Fields and prompts work in conjunction with one another to store all types of information in the database. Along with the standard fields/prompts, customized fields and prompts can also be created to accommodate the required business practices in the database.
Fields
Fields are the container that stores data in the database. A field can store data as free text or use a prompt list to store values from a provided list. Fields can be scoped to specific objects (gifts, jobs, opportunities, etc.) and datasets (Funds, Appeals, Company and Foundations, etc.) in the database. For example, a custom field scoped to Funds will only be available for use in the Funds dataset.
See the Custom Fields - Creating a Field article for further information on creating fields within the database.
Prompts
Prompts are a list of values that work in conjunction with fields. An example of prompt list can be for gift type, where there would be values like cash, check, credit card, etc. Not all fields will use a prompt list, but when paired with a field, the only values that could be entered into the field would be value selected from the prompt list. Prompts do not have a scope, and a single prompt list can be utilized by multiple different fields.
See the Custom Prompts - Creating a prompt article for information on creating prompts within the database.