change lost: option colours and order start again.