Lookup Fields
Lookup fields are drop-down fields that retrieve values from other fields/configurations. The fields/configurations from which the values are retrieved are called reference entities.
While configuring a lookup field, you can configure criteria to filter the allowed values from reference entities. The criteria can be configured with static values or dynamic values.
Role Required: SDAdmin
Supported Modules and Reference Entities
Supported Module | Supported Reference Entities | Maximum number of Lookup Fields |
Requests | Department, requester, site, status, technician, user, vendor, and custom modules. | 10 |
Changes | Department, group, requester, site, technician, user, and custom modules. | 10 |
Releases | Department, group, requester, site, technician, user, and custom module. | 10 |
Problems | Department, group, site, technician, user, status, and custom module. | 10 |
Assets | Department, site, user, and custom modules. | 5 |
CMDB | Department, site, user, and custom modules. | 60 with a sub-limit of 6 per hierarchy |
Custom Modules | Custom module, CMDB, department, site, status, user, vendor, group, impact, level, mode, priority, product, region, and urgency | 60 |
Only a single reference entity can be configured for a lookup field.
Create Lookup Fields
Based on the modules, you can create lookup fields when configuring additional fields, or you can also create and add them directly when configuring templates or custom modules.
Modules | Supported Options |
Requests | Request additional fields Incident templates Service templates |
Changes | Change additional fields Change templates |
Releases | Release additional fields Release templates |
Problems | Problem additional fields Problem templates |
CMDB | CI Type template |
Custom modules | As fields when configuring custom modules |
Create Lookup Fields for Requests, Changes, Problems, Releases and Assets
Go to Setup > Customization > Additional Fields.
Use the drop-down on the page to choose the module for which you want to create a lookup field: Request, Problem, Change, Project, Release, or Asset.
Click New Field and set the field properties as explained below and click Save.
Field Properties | Explanation |
Field Name | Add a unique field name. |
Field Type | Set the field type as Lookup Field. |
Reference Entity | Choose your preferred reference entity from the drop-down. |
Criteria | Configure criteria to filter out the values from the reference entity to retrieve only a subset of values for the lookup field.
 You can configure up to 10 criteria. |
Do not allow deletion of Field Values | Choose if you want the values of reference fields to be marked as Not for further use when deleted instead of removing them permanently. |
Description | Describe the usage of the lookup field briefly. |
Alternatively, you can create lookup fields when configuring incident, service, project, problem, release or change templates. On the Add/Edit Template form, drag the Lookup Field from the New Fields tab on the right pane to your preferred section of the template and follow the steps discussed above as applicable.
Create Lookup Fields for CMDB and Custom Modules
- For CMDB, go to Setup > Customization > CMDB > CI Types.
- For custom modules, go to Setup > Developer Space > Custom Modules.
Create a new CI type or custom module. You can also edit an existing CI type or custom module.
- On the Add/Edit form, go to the Fields section.
- Drag Lookup Field from the right pane to the canvas.
- Set the field properties as explained below and click Save.
Field Properties | Explanation |
Field Name | Add a unique field name. |
Field Key | The Field Key value is auto-generated based on the Field Name value. However, you can modify it as required. Field key is written in snake case and pre-fixed by ref_ automatically. |
Field Type | The field type is auto-selected as Lookup Field. |
Reference Entity | Choose your preferred reference entity from the drop-down. |
Is Unique Field | Select this option if you want the field to hold only a unique value. |
Is Mandatory Field | Select this option if you want to make this a mandatory field. Supported only for custom modules. |
Criteria | Configure criteria to filter out the values from the reference entity to retrieve only a subset of values for the lookup field. Choose the field, condition, and value. You can either choose a static value or a dynamic value using the supported variables. When multiple criteria are configured, decide how the criteria should be taken into account using AND or OR operators. Sort the order of the criteria using the Drag Handle Drag a criteria over the indentation space below another criteria to define sub- criteria. You can configure up to 10 criteria. |
Do not allow deletion of Field Values | Choose if you want the values of reference fields to be marked as Not for further use when deleted instead of removing them permanently. |
Description | Describe the usage of the lookup field briefly. |
Supported Variables for Configuring Dynamic Criteria
When configuring criteria for filtering lookup fields, you can choose static criteria that does not change based on the forms or dynamic criteria that can change based on other fields in the form. The dynamic criteria can be configured with the help of variables and it is limited to certain fields. The available variables are listed below.
Supported Variable | Description |
$(logged_in_user) | Filters based on the currently logged-in user |
$(logged_in_user.department) | Filters based on the currently logged-in users' department |
$(logged_in_user.groups) | Filters based on the currently logged-in users' group |
$(logged_in_user.department.site) | Filters based on the currently logged-in users' site |
$(logged_in_technician.sites) | Filters based on sites associated with the currently logged-in technicians |
Apart from these variables, you can also include variables for system fields such as $(department), $(site), $(impact_details), etc along with user-defined fields. The user-defined fields are identified using their respective field keys. For example, the field with the field key UDF_REF1 would have $(udf.fields.udf_ref1) as its variable.
Manage Lookup fields
You can manage lookup fields in requests and assets from the additional fields list view page of the respective modules:
- Go to Setup > Customization > Additional Fields.
- Choose your preferred module: Requests or Assets.
- Click
beside a field and select Edit or Delete.
To manage CMDB and Custom Modules lookup fields:
- Go to the Edit CI Type or Edit Custom Module forms respectively.
- To edit a lookup field, hover over the field and click
.
- To delete a lookup field, hover over the field, click
. This removes the field from the specific CI type or custom module only. To delete it permanently, hover over the field under the Available Fields tab on the right-side pane and click Delete.
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