### The Problem

When creating a Custom Object record, the creation form only supports basic field types:

Text, Number, Date, Dropdown, Checkbox, Email, Phone.

Contact associations (linking to an existing contact) only appear AFTER the record is saved —

on the record detail page as a separate section.

This forces users into a frustrating 2-step process:

Step 1 → Create the Custom Object record (type a generic text name)

Step 2 → Open the saved record → go to Associations section → search and link the contact

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### Real-World Use Case: Referral Tracking

I built a Referral tracking system using a Custom Object with these fields:

The goal: Open a contact's page → see who they referred → click the referred person's name → open their contact record. Exactly like Salesforce's Related List + Lookup Field behavior.

But right now, the only option for linking a contact is a TEXT field (not searchable, not clickable) or a post-save association (2-step, poor UX).

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### Expected Behavior

"Contact" or "Contact Lookup" or "Contact Picker"

→ Allow searching existing contacts by name or email during record creation

→ Store the Contact ID (not free text)

→ Render as a clickable link on the record detail page

→ Be usable as a column in SmartLists / reports

of the Custom Object record

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### What This Unlocks

✅ Referral tracking (Referrer → Referred Contact — both clickable)

✅ Borrower-to-Guarantor relationships

✅ Agent-to-Client linking

✅ Any many-to-one or one-to-one contact relationship stored inside a Custom Object

✅ Full parity with Salesforce Lookup Fields on Custom Objects

✅ Clean monthly/yearly reporting with contact-level detail

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### Current Workaround (and why it falls short)

Workaround A: Contact-to-Contact Association

→ Allows 1-step contact search ✅

→ But no metadata visible in the related list (no date, no status) ❌

→ All contacts look the same — no visual distinction ❌

Workaround B: Custom Object + Text Field

→ Salesforce-like display with date + status ✅

→ But no contact search in creation — just free text ❌

→ Name is not clickable ❌

Neither workaround fully solves the use case. A native Contact Picker field type in

Custom Objects would close this gap completely.

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### Priority / Impact

This would directly benefit: