Who it’s for: Administrators and users with Screen Designer permissions
Platform: Sense HR
Available on: Elite and Enterprise plans
Before you begin, make sure you’re:
☑️ Logged in
☑️ Assigned relevant permissions
☑️ Familiar with Screen Designer basics (see Screen Designer: Overview)
☑️ Aware of how fields behave and where changes apply (see Concepts & Data Behaviour)
⚠️ Important:
Custom profile screens can be added to multiple profile templates.
If you edit a screen later, those changes apply everywhere the screen is used.
Overview
Custom screens allow you to capture organisation-specific information that does not exist in system or locked screens.
You can create screens for almost anything, including:
Training records
Uniform allocations
Skills or certifications
Onboarding information
Volunteer details
Equipment issued
Performance checkpoints
Return to Work forms
Expense line items
Creating a screen involves:
Defining the screen
Designing the screen
Adding fields
Configuring field properties
Saving the screen
Completing any additional configuration required for that screen type
Adding Profile screens to Profile templates
Configuring visibility (Profile screens)
This article guides you through each step safely and clearly.
Navigation path
To create a new custom screen:
Dashboard > Settings > Screen designer > Screens > Create
💡 Tip:
You can also start creating a profile screen from inside a Profile template:
Screen designer > Profile templates > [template] > Manage screens + > Custom screens > + Create new screen
... but this is just a shortcut — all screens are created and stored in the main Screens area.
Create a new screen
To create a screen:
Open Settings from the Sense HR dashboard.
Click Screen designer.
Click Screens.
Click Create in the upper-right corner.
✅ The Screen details window opens.
1. Enter a screen name
Enter a clear, descriptive name for your screen.
Examples:
Uniform allocation
Training history
Return to Work form
Mileage claim
The screen name is used throughout Sense HR and may appear in employee profiles, reports, workflows, or other areas depending on the screen type.
⚠️ Important
Renaming a screen later updates its name everywhere it is used.
2. Select a screen type
Choose the type of screen you want to create.
Profile
Use for information that forms part of an employee profile.
Examples:
Training
Equipment issued
Volunteer details
Return to Work
Use for Return to Work interviews linked to sickness rules.
Return to Work screens always use a Form layout.
Expense line item
Use for expense claim information.
Choose either:
Normal
Mileage
Expense line item screens always use a Form layout.
⚠️ Important
Expense type cannot be changed after the screen has been created.
3. Choose the screen layout (Profile screens only)
For Profile screens choose either:
FORM:
A form layout displays a single set of fields — one record per person.
Use a Form screen for:
• Personal or contact details
• Onboarding information
• Employment details
• General info captured once
• Screen types where duplicates don’t make sense
TABLE:
A table layout allows multiple records, displayed in rows.
Use a Table screen for:
• Training events
• Qualifications
• Memberships
• Reviews (multiple entries per year)
• Equipment issued
• Compliance checks
⚠️ Important: All table screens must have at least one column header before they can be saved.
💡 Tip: Mark all meaningful fields as column headers to improve searchability and reporting.
4. Choose a modal width
Select the width of the window users will see when viewing or entering information for this screen.
Available options are:
Narrow
Wide
Max
5. Click Next
✅ The Screen Designer canvas opens, ready for you to design the screen.
Screen-specific behaviour
The Screen Designer canvas behaves slightly differently depending on the screen type you selected.
Profile screens
Profile screens start with an empty canvas.
You design the entire screen by adding fields and configuring their behaviour.
Return to Work screens
Return to Work screens include predefined system fields automatically.
These fields:
always appear at the top of the screen
cannot be removed
cannot be reordered
cannot be modified
are read-only during the Return to Work process
Add only the additional fields your organisation needs.
🖊️ Note:
User Picker fields are not available for Return to Work screens.
Expense line item screens
Expense line item screens include predefined system fields based on the selected expense type.
These fields cannot be removed, although some may be renamed or reordered where supported.
Add only the additional fields your organisation requires.
🖊️ Note:
User Picker fields are not available for Expense line item screens.
6. Add fields to your custom screen
After choosing the layout and naming your screen, you can add fields.
There are two kinds of fields:
Existing fields
Fields already in your system. These reuse data structures and remain consistent across screens.
New fields
Fields you create from scratch. Once created and saved, they become reusable existing fields.
To add fields to a screen:
Drag fields from the left sidebar onto the canvas.
6.1. Adding existing fields
Existing fields are reusable fields that keep your system clean and reduce duplication.
To add one:
Open Existing fields tab in the left sidebar
Drag the field onto the canvas
Configure properties if needed (see 6.3 Configure field properties)
⚠️ Important: Changing an existing field’s properties updates that field everywhere it is used.
Existing fields:
• Keep their existing configuration
• Update everywhere they are used if you change their properties
• Can appear on multiple screens
• Can be used safely for consistent reporting
💡 Tip: Always check the Existing fields list before creating something new.
6.2. Adding new fields
To create a new field:
Open New fields tab in the left sidebar
Drag your chosen field type onto the canvas
Complete required properties in the right-hand panel (see 6.3 Configure field properties)
Available new field types include:
Text field, Paragraph, Rich text, Validator, Heading, Dropdown, Radio, Checkbox, Attachments, Date picker, Time picker (12-hour / 24-hour), Number, Currency, User picker, Mail, Phone, On/Off switch, URL link.
🖊️ Note: New fields must be fully configured before the screen can be saved.
6.3. Configure field properties
Click a field on the canvas to configure:
• Field label (name)
• Help text
• Required/optional status
• Options (dropdowns, checkboxes, radio buttons)
• Validation rules (where available)
• Default values
Once the field is configured click Apply
🖊️ Note:
Clicking Apply saves your changes to the field.
For newly added fields, Apply also finalises the field and makes it available in the list of existing fields for use on other screens.
💡 Tip: Keep field labels short and clear — these appear in profiles, reports, and workflow tasks.
6.4. Mark column headers (table screens only)
If your screen is a table, you must choose at least one field to be a column header.
Column headers determine what appears as columns in the table view.
To mark a column header:
Click a field > Mark as column header
Mandatory rule:
• At least one column header is required to save a table screen.
💡 Tip: Mark all meaningful fields as column headers for better readability and reporting.
7. Preview your screen
Use Preview to see what the screen will look like and test its functionality in a safe 'sandbox' environment.
The interactive preview shows:
• Table columns
• + Add record functionality for table screens
• Dropdown functionality for form fields
• Required fields
• Field order
• Layout and clarity
• How rows will appear to users
💡 Tip: Use Preview as you go — it helps catch layout issues early. If a field isn’t appearing in a table preview, make sure it’s marked as a column header.
8. Save your screen
When you’re ready, click Save changes.
What happens next depends on the type of screen you’ve created.
Profile screens
The screen is saved and becomes available in:
Screen designer > Screens
Profile templates > Manage screens > Custom screens
Reporting categories
Bulk upload template export (where supported)
Workflow variant creation (if required)
You can now add the screen to one or more Profile templates and configure visibility using Access roles.
Return to Work screens
After saving, Sense HR recommends creating workflow variants for different participants, such as Employees and Managers.
You can:
Configure variants immediately, or
choose Later and create them afterwards from More actions (…) > Create variant.
Variants are not created automatically.
Expense line item screens
The screen is saved and is immediately available for use in expense claims.
Expense line item screens do not support variants.
⚠️ Important
Saving a screen makes it available immediately for its intended use.
If the screen is already in use, changes may be visible to users depending on the screen type and Access role configuration.
Workflow variant creation
If you want to control how the screen behaves inside workflow tasks — such as which fields appear or must be completed — you can create a Workflow variant.
Go to Screen designer > Screens, find your screen, and choose More actions (…) > Create variant.
For full details, see Understanding Workflow Variants.
Add your Profile screen to a Profile template
Only Profile screens are added to Profile templates.
Return to Work screens are linked through sickness rules, and Expense line item screens are used during expense claim processes.
A custom profile screen only appears in profiles once it is added to a template.
To add a screen to a template:
Go to Screen designer > Profile templates
Select a template
Click Manage screens +
Open the Custom screens tab
Tick the screen ✔️
Click Save
Click Done to confirm
For full details, see Manage profile templates
💡 Tip:
One profile screen can be used across many templates — useful if multiple groups need the same data structure.
⚠️ Remember:
Editing a shared Profile screen affects all Profile templates that use it.
Rename a screen
To rename:
Go to Screen designer > Screens
Locate the screen you want to rename
Click More actions (…)
Select Screen settings
Enter a new label
Save
💡 Tip:
Renaming updates the screen label everywhere but does not affect underlying data
Delete a Screen
You can delete a custom screen, even if it contains data.
To delete a screen:
Go to Screen designer > Screens.
Find the screen you want to delete, then select More actions (…) > Delete.
If the screen contains no data:
• Only one confirmation is required
If the screen contains data:
• You will see two confirmation steps
• You will be required to type DELETE
⚠️ Important Warning:
Deleting a screen permanently removes:
• All data stored in that screen
• The reporting category
• Any workflow variants connected to that screen
• Any reports referencing its fields
• Any profile-level data captured in it
💡 Tip:
Before deleting, run a report to download the data you wish to retain.
Automatic clean-up (after screen deletion)
When a screen is deleted, Sense HR automatically:
• Removes it from all templates
• Removes related reporting categories
• Deletes all variants
• Clears stored data
• Removes linked permissions
• Clears related to-dos
• Records the deletion for auditing
Screen visibility vs Screen design
Screen Designer controls the structure of screens — not visibility.
To control visibility, use Access roles:
Settings > Access roles > [Role] > Permissions > Own profile
Access roles allow you to:
• Hide entire screens
• Make screens read-only
• Hide or show specific fields
• Control Add permissions for table screens
• Give managers more detailed views than employees
For full visibility controls, see Access Roles Management.
🖊️ Note: Default permissions for new screens
Screens created by an admin start with all Own profile permissions set to OFF for every role (admins always have full access).
Screens created by workflows may have predefined permissions depending on the workflow.
Summary
Custom screens are one of the most powerful tools in Sense HR.
They allow you to capture exactly the data your organisation needs and organise it clearly across different workforce areas.
Use this process:
• Choose the right layout (form or table)
• Reuse existing fields where possible and logical
• Keep fields consistent and clear
• Preview often
• Use Profile templates for availability
• Use Access roles for visibility
• Use variants only for workflow behaviour
A well-designed screen means clearer profiles, better reporting, and clean, sustainable configuration.
FAQs
Click to see answers to frequently asked questions
Click to see answers to frequently asked questions
Why can’t I save my table screen?
The reason you cannot save your table screen is that table screens require at least one column header. Mark at least one field as a column header, then try saving again.
Why do my new fields appear under “Existing fields” later?
The reason your new fields appear under “Existing fields” later is that once a field is saved to a screen, it becomes reusable. This is expected behaviour.
Why did editing an existing field change it on other screens?
The reason editing an existing field changed it on other screens is because fields are reusable. Updating field properties updates that field everywhere it appears.
Why can’t employees see the screen I created?
Employees cannot see the screen because visibility is controlled in Access roles, not in Screen Designer. Make sure you have turned on View/Update/Add permissions for that role.
Why can’t I create variants for an Expense line item screen?
Expense line item screens do not support variants. Variants are available only for Profile and Return to Work screens.
Why don’t I see Form and Table layout options when creating a Return to Work or Expense line item screen?
Return to Work and Expense line item screens always use a Form layout, so no layout selection is required.
What happens if I delete a custom screen?
If you delete a custom screen, all data stored in that screen is permanently removed, along with the reporting category and workflow variants. Always export your data first.
Why does renaming a screen change its name everywhere?
Renaming a screen changes its name everywhere because the screen is a single shared object. The label is updated across templates, workflows, and reporting.