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Client Types
Client Type is a built-in field on every client profile that classifies the kind of organisation you're working for. Because the list of types is fully editable, you can make it match how your practice actually segments its clients.
🎥 Video Tutorial
A short walkthrough of adding a new client type, from Settings through to saving the new option. (Silent clip — no narration.)
What Client Types Are For
Every client profile carries a Client Type, chosen from a dropdown you control. Typical lists distinguish between companies, sole traders, partnerships, co-operatives, non-profits, and so on — whatever distinctions matter to your firm.
Once clients are typed, you can:
- Filter and group reporting by client classification (see Reporting)
- Apply type-specific client code schemes, so a code tells you the client's type at a glance — see Client & Project Codes
- Segment your client base for pricing, service, and workload analysis
Adding a New Client Type
Client Type is a Multiple Selection (Custom entries) field on the client profile, so adding a type means adding an option to that field's dropdown list. You'll need administrator access to Settings.
- Go to Settings → Configuration → Client Settings.
- On the General row, click the ⋮ menu and choose View/Edit fields.
- Under the Account Details sub-section, find the Client Type field and click its chevron (⌄) to expand it.
- Scroll to Dropdown options. Your existing types are listed as Option 1, Option 2, and so on — for example Company, Self-Employed, Unknown, Co-operative.
- Click Add more. A new empty option box appears, marked as required until you fill it in.
- Type the name of the new type — for example NGO.
- Click Save changes.
A confirmation appears — "New Client Types saved successfully" — and the new type is immediately available in the Client Type dropdown when you add or edit a client.
Removing a type
Each option box has an × to remove it. Take care removing a type that clients are already assigned to, and check your reporting afterwards — it's usually safer to leave an obsolete type in place and simply stop using it.
Client Type Field Options
While the Client Type field is expanded, three toggles control how it behaves:
Allow multiple inputs/selections for this field Lets a client be tagged with more than one type at once, rather than a single choice. Useful if your classifications overlap.
Show in quick info section Surfaces the client's type in the quick info summary on their profile, so it's visible without opening the full record.
Index this field (value becomes searchable) Makes the type value searchable, so you can find clients by their classification.
Field Size controls how much width the field takes on the client profile layout (for example ⅓ width - Single column).
Some properties are locked
The field's name, required setting, and field type are locked — Client Type is a standard hidma field, so you can change its options and behaviour but not replace the field itself. If you need a different classification entirely, add a custom field alongside it.
Choosing a Good Type List
Keep the list short enough to stay meaningful — a dozen types nobody can tell apart is worse than four that map cleanly onto how you price and staff work. Choose types you'd actually want to filter a report by, and add an Unknown or Other option so staff aren't forced into a wrong choice when onboarding a client.
Related Topics
Have questions? Visit our FAQ or contact support@hidma.com