Build Anything: The Power of Custom Modules in Coherence

Beyond Contacts and Deals

Most CRMs force you into a rigid structure: Contacts, Companies, Deals, maybe a few more. If your business doesn't fit that mold? Too bad - you'll have to make it work.

We think that's backwards.

Coherence was built on a different premise: your tools should adapt to your business, not the other way around. That's why custom modules are at the heart of everything we do.

What Are Custom Modules?

A module in Coherence is a collection of records - think of it like a smart spreadsheet that's deeply connected to everything else in your workspace.

Every module has:

• Custom fields of any type you need
• Views to slice and filter your data
• Relationships to other modules
• Activity feeds showing all related emails, notes, and updates
• Permissions controlling who can see and edit

The magic is that modules aren't isolated. An Equipment record can link to a Job, which links to a Client, which has emails attached - and you can navigate that entire chain seamlessly.

The Field Types That Make It Possible

The real power comes from the variety of field types available:

The Basics

• Text - Single line or rich text with formatting
• Number - Integers, decimals, with optional formatting
• Date - Single dates or date ranges
• Checkbox - Simple yes/no toggles

Selection Fields

• Single Select - Dropdown with one choice (Status, Priority, Type)
• Multi-Select - Multiple tags or categories
• Status - Visual pipeline stages with colors

Relational Fields

• Reference - Link to records in other modules
• User - Assign team members
• Multi-Reference - Connect to multiple related records

Specialized Fields

• Currency - Monetary values with currency symbols
• Percent - Percentages with visual indicators
• Duration - Time spans (hours, days, weeks)
• Email - Clickable email addresses
• Phone - Click-to-call phone numbers
• URL - Linked web addresses
• Rating - Star ratings for scoring
• Formula - Calculated fields based on other values

Rich Content

• File - Attach documents, images, PDFs
• Image - Visual thumbnails and galleries

Real Examples: What People Build

Here's what Coherence users have created with custom modules:

Inventory Tracker

A wholesale distributor tracks products across multiple warehouses:

• Products module with SKU, description, category, cost, price
• Warehouses module with location, capacity, manager
• Inventory module linking products to warehouses with quantity, reorder point, last counted date

Views show low-stock items, inventory by warehouse, and products needing recount.

Project Scheduler

A construction company manages job timelines:

• Projects with client, address, start date, target completion
• Phases linked to projects with sequence, duration, dependencies
• Tasks within phases assigned to crew members
• Equipment tracking which tools are allocated where

Calendar views show the schedule; Gantt-style views show dependencies.

Client Retainers

An agency tracks ongoing client relationships:

• Clients with company info and main contact
• Retainers linked to clients with monthly hours, rate, renewal date
• Time Entries logging work against retainers
• Invoices generated from time entries

Dashboards show utilization, upcoming renewals, and profitability by client.

Equipment Maintenance Log

A property management company tracks building systems:

• Properties with address, units, acquisition date
• Equipment (HVAC, elevators, etc.) linked to properties
• Maintenance Records logging service dates, costs, technicians
• Warranties tracking coverage periods and claim history

Automated reminders trigger when maintenance is due.

Candidate Pipeline

A recruiting firm manages the hiring process:

• Candidates with resume, skills, availability, rate
• Job Orders from clients with requirements and timeline
• Submissions linking candidates to jobs with status
• Interviews tracking scheduled meetings and feedback
• Placements recording successful hires with start date and fee

Pipeline views show candidates at each stage; reports track placement rates.

Building Your First Custom Module

Creating a module takes minutes:

1. Name it - What are you tracking? (Equipment, Projects, Orders)
2. Add fields - Start with the essentials, add more as needed
3. Create views - Set up filters for common scenarios
4. Link it - Connect to existing modules with reference fields
5. Import data - Bring in existing spreadsheet data if you have it

The beauty is you can iterate. Start simple, add complexity as you learn what you need.

The Compound Effect

Individual modules are useful. Connected modules are transformative.

When your Equipment module links to Jobs, which link to Clients, which have emails attached - suddenly you have complete context everywhere:

• Open a client record, see all their jobs and what equipment was used
• Open an equipment record, see its full history across all jobs
• Search for an email, jump straight to the related project

This interconnected data is what turns a collection of spreadsheets into a true business operating system.

Start Building

Ready to build the system your business actually needs? Every Coherence workspace includes unlimited custom modules on all plans.

Join the waitlist →