If you define a custom field on certification applications, Rhythm automatically creates the same field on certifications. You do not need to set it up twice. This article explains when Rhythm creates the certification copy, how it stays current, and what happens if you delete the original application field.
A New Application Field Gets a Certification Copy Automatically
When you create a custom field on applications, Rhythm creates a matching field on certifications after you save it. The certification field uses the same definition, including the same type, label, and choices. This match depends on the application and certification fields having equivalent definitions, including the field name and type. That is especially important during data migration, because it allows data entered on the application to populate the certification.
Rhythm only copies fields that you define on applications. A custom field defined on any other record, including certifications, courses, exams, or training providers, is not mirrored anywhere. Data collected somewhere else, such as course registration, payment, or an LMS integration, is not available on certification records for certificate content or date-driven certificate rules unless it also lives on an application custom field. If your integration reports course completions through Path, Rhythm maps that payload's departure date to the certification's completion date used in reporting.
Tip
If you do not want an application custom field mirrored to certifications, add the text "skip processing" to that field's notes. Rhythm looks for that text and leaves the field alone instead of creating a certification copy.
If Rhythm cannot create the copy, it abandons the attempt and does not retry. If the certification custom field you expected does not appear after you add an application field, recreate or resave the application field to try again.
An approved application's custom-field values populate the certification record only when the application is activated into a certification. Those values become available in certification queries at that point, so do not expect to see them on the certification before activation.
A curated-dataset picklist field had a display issue on certification application drafts. A selected value could save successfully and appear in the audit trail, but still show as blank or "not specified" when the draft was reopened in the Portal or when you viewed the application's Custom Fields section. Engineering fixed this, and the fix also corrected the display for applications completed before the fix. Separately, a blank value on an optional multi-select question, such as an endorsement question, does not necessarily mean anything failed. The applicant may have skipped a question that was not required.
Certification status is not automatically copied into a contact's custom fields on a separate application, because Rhythm treats those as separate records. If you want that field kept in sync, you need to update it by hand in each application. Similarly, if you rename an organization through Mass Updates, a certification record that already shows the old organization name does not automatically recalculate to the new one.
If several certification application processes point to the same certification, the certification's name alone may not distinguish them. For example, different language versions of one program may all use the same certification. Track the distinguishing detail, such as language, in a certification application custom field so it carries over to the matching certification custom field. External integrations can then read it from certification data instead of guessing from process or certification naming.
Warning
A field on the certification application form that corresponds to a contact attribute, such as first name or organization information, is not stored independently. When the record saves, Rhythm overwrites it with the selected contact's existing value, so the applicant's typed value does not stick.
Tip
To collect repeatable information, such as education or employment history, group related custom fields together and reveal additional groups with conditional visibility based on a count field. This does not give you an inline "add another" button, but it lets you capture a bounded number of repeated entries.
Tip
A table-type custom field on a certification application form only works inside a Table component. Adding it directly to the form instead can prevent the form from loading.
Changing the Application Field Updates the Certification Copy
When you edit an application custom field, Rhythm rebuilds the certification copy to match the updated definition. That includes changes to the label, type, choices, or any other part of the field definition. Rhythm replaces the copy completely instead of merging your changes. The sync only runs from applications to certifications, so editing the certification-side copy changes only certification records and never updates the certification application. Rhythm may remind you of this with a message. Creating a field directly on certifications suggests creating it on applications instead, and editing an existing certification field points you back to the linked application field.
You can still open Certifications setup, search for an existing certification custom field, and edit its definition there, including changing its type. For example, you can change a field from multi-select to yes/no. Editing a multi-select field's list of options directly on the certification side can occasionally leave behind pipe-delimited duplicate text, and an option change may not appear consistently everywhere you edit the field.
Warning
If someone edits the certification copy directly, such as giving it a different label or help text, that edit is lost the next time the application field changes. The certification copy always ends up matching the current application field.
Treat the application field as the source of truth. If a field belongs on certification applications and should also appear on certifications, create and edit it on applications. Do not rely on edits to the certification copy for changes you need to keep. To check whether a certification's copy picked up a change, edit the application record, choose the updated value, save it, and then open the certification to confirm the value refreshed. In some cases, a choice you just added to the application field does not immediately appear when you edit an existing certification record. If you see that mismatch, resave the application field, or resave the certification's custom field, to bring them back in step.
Deleting the Application Field Does Not Delete the Certification's Copy
If you delete a custom field from applications, Rhythm leaves its certification copy in place. Rhythm does not clean it up automatically, so the certification field keeps working with the definition it last had. If you also want to remove the certification-side field, delete it separately from the custom-field setup for certifications. Deleting the application field by itself will not remove the certification copy.
Custom Fields in Imports and Mass Updates
You can add certification date fields, such as certification date and expiration date, as extra columns in an import spreadsheet and map them to the corresponding fields during upload. Related fields, such as Program or Status Reason, need the record's internal ID instead of its display name. Find a program's ID under Setup › Programs › Catalog.
Warning
Some imported values must match a field's configured option exactly, including capitalization. For example, a picklist-backed field like Certifying Body imported successfully only after its value was capitalized to match the dropdown option, while other imports have required specific referenced values to be entered in all lowercase. If an import fails or a value does not map the way you expect, check that the text in your file exactly matches what Rhythm expects, including case.
Certification activity imports do not currently have documented support for multi-select custom field values. Entering the value directly and using bracket-style formatting have not reliably worked. If an import fails because of a custom field mapping, removing the custom fields from the file and the mapping can let the rest of the import succeed. Those fields will not be populated in bulk, so you would need to update them individually afterward. A Custom Data Task import for certification activities can also fail during mapping with an "Invalid JSON Path" error when a custom field is included. Removing the custom field from the mapping lets the import proceed.
A certification activity mass update can fail if you try to change a read-only field. It can also fail if the uploaded file maps fields that belong to a different record type, such as course fields instead of activity fields. Double-check that every mapped field belongs to the record type you are updating. Certification applications and certifications are separate objects, so confirm which one your update should target and which identifier fields it needs. Contact ID alone may not be enough when other certification-specific identifiers are not consistently available.
Related
For general information about custom fields, including types, choices, and where you define them, see Custom Fields Explained and Configure Custom Fields. For application processes and their requirements, see your administrator's application-process configuration.