Highlight list fields reference field working on some environment

[Tadz]

Hi Everyone,

I have this finding about the Highlight list field that it is working on some environment/instances however most of the instances/environment it is not working.

As stated on the documentation:

https://www.servicenow.com/docs/bundle/xanadu-platform-administration/page/administer/navigation-and...

You cannot highlight the following field types:

• Reference
• URL
• Document IDs

Does anyone have any idea about this? I'm thinking there might some property or configuration about this.

Thanks

[Udayrathore049]

1. Platform Versions:
   Some older versions of ServiceNow (like Orlando, Paris) had slightly different or more lenient behavior. If your working environment is on an older version and your non-working environment is on a newer one (like San Diego, Tokyo, Washington), that could explain the difference.

2. Customizations:
   It's possible that the environments where highlighting works have custom UI Scripts or overrides that force highlights even on restricted field types (this is not recommended).

3. Field Type Confusion:
   In some cases, a field that looks like a reference field (e.g., using glide_list or a specially formatted string) might technically not be a true reference field — which would allow highlighting.

4. Instance-specific Properties/Features:
   Rarely, there could be feature flags or property customizations done by admins, but there is no OOTB (out-of-the-box) system property that toggles this behavior.
   
   
   

   Best Practice Advice:

   • Always assume that Reference, URL, and Document ID fields are non-highlightable according to standard support.

   • If you need highlighting behavior, consider creating a Display Field (like a String field that copies key information) just for the list view.

   • Avoid relying on environment-specific behavior for long-term solutions — upgrades could break it!