When you create a portal in Formaloo, you set up and connect a User Directory – a secure database where all your portal users are created and stored. Behind this directory is a form that powers each User Profile, letting you gather information about your users during sign-up and later.
ℹ️ Before you start:
This guide covers how to customize a form behind an existing User Directory and add custom Profile fields. If you haven’t yet set up your portal, start with our guide on creating a portal and managing users’ access.
On top of the required essentials (like name and email), each user profile can store additional information that is reusable and non-form-specific (e.g., user's address, job title, or date of birth).
This way, the users can fill in their information once, and Formaloo can automatically prefill the same fields in any connected forms within your portal.
💡 A few examples of what details can be stored in a Profile:
Client portal
Store data such as company name, job title, or preferred communication channels.
Student portal
Include the grade or faculty, guardian contact details, or uniform size.
Medical portal
Store demographics, insurance details, and basic medical history in the User Profile, while gathering appointment details or current symptoms on a case-by-case basis.
This guide will walk you through creating and using custom fields in your portal's User Directory.
Step 1: Open your User Directory form in the Form Editor
In your Formaloo dashboard, open your portal project, and jump to User Directory in the top-right corner,
Switch to Edit mode at the top center of the page. On hover, click Edit Profile fields above your User Directory table:
In the Form Editor, you can add, rearrange, or customize fields just like in any other form – adjust their titles, descriptions, choice options, and default values as needed.
⚠️ Make sure you don't delete or edit any default system fields (like Username, Email address, Is active, Date joined, etc.). It’s best to add custom fields after the Email field.
ℹ️ Only Full name, Email, and Password fields are shown during sign-up:
Any custom fields you add to your User Directory form will not show up on the sign-up step, but will be available after logging in – users can fill them out or update them anytime from their Profile page.
Step 2: Add custom profile fields
Edit your User Directory form to include any additional fields you’d like users to be included in the User Profile. Below are some examples:
Field type | Field name/purpose example |
Date | Date of birth |
Short text | Company, organization name |
Dropdown | Country, region, timezone |
Single choice | Department, role |
Multiple choice | Interests, preferences, objectives |
Long text | Bio, about me, notes |
Once added and saved, these fields become part of each user’s Profile:
Step 3: Add admin-only profile fields
You can add custom admin-only fields to your User Directory form to store any internal details in each user's profile without those being visible to or editable by the user.
In your User Directory form, add any additional fields you need,
In each field's settings, toggle Admin-only:
These fields won’t appear on a user’s Profile page, but you will be able to view and edit them directly in the User Directory table on your side:
💡 Examples of admin-only fields:
Any internal notes about a user,
Onboarding progress or membership stage,
Subscription plan/due dates,
Included services/add-ons, etc.
This lets you store internal tracking data while keeping the user-facing profile clean.
Step 4: How users can fill or update their Profiles
After signing up and logging in, users can access and edit their full Profile anytime:
Click their Profile avatar in the top-right corner, and go to Profile Settings,
Update any essential details under My Profile,
Fill in any missing or new fields under My Information,
Click Save changes:
All updates are reflected instantly in the User Directory and applied automatically across all form submissions linked to the user's Profile.
Step 5: Reuse profile data across forms
When building forms inside your portal, connect them to the same User Directory to capture the User Profile and auto-fill their details on the form:
Open the form in the editor, make sure it has a User Profile field linked to your portal’s User Directory,
In the User Profile field settings, select which fields to include as Profile fields (Autofill) – e.g., name, email, preferences,
When logged-in users open the form, these fields will appear pre-filled and read-only:
Bottom line
Customizing your user directory form gives you full control over the profile information your portal collects, displays, and reuses – helping you deliver smoother, more personalized experiences for every logged‑in user.
💡 Learn more about managing users and customizing portals: