Inactive fields are still visible in the Form View

imranshaik0 · 3 weeks ago

Hi Community!

Hope you are doing well!

I have inactivated a choice to the field (custom field in the case) as per the Business requirement. When I check it in List view, it is working fine. But when I check it in the Form View, I can be able to select the inactivated Choice in both Native UI and CSM Workspace. I have tried cache.do but didn't help. Can I know what might be the issue here?

vaishali231 · 3 weeks ago

hey @imranshaik0

If the choice is inactive and not appearing in the List view filter, but still selectable in Form view (Native UI and CSM Workspace), usually one of the following is the cause:

Existing record already has that value
If a record already contains the inactive choice value, ServiceNow will still display it in the dropdown on the form. This is expected behavior. Please test by creating a brand new record and check whether the inactive choice appears there.

Choice defined on parent table
If your Case table extends another table (for example task or another parent), verify whether the same choice is still active on the parent table. Sometimes the choice is inactivated only on the child table but remains active at the parent level.

Check:
System Definition > Choices
Confirm the table name carefully.

Client Script or UI Policy adding the option
Check for any Client Scripts, UI Policies, or Workspace client logic using:
g_form.addOption()
g_form.clearOptions()
g_form.removeOption()

If the option is being added via script, the inactive flag will not prevent it from appearing.

Workspace caching
CSM Workspace sometimes caches metadata differently. Try:

Hard browser refresh

Incognito window

Log out and log back in
************************************************************************************************************************************

If this response helps, please mark it as Accept as Solution and Helpful.

Doing so helps others in the community and encourages me to keep contributing.

Regards

Vaishali Singh

View solution in original post

NeshanthA · 3 weeks ago

Hi @imranshaik0 ,
If a choice has been marked as Inactive and no longer appears in the List view filter, but is still selectable in the Form view (Native UI and CSM Workspace), this behavior is typically caused by one of the following:

The Record Already Contains That Value

If an existing record already has the inactive choice selected, ServiceNow will continue to display that value on the form. This is expected platform behavior to prevent data inconsistency.

To validate, create a brand-new record and check whether the inactive choice is still available.

Choice Defined on a Parent Table

If your table extends another table (for example, Case extending Task), the choice may still be active at the parent level.

Even if it was inactivated on the child table, an active choice on the parent table will still make it available on the form.

Check:
System Definition → Choices
Verify the table name carefully and ensure the choice is inactive at all relevant levels.

Duplicate Choice Records

There may be multiple sys_choice records for the same field and value. One record could be inactive while another remains active.

Navigate to:
sys_choice.list

Filter by:

Name = Table name
Element = Field name
Value = Choice value

Ensure there are no duplicate active entries.

Client Script or UI Policy Adding the Option

The choice may be dynamically added using client-side logic.

Review:

Client Scripts
UI Policies
Workspace form logic

Look for functions such as:

g_form.addOption()
g_form.clearOptions()
g_form.removeOption()

If the option is being added via script, the inactive flag will not prevent it from appearing.

Workspace Metadata Caching

CSM Workspace may cache metadata differently than the classic UI.

Try:

Hard browser refresh
Testing in an Incognito window
Logging out and logging back in

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

If you found this response helpful, please consider marking it as Accept as Solution and Helpful.

This will assist other community members in finding the right solution more easily and motivates me to continue contributing.

Regards,

Neshanth

View solution in original post

vaishali231 · 3 weeks ago

hey @imranshaik0

If the choice is inactive and not appearing in the List view filter, but still selectable in Form view (Native UI and CSM Workspace), usually one of the following is the cause:

Existing record already has that value
If a record already contains the inactive choice value, ServiceNow will still display it in the dropdown on the form. This is expected behavior. Please test by creating a brand new record and check whether the inactive choice appears there.

Choice defined on parent table
If your Case table extends another table (for example task or another parent), verify whether the same choice is still active on the parent table. Sometimes the choice is inactivated only on the child table but remains active at the parent level.

Check:
System Definition > Choices
Confirm the table name carefully.

Client Script or UI Policy adding the option
Check for any Client Scripts, UI Policies, or Workspace client logic using:
g_form.addOption()
g_form.clearOptions()
g_form.removeOption()

If the option is being added via script, the inactive flag will not prevent it from appearing.

Workspace caching
CSM Workspace sometimes caches metadata differently. Try:

Hard browser refresh

Incognito window

Log out and log back in
************************************************************************************************************************************

If this response helps, please mark it as Accept as Solution and Helpful.

Doing so helps others in the community and encourages me to keep contributing.

Regards

Vaishali Singh

imranshaik0 · 3 weeks ago

Hi @vaishali231 ,

It was due to client scripts. Thanks for the inputs.

Ankur Bawiskar · 3 weeks ago

@imranshaik0

happening for all users?

share some screenshots

💡 If my response helped, please mark it as correct ✅ and close the thread 🔒— this helps future readers find the solution faster! 🙏

Regards,
Ankur
✨ Certified Technical Architect || ✨ 10x ServiceNow MVP || ✨ ServiceNow Community Leader

imranshaik0 · 3 weeks ago

Hi @Ankur Bawiskar ,

It was due to client scripts. Thanks for the inputs.