We recently updated our custom field mappings for deal records in Zendesk Sell desktop (v2021.3), specifically reorganizing fields across different pipeline stages. The desktop interface shows everything correctly, but our mobile sales team reports that newly added custom fields aren’t appearing in the mobile app at all.
The fields were added to deals about two weeks ago and mapped to specific pipeline stages. Desktop users can see and edit them without issues, but mobile app users (both iOS and Android) only see the original field set. We’ve tried forcing sync, reinstalling the app, and clearing cache, but the custom field visibility problem persists.
Our pipeline configuration includes stage-specific fields that should display based on deal progression. Is there a separate mobile field visibility setting we’re missing, or does the mobile sync handle custom field mapping differently than desktop?
The pipeline configuration sync is definitely the issue here. In ZS 2021, when you modify field mappings for pipeline stages, the changes don’t automatically propagate to mobile layouts. You need to manually sync the pipeline config to mobile. Go to your pipeline settings and look for the “Sync to Mobile” option - it’s usually at the bottom of the stage configuration page.
Yes, pipeline-specific field visibility can cause this. When you map fields to specific stages, the mobile app needs explicit stage-to-field relationships defined. Desktop handles this dynamically, but mobile requires the mapping to be pushed through the mobile config API. Check if your stage transitions include the new fields in their mobile layout definitions. You might need to republish your pipeline configuration to mobile endpoints.
I’ll provide a complete solution addressing all three aspects of your mobile field sync issue.
Custom Field Mapping Resolution:
The root cause is that Zendesk Sell 2021’s mobile architecture separates field visibility from field mapping. When you added custom fields and mapped them to pipeline stages, the desktop API received these updates immediately, but the mobile metadata cache wasn’t invalidated. Navigate to Settings → Field Management → [Your Custom Field] and verify these settings:
- “Mobile Visible” is enabled
- “Sync Priority” is set to “High” for critical fields
- “Stage Association” explicitly lists all relevant pipeline stages
Mobile Field Visibility Configuration:
The mobile app uses a separate field registry that must be explicitly updated. Go to Settings → Mobile Configuration → Field Sync Scope. You’ll see a list of synced fields - your new custom fields likely aren’t included. Click “Add Fields” and select your recently created custom fields. Set the sync frequency to “Real-time” for immediate updates. This ensures mobile clients receive field definitions during their next metadata sync.
Pipeline Configuration Sync Process:
This is the critical step most admins miss. Your pipeline stage mappings exist in desktop configuration but haven’t been published to mobile endpoints. Navigate to Settings → Pipeline Management → [Your Pipeline] → Stage Configuration. At the bottom of each stage configuration page, you’ll find “Mobile Layout Settings”. For each stage where your custom fields should appear:
- Click “Edit Mobile Layout”
- Add your custom fields to the appropriate sections (typically “Deal Details” or “Custom Information”)
- Set field order and required/optional status
- Click “Publish to Mobile”
After publishing, the system needs to propagate these changes. Go to Settings → Mobile Configuration → Force Metadata Refresh. This triggers an immediate push to all connected mobile clients. However, mobile apps won’t pick up changes until their next sync cycle or manual refresh.
User Action Required:
Instruct your mobile users to perform a complete refresh:
- Open Zendesk Sell mobile app
- Go to Settings → Account → Sign Out
- Close the app completely (force quit)
- Reopen and sign back in
- The app will perform a full metadata sync, pulling updated field definitions and pipeline mappings
For iOS users, you may also need to clear the app cache: Settings → Zendesk Sell → Clear Cache before signing back in. Android users should go to device Settings → Apps → Zendesk Sell → Storage → Clear Cache.
Verification:
After users complete the refresh, verify the fix by having them:
- Open an existing deal in a stage where the custom fields should appear
- Confirm all custom fields are visible and editable
- Create a new deal and progress it through stages to ensure fields appear/disappear according to stage mappings
If fields still don’t appear after these steps, check your mobile app version compatibility. ZS 2021.3 requires mobile app version 8.2 or higher for full custom field support. Earlier mobile versions have limited custom field rendering capabilities.
Also worth checking if your mobile app version matches your instance version. ZS 2021.3 had some mobile sync issues with custom fields that were patched in later mobile releases. Go to Settings → Mobile Configuration and verify the field sync scope includes your custom fields. Sometimes bulk field additions don’t automatically add to mobile sync scope.
Adding to Carlos’s point - after syncing pipeline config to mobile, your users will need to perform a full app refresh (not just regular sync). The mobile app caches field metadata aggressively. Have them log out completely, clear app data if possible, then log back in. This forces a fresh metadata pull from the server that includes the updated pipeline-to-field mappings.