Display Column Control for “Reference List”

[Tepp]

Dear Experts,

Please advise on controlling the display columns for “reference lists.”

I want to change the displayed column items in the reference list for each table.

For example,

I want to differentiate the display columns between the reference list for the “assigned_to” field in the Incident table and the reference list for the “assigned_to” field in the Problem table.

 

Thank you in advance.

[Ankur Bawiskar]

@Tepp 

it comes from this view "sys_ref_list" and 1 table can have only 1 view

so whatever columns you show it will reflect at all places wherever this table is being referred by reference field

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

[Matthew Green2]

Yes — you can control the reference list columns PER FIELD, but NOT directly through a field-level UI or dictionary property.

You use:

1) Reference Qualifiers

2) Custom Reference Views

3) Field-level dictionary override (best option....)

4) UI Policies / Client Scripts to switch reference views dynamically

Step 1 — Create a new View for sys_user

1. Go to System UI → Views
2. Create new:
   • Name: Problem_Assignment_View
   • Table: sys_user

Step 2 — Configure the view (List Layout)

1. Go to sys_user → List Layout
2. Switch to your new view (top-left “View” dropdown)
3. Set the columns:
   • For example:
     • Name, First name, Last name, Email
   • Or remove email if you want it hidden.

Step 3 — Assiggn the view to the reference field

1. Open Dictionary for the specific field:

For Incident:

Dictionary → incident.assigned_to

For Problem:

Dictionary → problem.assigned_to

1. Scroll to the bottom.
2. Check "Use reference qualifier" → leave default.
3. Find field: “Reference view”
4. Set:
   • Incident → Default view
   • Problem → Problem_Assignment_View

Save.

Result:

When you click the reference list icon:

• Incident → sees Normal sys_user columns
• Problem → sees the custom view you created

Exactly like your screenshots.

[Tepp]

Dear Matthew Green2,
Thank you for your response.

I'm not clear on the following steps:
Dictionary → problem.assigned_to
Scroll to the bottom.
Check “Use reference qualifier” → leave default.
Find field: “Reference view”
Set:
Incident → Default view
Problem → Problem_Assignment_View

Where exactly do I find and set the “Reference view” field?
I don't see any settings for it in the capture.

Thank you for your help.

[Laveena-Agarwal]

Hi @Tepp 

In the "Views" , you will find out the view related to "Referenced List"and here is the record for sys_user table.

https://<instance-name>.service-now.com/sys_ui_list.do?sys_id=11d28f690c2432108bb2ce4d4ed10e77&syspa...

Note:

1. I believe this change will apply to all user reference lists, not just Incident. Please review carefully before proceeding to ensure this behavior is desired system-wide.

2. Consider how you will handle users with identical names (same first and last name). In such cases, the reference list should display a unique identifier (for example, User ID, Employee ID, or email address) to distinguish between users.

3. This is marked as a High Risk file and will be skipped during upgrades. You will need to manually review and apply the skipped changes after every upgrade cycle. Clear ownership is required for ongoing maintenance.