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Tags vs custom fields in Front for scalable reporting: best practices?

  • January 21, 2026
  • 1 reply
  • 21 views
rarvor
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Hi Front community,

we are migrating from Freshdesk to Front and setting up our taxonomy from scratch. We need consistent reporting and automation across multiple teams, so we are trying to choose the right balance between tags and custom fields.

Our main use cases are tracking client, request type, priority, and SLA category, while keeping rule maintenance and agent usage simple. In your experience, what should be modeled as a tag versus a custom field in Front when you care about long term analytics quality? Are there common pitfalls you would recommend avoiding early (for example tag sprawl, inconsistent tagging, too many fields, or fields that become obsolete)?

Thanks in advance for any guidance.

1 reply

ejayr
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  • ejayr
  • Fronteer
  • January 22, 2026

Migrating from a structured ticketing system (like Freshdesk or Zendesk) to Front requires a slight shift in thinking. You are moving from rigid "Ticket Forms" to flexible "Conversations," and choosing the right data model early is critical for long-term reporting success.


A common question we hear is: "What should be a Tag, and what should be a Custom Field?"


Here is the "Golden Rule" for Front architecture to help you decide.


The Golden Rule

Use Tags for attributes that are fluid, visual, or multiple (e.g., Status, Topic, Workflow stage).

Use Custom Fields for attributes that are strict, singular, or structured (e.g., ID numbers, Priority levels, Revenue, SKU).
 

Pitfalls to Avoid

Tag Sprawl: Don't create tags for data that rarely changes (like Client Name or Region). Use Account/Contact fields for permanent data.

Over-engineering: Start with broad categories. If you launch with 50 different "Request Type" tags on Day 1, agents may stop tagging entirely because it takes too long to search. Start with 10 core tags and expand only when your analytics prove you need more granular detail.


Hope this helps you build a solid foundation!

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