Portal Object widget instance options form

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Portal Object widget instance options form

    The Portal Object widget instance options form allows ServiceNow customers to configure how the Portal Object widget displays data on a portal page. This configuration controls which records and fields are shown, how they appear visually, and what interactive actions users can perform.

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    Instance Configuration Fields

    The form contains two main categories of fields:

    • Data fields: Define the source of data for the widget, including:
      • Table: Select the database table from which records are retrieved. The default is the Asset [almasset] table.
      • Record: Specify the sysid of the record to display. If no sysid is provided in the URL, the widget uses this value. If both URL and instance option sysids are present, the URL sysid takes precedence.
    • Behavior fields: Control how the record data is presented and interacted with on the widget:
      • Card title: Choose up to three fields from the table to combine and display as the card’s title, providing a concise summary of the record.
      • Image field and style: Select a field containing an image and define its display style (Thumbnail or Avatar), with Thumbnail as the default.
      • Summary view fields (Desktop and Mobile): Specify fields to show as name-value pairs on the card for desktop and mobile views, tailoring the presentation by device.
      • Details view: Define fields and sections shown when users select "View all" on a card, enabling deeper inspection of record details.
      • Actions: Configure available actions on the card from predefined options, with the action button label adapting based on the number of actions selected. If no actions are selected, the button is hidden.
      • Enable Service Definitions: Optionally display service definitions linked to the record under Actions, providing additional context.
      • Enable Editing Record: Allows users with edit permissions to see an "Edit details" button that navigates to a form for modifying the record.

    Practical Benefits

    By configuring these instance options, ServiceNow customers can tailor the Portal Object widget to display the most relevant record data visually and functionally on their portal pages. This enhances user experience by providing clear, actionable information and enabling editing or further navigation where appropriate.

    Next Steps

    To implement or customize the Portal Object widget further, customers should refer to related documentation on adding and configuring the widget, ensuring the instance options align with their portal’s data and user interaction requirements.

    Instance options enable you to configure the Portal Object widget on a portal page.

    Table 1. Data fields on the Instance form
    Instance option Description
    Table Table from which the fields of the selected record are shown as cards on the widget.

    The default table is the Asset [alm_asset] table.
    Record The system identifier (sys_id) of the record from the specified table.

    The default sys_id is 00a96c0d3790200044e0bfc8bcbe5dc3.

    Note:
    Note:
    • Displays details of the record identified by the sys_id in the URL. If no sys_id is found in the URL, displays details of the record identified by the sys_id in the instance option.
    • If the sys_id is provided in both the portal web page URL and the Record field, the widget displays information based on the portal web page URL.
    • The sys_id of a record should be taken from the table specified in the Table field.
    Table 2. Behavior fields on the Instance form
    Instance option Description
    Card title Fields of the selected record from the specified table to be displayed as the card title in the widget.
    Note:
    You can select up to three fields from the defined table. They’ll be combined to form a title for each record displayed on the widget. For example, if you combine the Asset tag, Model category, and Display name fields of a record from the specified table, the card title would be "P1000479 Computer Apple MacBook Pro 15."
    Image field The name of the field of the selected record that contains an image to be displayed as an image on the card.
    Image style The display style for an image inside the widget. The available choices are:
    • Thumbnail
    • Avatar
    The default display style is Thumbnail.
    Summary view fields (Desktop) Fields from the specified table whose name and value are displayed as field value pairs on the card in the desktop view.
    Summary view fields (Mobile) Fields from the specified table whose name and value are displayed as field value pairs on the card in the mobile view.
    Details view Field value pairs and sections from the specified table to be displayed when the View all option is selected on the card.
    Actions The actions to appear on the card, which are chosen from a set of predefined actions. The title field from the specified table is used as the display name of the actions.
    Note:
    • If you select multiple actions, the button label displays Actions.
    • If one action is selected, the actions button displays the name of that action.
    • If no action is selected, the actions button isn’t displayed on the card.
    Enable Service Definitions Option to display the service definitions associated with the record under Actions. For details, see Service definitions.
    Enable Editing Record When enabled, users with edit permissions see Edit details button as one of the Actions. On selecting it users are navigated to a form page with the default view to edit the record details.