What Are Built-in Fields?
Built-in fields are the standard questions Hookset includes on the guest form by default. They cover the most common information fishing lodges need before a trip — gear sizing, skill level, fishing preferences, and dietary needs.
Unlike custom questions, built-in fields cannot be deleted or reordered. You can control whether each one is shown and whether it's required.
The Six Built-in Fields
Phone Number The guest's contact phone number. Used for day-of logistics and emergencies.
Skill Level The guest's self-reported fishing experience. Values in this field come from the skill level list configured in Settings > Lodge Preferences. Common values: Beginner, Intermediate, Experienced, Expert.
Preferred Fishing Method The fishing style the guest prefers or wants to learn. Values come from the fishing methods list in Settings > Lodge Preferences. Examples: Fly fishing, Spin fishing, Trolling, Ice fishing.
Wader Size The guest's wader size for lodge-provided gear. Useful for lodges that supply waders and need to prepare the right sizes before arrival.
Shoe Size Shoe or wading boot size for lodge-provided footwear.
Dietary Notes Any dietary restrictions, allergies, or food preferences. Relevant when your packages include meals.
Visibility Modes
Each built-in field can be set to one of three visibility modes in Settings > Guest Forms > Built-in Fields:
Required The field is shown on the form and the guest must provide a value before submitting. Use this for information you always need.
Optional The field is shown but the guest can leave it blank. Use this for information that's helpful but not critical.
Hidden The field is not shown on the form at all. Use this for fields that aren't relevant to your operation — for example, hide wader size if guests always bring their own gear.
Changing Field Visibility
- Go to Settings > Guest Forms > Built-in Fields.
- Find the field you want to adjust.
- Select Required, Optional, or Hidden from the dropdown.
- Click Save.
Changes apply to all new form submissions. Guests who have already submitted their forms are not affected.
How Built-in Fields Differ From Custom Questions
| | Built-in Fields | Custom Questions | |---|---|---| | Created by | Hookset | You | | Can be deleted | No | Yes | | Can be reordered | No | Yes | | Appears on | Trip prep form | Join form, trip prep, or both | | Visibility control | Required / Optional / Hidden | Required toggle |
Built-in fields always appear before custom questions on the form. Their values are also stored in dedicated columns in the guest record and are used for features like preference carry-forward when a guest returns for another trip.
Custom question responses are stored separately and are viewable in the Guests tab on the booking detail page.
Note: The options available for Skill Level and Preferred Fishing Method are not hardcoded. Your lodge configures these lists under Settings > Lodge Preferences. If a value isn't appearing in the dropdown, check that it's been added to the relevant list.
Related Articles
- Custom Guest Form Questions — Add your own questions beyond the built-in fields
- How Trip Prep Forms Work — The complete workflow for guest form collection
- Guest Profiles and History — Where form responses are stored and how to view them