# SYSPRO Application Designer: Customize Screens and Fields > Source: https://netray.co/erp-help/syspro-application-designer-customize-screens-and-fields > Publisher: Netray (netray.co), AI and integration engineering for ERP and manufacturing systems. > Section: ERP Help ## Short answer SYSPRO Application Designer is the tool used to change how SYSPRO screens look and behave without changing the core program: rearranging or hiding fields, adding custom fields and forms, and adjusting layouts for different operator groups. Customizations survive upgrades better than code changes but still need testing at each version change. ## Kind how-to ## System syspro ## Erp SYSPRO ## Module Application Designer / Customization ## Query syspro application designer ## Alternate Queries - syspro customize screens - syspro add custom field - syspro custom forms - syspro user defined fields ## Applies To SYSPRO 7 and SYSPRO 8; capabilities differ by version, so confirm in your release documentation ## Steps ### Customize a screen safely **Items:** - Confirm you need a customization: check whether a setup option, a security setting or a custom form already does the job. - Back up the environment or work in a test company and test system first, never in live. - Open the screen you want to change and launch Application Designer from the program, if your operator has the right to do so. - Make one change at a time: move, hide, rename or add a field, then save the layout. - For extra data, add a custom field or form, and decide whether it appears on documents or reports as well. - Test with a user from the target role, not just an administrator, to confirm security and field access behave correctly. - Document the change, then repeat the test after every SYSPRO update or version upgrade. ## Sections ### What it can and cannot do **Body:** Application Designer is a presentation-layer tool: it changes what an operator sees and can enter, such as which fields display, their order, labels and extra data fields. It is not a replacement for business logic. It will not change core posting rules, costing methods or calculations. Where you need logic, such as a rule that blocks a sales order when a custom field is empty, you need a supported extension mechanism such as the SYSPRO business objects, triggers or an add-in built by a developer. ### Custom fields and reporting **Body:** A custom field only helps if it can be reported on. Before adding one, decide how the value will reach reports, exports and integrations, and whether the SYSPRO reporting tools expose it. Otherwise the data sits on the screen and nobody can use it. Keep a register of custom fields with owner, purpose and where they are used. After a few years, undocumented fields are the biggest source of upgrade surprises. ### Upgrade and governance **Body:** Customizations made through supported tools are designed to carry forward, but screens change between versions. Retest every changed screen in a test environment, and keep screenshots of the intended layout. Restrict who can use the designer. A change made by an unauthorized user can affect every operator in a role, so treat it like a code change with request, approval, test and release. ## Pitfalls - Customizing in the live system with no test environment. - Adding custom fields no report or integration can read. - Letting many operators use the designer without change control. - Skipping retesting after SYSPRO updates. - Using a screen change when the real need is a business rule. ## Ai Angle A SyteRay-style or ERPray assistant cannot replace Application Designer, but it can help around it: summarising which custom fields exist, drafting the change request and test script, and answering questions over the data held in custom fields once they are queryable. Keeping the model on-prem means customization details and documents stay inside your network. ## Faq ### What is SYSPRO Application Designer? **Answer:** It is SYSPRO's tool for changing screen layouts and adding fields and forms without editing the core program. It lets administrators or consultants tailor screens to a role. Availability and features depend on your SYSPRO version and licence. ### Can I add a custom field in SYSPRO? **Answer:** Yes, SYSPRO supports custom fields and custom forms through its customization tools. The field must also be exposed to reports or integrations to be useful, so plan that at the same time as the screen change. ### Do SYSPRO customizations survive upgrades? **Answer:** Supported customizations are designed to carry forward, but they are not guaranteed. Screens can change between versions, so retest each customized screen in a test system before upgrading production. ### Who should be allowed to use the designer? **Answer:** A small group of administrators or trained consultants working under change control. A change affects every operator in the role, so the same discipline as code changes should apply: request, approval, test, release. ## Search terms syspro application designer, syspro customize screen, syspro custom fields, syspro custom forms, syspro user defined fields, syspro customization upgrade, syspro screen layout, syspro change control --- Talk to an engineer: https://netray.co/contact?intent=erp_ai | Machine catalog: https://netray.co/agent/catalog.json