# How do I specify custom\_field\_settings when creating a project? **URL:** \ **Category:** API & Developers\ **Tags:** custom-fields, projects\ **Created:** [29 September 2020 05:16 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/how-do-i-specify-custom-field-settings-when-creating-a-project/95733 "2020-09-29T05:16:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Robert-Stuttaford](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/robert-stuttaford/32/25287_2.png) [@Robert-Stuttaford](https://forum.asana.com/u/Robert-Stuttaford)\ **Post date:** [29 September 2020 05:16 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/how-do-i-specify-custom-field-settings-when-creating-a-project/95733/1 "2020-09-29T05:16:44Z")
I’d really like to set custom fields for projects i’m creating via API, rather than having to sequence calls to the ‘add custom field to project’ API call separately. The [docs for creating a project](https://developers.asana.com/docs/create-a-project) list setting `"custom_fields"`, rather than `"custom_field_settings"` when creating a project. I wasn’t aware that projects could have custom field _values_ associated with them?! The sample response does include `"custom_field_settings"` though, so I’m rather confused now. Is this a documentation error? Am I missing something fundamental, here? ---
**Author:** ![Robert-Stuttaford](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/robert-stuttaford/32/25287_2.png) [@Robert-Stuttaford](https://forum.asana.com/u/Robert-Stuttaford)\ **Post date:** [29 September 2020 06:16 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/how-do-i-specify-custom-field-settings-when-creating-a-project/95733/2 "2020-09-29T06:16:47Z")
I’m going to try passing `"custom_field_settings"` in the hope that it’s merely the case that the docs are incorrect… ---
**Author:** ![Robert-Stuttaford](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/robert-stuttaford/32/25287_2.png) [@Robert-Stuttaford](https://forum.asana.com/u/Robert-Stuttaford)\ **Post date:** [29 September 2020 06:25 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/how-do-i-specify-custom-field-settings-when-creating-a-project/95733/3 "2020-09-29T06:25:59Z")
Boo: `"custom_field_settings: Cannot write this property"`. Ok, I’m confused. Why not? Why make us do extra API calls for this? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Phil\_Seeman](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/phil_seeman/32/81525_2.png) [@Phil\_Seeman](https://forum.asana.com/u/Phil_Seeman)\ **Post date:** [29 September 2020 13:55 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/how-do-i-specify-custom-field-settings-when-creating-a-project/95733/4 "2020-09-29T13:55:40Z")
Hi @Robert-Stuttaford, First, the docs are not wrong. In Business and Enterprise subscriptions where Portfolios exist, you can have custom fields at the Project level which are surfaced as `custom field settings` in Portfolios. So that’s what the `custom_fields` property in a Project is for. Second, I know of no way to add `custom field settings` when creating a project. AFAIK you’ll have to do those separate subsequent calls that you were trying to avoid. ---
**Author:** ![Robert-Stuttaford](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/robert-stuttaford/32/25287_2.png) [@Robert-Stuttaford](https://forum.asana.com/u/Robert-Stuttaford)\ **Post date:** [29 September 2020 15:26 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/how-do-i-specify-custom-field-settings-when-creating-a-project/95733/5 "2020-09-29T15:26:31Z")
Thanks, @Phil_Seeman 🙂 Totally going to take advantage of the custom-fields-in-portfolio thing! ---
**Author:** ![anon36801227](https://luna1.co/8d76cd.png) [@anon36801227](https://forum.asana.com/u/anon36801227)\ **Post date:** [13 January 2021 18:35 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/how-do-i-specify-custom-field-settings-when-creating-a-project/95733/6 "2021-01-13T18:35:33Z")
> [@Phil\_Seeman](#): > > ent calls that you were trying to av I’m wondering the same thing but am not as familiar with Asana’s API - What are the options to create a project with custom fields (priority) using the API? ex: do I have to create the project then update it with custom fields? / what is the method using Portfolios? ---
**Author:** ![Phil\_Seeman](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/phil_seeman/32/81525_2.png) [@Phil\_Seeman](https://forum.asana.com/u/Phil_Seeman)\ **Post date:** [14 January 2021 03:16 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/how-do-i-specify-custom-field-settings-when-creating-a-project/95733/7 "2021-01-14T03:16:29Z")
> [@anon36801227](#): > > do I have to create the project then update it with custom fields? Yes. First create the project, then add custom field settings to it using this endpoint: [https://developers.asana.com/docs/add-a-custom-field-to-a-project](https://developers.asana.com/docs/add-a-custom-field-to-a-project) I haven’t worked with Portfolios but I’m almost positive it’s the same concept. ---
**Author:** ![Bjorn-S](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/bjorn-s/32/277896_2.png) [@Bjorn-S](https://forum.asana.com/u/Bjorn-S)\ **Post date:** [16 April 2025 11:43 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/how-do-i-specify-custom-field-settings-when-creating-a-project/95733/8 "2025-04-16T11:43:20Z")
Just to clarify, the `add-a-custom-field-to-a-project` will make a custom field available for the the tasks that live in a project. It will not enable a data stored in custom fields for a project itself. This way of handling metadata is completely backwards in my head. If my goal is to store certain metadata for a project (let’s sa a customer\_name text field) - why would I have to add that as a custom field on the portfolio level? It does’t make sense. A project can be listed in multiple portfolios, is there some good reason the metadata for the project is not stored on the project level? ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Berger\_lpb](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/asana/user_avatar/forum.asana.com/larry_berger_lpb/32/276017_2.png) [@Larry\_Berger\_lpb](https://forum.asana.com/u/Larry_Berger_lpb)\ **Post date:** [16 April 2025 20:09 UTC](https://forum.asana.com/t/how-do-i-specify-custom-field-settings-when-creating-a-project/95733/9 "2025-04-16T20:09:00Z")
While your mental model may be reasonable, I don’t think it’s fair to say Asana’s is not also valid. It has the benefit of allowing a task to accumulate custom fields defined by the projects into which it is multi-homed, and similarly allowing projects to accumulate custom fields defined by the portfolios into which they are added. Thanks, Larry