Reference field showing short description instead of name

BhanutejaRD
Tera Contributor

3 weeks ago

Hi All,

In the Change Request table, I have two reference fields:

Incident (reference to incident table)

Demand (reference to dmn_demand table)


When I select an Incident, the reference field correctly displays the Incident Number.

But when I select a Demand record, the reference field displays the Short Description instead of the Demand Number — even though

In the Demand table, the Number field has Display = true

The Short Description field has Display = false


Still, the reference field shows the short description.

What could be the reason for this behavior?

Thank you.

0 Helpfuls
  • 531 Views
2 REPLIES 2

Brad Bowman
Kilo Patron
Kilo Patron

3 weeks ago

You were on the right path, but if you view a Demand record, you'll notice the short description is shown in the header beneath 'Demand'

BradBowman_0-1764620429735.png

This shows that short description is still the display value for this table, hence what will be displayed in reference fields and variables.  The reason for this is the short_description field on the Task table.  Out of box there is a Dictionary Override on the dmn_demand table to override display value

BradBowman_1-1764620661032.png

Unchecking this box on the dictionary override record will result in the Number being the actual display value

 

 

0 Helpfuls

Anupam1
Mega Guru

3 weeks ago

Hi @BhanutejaRD ,

 

ServiceNow allows only one field per table to be marked as Display = true. However, if more than one field is set as display (even inadvertently), the platform may default to the first one it finds — often Short Description.

How to Fix It

  1. Check for Multiple Display Fields
  • Go to System Definition > Tables
  • Open the dmn_demand table
  • Click "Show Schema"
  • Look for fields with Display = true

- If both Number and Short Description are marked as display, ServiceNow may ignore your intended field.

  1. Set Only Number as Display
  • Open the Short Description field in the dmn_demand table
  • Uncheck the Display checkbox
  • Save and publish changes
  1. Clear Cache (Optional but Helpful)
  • Run the cache.do script in your browser:

https://yourinstance.service-now.com/cache.do

  • Or use "Flush Cache" from the System Maintenance module

 

Test It

  • Go back to your Change Request form
  • Select a Demand record
  • Confirm that the reference field now shows the Demand Number

Note:-  If you ever want to show both Number and Short Description, consider using a Reference Display Value or a custom formatter — but for default behavior, only one display field should be active.

 

 

If my response helped please mark it correct and close the thread so that it benefits future readers.

 

Best,

Anupam.

 

 

0 Helpfuls