Definition

This action allows you to create a new custom field within a specified Asana workspace. It enables you to define standardized data points for tasks across your projects, such as priority levels, cost centers, or status indicators, directly from a zenphi flow.

Key capabilities:

• Create a custom field with a specific name and description.
• Assign a data type to the field (e.g., Text, Number, People).
• Designate the Asana workspace where the new field will be available.

This action is fundamental for automating the setup of new Asana projects, ensuring that all tasks are created with consistent and required information from the start.

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Inputs

1. Connection

   • Purpose: This field is for establishing a secure, authenticated link to your Asana account. It authorizes zenphi to perform actions, like creating a custom field, on your behalf.
   • Practical Guidance: You will need to select a pre-configured Asana connection or create a new one by following the authentication prompts. This is a required step before you can interact with your Asana data.
   • Use Case Context: You would use the 'Connection' field to grant zenphi the necessary permissions to access and modify your Asana workspaces.

2. Worksapce

   • Purpose: This field specifies the exact Asana workspace where the new custom field will be created and made available for use in projects.
   • Practical Guidance: After you establish a connection, zenphi will automatically populate a dropdown list of all available workspaces from your Asana account for you to choose from. You can also provide a Workspace ID dynamically using the token picker from a previous step, such as a 'Get Workspace' action.
   • Use Case Context: You would use the 'Worksapce' field to ensure your new "Priority" custom field is created in your "Marketing Team" workspace and not the "Engineering" one.

3. Field Title

   • Purpose: This field defines the public-facing name of the custom field as it will appear in the Asana user interface.
   • Practical Guidance: You can enter a fixed name directly into the field, which is known as a static value (e.g., "Budget Code"). Alternatively, you can use the token picker to insert a name dynamically from a previous step, such as from a Google Sheet or a form submission.
   • Use Case Context: You would use the 'Field Title' field to name your new field "Task Status" so users know what information to enter.

4. Field Type

   • Purpose: This field determines the kind of data the custom field will store, which controls the input format and options available to users in Asana.
   • Practical Guidance: You will select a type from a predefined list, such as Text, Number, or People. A static value is almost always used here, as you typically know in advance what kind of data the field should hold.
   • Use Case Context: You would use the 'Field Type' field to set the type to "Number" if you are creating a field to track the estimated hours for a task.

5. Description

   • Purpose: This field provides a brief explanation or help text for the custom field, guiding users on how to use it correctly.
   • Practical Guidance: You can type a helpful description as a static value (e.g., "Enter the 5-digit client billing code"). You can also populate this dynamically using the token picker if the description needs to be generated based on other data in your flow.
   • Use Case Context: You would use the 'Description' field to add the note "Select the primary contact for this issue" for a new custom field of type "People".

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Outputs

1. Custom Field Id

   • Data Description: This output provides the globally unique identifier (GID) for the custom field that was just created in Asana.
   • Workflow Utility: This ID is essential for any subsequent automation steps. For example, you must use this 'Custom Field Id' in a later 'Update Task' action to populate the new field with a specific value, or in an 'Add field to project' action to make it visible within a particular project board.

2. Name

   • Data Description: This output returns the name of the custom field exactly as it was created.
   • Workflow Utility: This is useful for logging and confirmation purposes. You can use this 'Name' token in a notification step (e.g., 'Send Slack Message') to confirm that "The custom field 'Budget Code' was created successfully."

3. Type

   • Data Description: This output provides the data type that was assigned to the custom field (e.g., 'text', 'number').
   • Workflow Utility: You can use this 'Type' output in conditional logic. For instance, you could build a flow that checks if the created field is of type 'People' and then runs a specific branch of actions to assign a default user.

4. Description

   • Data Description: This output returns the full description text that was set for the custom field.
   • Workflow Utility: This can be used for documentation or logging purposes within your flow, such as adding the description to a summary email or storing it in a record-keeping system.

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Example Use Cases

1. Standardize Project Setup Automatically create a consistent set of custom fields (e.g., "Priority," "Budget Code") whenever a new project is initiated.
2. Integrate External Data Create a custom field to store and display unique identifiers from other systems, such as a Salesforce Case ID or a Jira Ticket Number.
3. Automate Project Requests Dynamically generate custom fields based on user input from a project request form, tailoring projects to specific needs.
4. Enforce Data Consistency Ensure every task within a specific workspace has the necessary fields for reporting and compliance by creating them automatically.

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Example

Scenario: A finance department needs to ensure that every new project created in the "Marketing Projects" Asana workspace includes a mandatory "Budget Code" custom field for expense tracking. Instead of manually adding this field each time, they want to automate its creation as part of their project setup flow.

Steps to Implement:

1. Define the Trigger: Start the flow with a trigger, such as an on-demand trigger that runs when a new project is approved.
2. Configure the "Creates Custom Field" Action: Add the action to your flow and configure it with the following settings:

• Connection: Select your pre-configured Asana connection.
• Workspace: Choose the "Marketing Projects" workspace from the dropdown list.
• Field Title: Enter the static value Budget Code.
• Field Type: Select Text from the dropdown menu.
• Description: Enter a helpful description, such as Enter the 5-digit budget code assigned by the finance team.

3. Add the Field to the Project: Use the Custom Field Id from the output of this action in a subsequent "Add field to project" action. This will make the newly created "Budget Code" field visible and usable within the specific project that triggered the flow.

Outcome: This automation ensures that every new marketing project is instantly equipped with the required "Budget Code" field without any manual intervention. It eliminates setup errors, enforces financial tracking consistency across all projects, and saves the project manager's time.