Clean Up Old Field Options Without Losing Old Records
You can now delete options from Dropdown, Multi-select, Radio and Checkbox fields on Custom Objects and Companies. Records that already use an option keep their value, while the option disappears from future selection. This is the same behaviour Contact and Opportunity fields already had, so your field settings finally work the same way everywhere.
What happens to records that already use the option I delete?
Existing records keep the value exactly as it is. The option is only removed from future selection, so nothing in your historical data is rewritten or wiped. Your filters, Smart Lists and workflows carry on working as before.
- Options that no one has used are removed permanently.
- Options already in use stay visible on the records that hold them.
- Deleted options can no longer be chosen for new records, filters or workflow conditions.
How do I delete a field option?
You delete options from the field itself in your custom field settings. Before the deletion goes through, you are shown how many records currently use that option, so you know the impact before you confirm.
- Go to Settings, then Custom Fields.
- Open the Custom Object or Company field you want to change.
- Delete the option you no longer need.
- Check the count of affected records, if one is shown.
- Confirm the deletion.
Why would I want to remove an option?
Field options collect clutter over time: services you stopped offering, a stage you renamed, a typo somebody added in a hurry. Removing them keeps your team choosing from a short, correct list instead of guessing between three near-identical entries, and it does it without touching the records you have already collected.
Which fields does this cover?
This covers Dropdown, Multi-select, Radio and Checkbox fields on both Custom Objects and Companies. Contact and Opportunity fields already supported deleting options, so option management is now consistent across every record type in your CRM.
You will find this under Settings, then Custom Fields, on any Custom Object or Company field.
