# Getting started with custom objects

> Find out what custom objects are in Futuria CRM and how to use them to model entities unique to your business, such as properties, projects or policies.

Author: Futuria Support Team · Published: June 24, 2026 · Reading time: 3 min read

Source: https://futuriamarketing.com/en/supporto/guida-oggetti-personalizzati/

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## Why use custom objects?

Custom objects help you move beyond a CRM focused solely on people and build a **data model that reflects how your business really works**.

Using custom objects lets you:

- **Keep your CRM organised at scale**
  Avoid piling up irrelevant data on contacts or opportunities, which leads to messy records and poor usability.
- **Model real-world entities as top-level records**
  Treat items such as properties, pets, projects or policies as independent records with their own life cycle, fields and automations.
- **Unlock clearer automations and reporting**
  When data is structured correctly, workflows, filters and dashboards become simpler, more precise and easier to maintain.
- **Support complex relationships naturally**
  One-to-many and many-to-many relationships (for example, a contact who owns several pets or properties) are easier to manage and understand.

> In short: custom objects help you keep your CRM clean, scalable and aligned with the way your business actually operates.

## What are custom objects?

Think of custom objects as **top-level CRM records** for items such as:

- Properties
- Pets
- Projects
- Subscriptions
- Policies

Every custom object has:

- Its own records and fields
- Associations with other CRM objects
- Cross-cutting support in workflows and automations

## When should you use custom objects?

Custom objects are a good choice when:

**Your data does not belong to a person or a company**

If you are tracking "things" (assets, listings, policies, pets) rather than people, a custom object is usually the right abstraction.

**You need structured, repeatable records**

When the same type of entity exists several times and needs consistent fields, views and automations.

**You want deeper relationships in your CRM**

Custom objects can be linked to contacts, companies, opportunities and even to other custom objects, unlocking advanced workflows.

**Examples**

- Property listings linked to buyers and agents
- Several pets linked to their owners
- Projects linked to customers and opportunities

## When to stick with standard CRM objects

Custom objects are powerful, but they are not always the right answer.

Avoid custom objects if:

**A standard object already works**

Contacts, companies and opportunities come with built-in features that custom objects do not always support.

**You need contact-specific features**

Bulk emails, marketing campaigns and some communication tools only work with contacts.

**You are duplicating the same data**

Creating a custom object that mirrors an existing one can cause confusion and inconsistent data.

Try using smart lists instead to create different segmentations within standard objects.

## Common examples

### Recommended use cases

#### Real estate – Properties

Create a "Properties" object to track property details (price, status, address) and associate them with buyers, sellers or agents.

#### Veterinary clinics – Pets

Use a "Pets" object to store medical history, vaccinations and appointments, linking it to the pet's owner.

### Not recommended

#### Event attendees

If your main goal is to send emails, reminders and follow-ups, the Contacts object is already better suited to this purpose.

#### Internal notes or activities

Custom objects should not replace notes, tasks or activities: that would add unnecessary complexity.

## Next steps

Once you have created a custom object, you can:

- Add custom fields
- Define associations and labels
- Build workflows and automations
- Create forms to collect data into custom objects
- Display the data on dashboards

**Next step: Find out how to create your first custom object**