See how contacts, companies, and custom objects work together in your software, and how to tell which one your data belongs in.
The building blocks
People, Groups & Things
Your software organizes data into objects. Tap each one to see what it holds and when you'd use it.
01
A contact is always a person
Every person gets their own contact record, with their own email, phone number, notes, and messages. The contact record focuses on the people.
Example: in a wedding business, the bride and the groom each get their own contact.
02
A company is a shared group
A company represents a group, like a household, a couple, or a business. One company can connect to one contact or many. The company record focuses on shared information.
Example: the couple's company holds the wedding date, the venue, the package they picked, and the budget.
03
A custom object is a thing you track
When standard objects aren't enough, you can create your own record type, with its own fields, associations, and automations, so your CRM mirrors how your business really works.
Example: a pet, a property listing, or a vehicle on a car lot.
04
Settings, then Objects
Go to Settings and click Objects. You'll see the contacts object first, then opportunities and companies. This is also where you create your own custom object.
On any contact record, look under Associations to see the opportunities and companies it's connected to.
"The contact record focuses on the people, and the company record focuses on the shared information. That structure keeps your data clean."
Real-world examples
How It Looks In Your Business
The same pattern works across industries: people on contacts, shared details on the company, and things on a custom object.
💍
Wedding Planning
Two contacts, the husband and wife, each with their own email and phone. One company for the couple holds the wedding date, venue, package, and budget.
🏠
Mortgage & Real Estate
The borrower and co-borrower are separate contacts, connected to the same company that holds the shared loan or property details.
🐶
Pet Sitting & Vet Clinics
The pet owner is the contact, the household can be the company, and a Pet object stores breed, male or female, spayed or neutered, and vaccination dates.
🚗
Property & Auto Lots
A property manager tracks a list of properties. A car lot tracks a list of vehicles. Each one becomes its own record, linked to the right people.
Key terms
Definitions
Tap any term to expand it.
A type of record in your software. Contacts, companies, and opportunities are standard objects that come built in.
A record that always represents one person, with their own email, phone, notes, and messages.
A record that represents a shared group, like a household, a couple, or a business. One company can connect to many contacts.
A brand new record type you create, with its own fields, associations, and automations, for things standard objects can't handle well.
The connection between two records, like a contact and their company, or a pet and its owner.
Why it matters
What Custom Objects Give You
🧩
Flexibility
Define almost any entity you work with, with its own custom fields, labels, and associations.
⚙️
Automations
Trigger workflows, create or update records, and run object-specific actions.
📊
Insights
Analyze object data with list views and advanced filters, the same way you already filter contacts.
📝
A Plan First
You can only create a limited number of custom objects (up to 10), with up to 10 unique fields per object. Pick the ones that match your business.
Help me do it
Things To Do
Finish these before moving to the next lesson. They only take a few minutes.
0 of 3 done
⚡ Tips
Before you create anything, ask: is this about a person, or about something people share? People go on contacts, shared details go on the company.
Don't go object crazy. Your account only allows a limited number of custom objects, so choose the ones that relate to your business and your industry.
Store shared details once on the company, so you never update the same wedding date on two records.
Get comfortable with custom fields first. Custom objects build right on top of that skill.
Check yourself
Quick Knowledge Check
Answer a few quick questions to lock in what you just learned. Miss one and we'll show you the right answer.
0 of 4 answered
A contact record always represents...
A ____ record represents a shared group, like a household or a business.
Where do you go to see all of your objects and create a new custom object?
True or false: you should create a custom object for every idea that comes up, since there is no limit.
Help me apply it
Try This With Your Favorite AI
Copy a prompt below and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or whatever AI tool you use. Fill in the bracketed details and it'll help you build your own version for your business.
🗺️ Map My Contacts, Companies & Objects
You are a CRM data consultant helping me decide how to organize my business data before I build anything in my software.
My context:
- My business type: [describe your business in 1-2 sentences]
- Who I work with: [for example individuals, couples, families, businesses]
- The "things" I keep track of besides people: [for example pets, properties, vehicles, projects, policies]
- Where that information lives today: [for example spreadsheets, notes, my memory]
Using the rule that a contact is always one person, a company is a shared group (like a household or business), and a custom object is a thing I track, give me:
- A simple table with three columns: Contacts, Companies, Custom Objects, filled in for my business
- For each custom object you suggest, 3 to 5 details it should store
- One sentence on why each custom object is worth it, or a note if a standard object would do the job instead
Rules: plain language, no software brand names, suggest no more than 3 custom objects, and keep the whole answer under 350 words.
Finish by asking me: "Which of these custom objects would save you the most time if it were set up this week?"
🎯 Pick My First Custom Object
You are an operations advisor helping a small business owner pick the one custom object worth building first in their CRM.
My context:
- My business type: [describe your business]
- The questions I get asked most often about a client's "stuff": [for example "When is the dog due for shots?" or "Which property were they interested in?"]
- How many of these things one client usually has: [one, a few, many]
Give me:
- The top 2 candidates for my first custom object, and which one to build first
- What the primary field should be (the main name or identifier for each record)
- A short list of custom fields to start with, keeping it simple but effective
- One way this object could help me with follow-up or automation later
Rules: no software brand names, no jargon, bullet points only, under 300 words.
Finish by asking me: "Want me to help you list the exact dropdown options for any of those fields?"
Contacts are your people, companies are what they share, and custom objects are the things you track. Next up, let's build your first custom object together.
✨✨
✓
You did it!
You made it through every question. That's the lesson, locked in.