Short Description on Standard Change is read-only, I want to be able to edit it

[Patryk2]

Hi All,

I have a question regarding the Short Description field on our Standard Change, it is a read-only field as soon as Standard Change has been selected.

I have seen a couple peoples Discussions about this on the forum but nothing has helped me with this issue, please let me elaborate on what I tried so I do not waste anyones time.

I am on SanDiego Patch 7a, this is just an fyi.

I have tried to remove the Standard Description from the read only field but it has done nothing, I also removed some more of the short description fields below which has not made a change either (The field is still greyed out)

I have then tried to just deactivating the Client script that makes Standard change fields read only.

Is there anything else you can suggest? I know that I can overwrite the Short Description field in the table but I am wondering if there is anything else I can try or have missed? Any help would be appreciated.

[Brad Bowman · Accepted solution]

On which screen is it that you are seeing the Short description read-only?  The Client Script shown above only runs when the Change Task is loaded.  In any event this is not out of box behavior, so on the record where you are seeing this field read-only, right-click in the grey header bar then select Configure > All.  Look through the records on the tabs for Client Scripts, UI Policies, and Data Policies to see if you can find one affecting the Short description field specifically since you have already removed this from the template settings.  You could also have an Access Control (ACL) for write on this field, but that is less common and usually more difficult to troubleshoot/find. 

Another place to check is to right-click on the Short description field label on the record/form where you are seeing this read-only and choose Configure Dictionary.  Note that this field is on the task table, so if the change_request form (not change_task,...) is where you are seeing it read-only, first check that the Read only box on the Dictionary Entry form is not checked (making this field ALWAYS read-only on EVERY form) check the Dictionary Overrides tab to see if there is a record for change_request, and if there is, if the Override read only box is checked.

[Brad Bowman · Accepted solution]

On which screen is it that you are seeing the Short description read-only?  The Client Script shown above only runs when the Change Task is loaded.  In any event this is not out of box behavior, so on the record where you are seeing this field read-only, right-click in the grey header bar then select Configure > All.  Look through the records on the tabs for Client Scripts, UI Policies, and Data Policies to see if you can find one affecting the Short description field specifically since you have already removed this from the template settings.  You could also have an Access Control (ACL) for write on this field, but that is less common and usually more difficult to troubleshoot/find. 

Another place to check is to right-click on the Short description field label on the record/form where you are seeing this read-only and choose Configure Dictionary.  Note that this field is on the task table, so if the change_request form (not change_task,...) is where you are seeing it read-only, first check that the Read only box on the Dictionary Entry form is not checked (making this field ALWAYS read-only on EVERY form) check the Dictionary Overrides tab to see if there is a record for change_request, and if there is, if the Override read only box is checked.

[Patryk2]

Hi Brad,

First of all, thank you for your reply on this. When I select to raise a "Standard Change" so the change_request form, that is when I see it as a read only/greyed out field.

I have just checked the Dictionary and nothing out of the ordinary there and the box for Read only is not ticked either.

There are some ACL's that I found I don't know if a screenshot of those would help but I will paste them below. One that affects the change_request and one that affects the change_task.

Change_Request:

Change_Task:

I am still very much learning ServiceNow so thank you again for the detailed answer from before.

I hope what I have presented makes sense at all.

[Patryk2 · Accepted solution]

I have just been checking through everything that you have mentioned and noticed a UI Policy for our Standard Change and in that policy the Short Description was defined to be "Read-only", I changed that to false and am now able to use the field! 

Thank you very much for your answer, even though I had to look for myself without it I would have been looking for god knows how long and probably thought that it's the ACL's affecting it in some way like I did before.

[Brad Bowman]

You are welcome.