Portal Object widget instance options form

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 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 record information on portal pages. It supports dynamic and static record display, offering flexibility to present data from specified tables and records within the portal interface.

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    Instance Options Configuration

    Customers can specify the following key settings when configuring the widget instance:

    • Table: Defines the data source table for displaying record fields as cards. The default is the Asset [almasset] table.
    • Record: Specifies the unique record sysid from the selected table to display. If a sysid is provided in both the URL and the instance option, the URL value takes precedence.
    • Dynamic portal object: Enables displaying records dynamically based on URL parameters (table, sysid, and view). The widget uses the specified view to derive the title (from the first column) and summary columns.
    • Actions, Enable Service Definitions, and Enable Editing Record: When dynamic mode is selected, only these behavior options can be configured, allowing control over record actions, associated service definitions visibility, and edit capabilities.

    Behavior Fields Configuration

    These settings control how record data is presented within the widget cards:

    • Card title: Up to three fields combined from the selected record to form the card’s title, such as asset tag and model category.
    • Image field and style: Specifies a field containing an image to display on the card, with style options like Thumbnail (default) or Avatar.
    • Summary view fields (Desktop and Mobile): Select fields to show as name-value pairs on the card for desktop and mobile views.
    • Details view: Defines additional fields and sections visible when a user selects “View all” on a card.
    • Actions: Choose predefined actions to appear on the card. The button label adapts based on the number of selected actions, and if none are selected, the actions button is hidden.
    • Enable Service Definitions: Displays service definitions related to the record under the Actions menu.
    • Enable Editing Record: Allows users with edit permissions to access an Edit button, taking them to a form to modify the record details.

    Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    By configuring these instance options, customers can tailor how individual records are presented and interacted with on their portals, improving usability and providing direct access to editing and related service information. The dynamic configuration via URL parameters enables flexible, context-driven display without needing multiple widget instances.

    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.