Configure drop-down (picklist) fields

Categorizing records is critical to having meaningful processes and reports. The most common way to categorize records is according to options available in a drop-down list style field. The drop-down list style field is called a "picklist" in Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online. This article describes how to create new picklist fields and configure existing picklist fields.

On This Page Create a new picklist field Add a new picklist option Edit a picklist option Change the order of picklist options Delete a picklist option Set a default picklist option

Create a new picklist field

Each record type (entity) in Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online contains a number of attributes. All fields in the entity form represent attributes that have been added to the entity form. Not all attributes are necessarily displayed in the entity form. Before creating a new attribute, check whether a suitable picklist attribute already exists for your purpose.

1. In the Navigation Pane, click System Settings, click Customization, and then click Customize Entities.
2. Open the entity for which you want to create a new picklist attribute.
3. Under Details, click Attributes.
4. To add a new attribute, on the Actions toolbar, click New and enter the Display Name.
5. A Name will be generated based on the Display Name. You can edit the name if you wish.
6. In the Type field, select Picklist.
7. Add picklist options:
   1. In the Type column, click Add.
   2. In the Add List Value dialog box, enter a Value and a Label.
      • Value is a positive whole number below 2,147,483,646.

      Note

   If the picklist attribute is a system attribute, an attribute set by Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online by default, the value numbering starts at 200,000. Values below 200,000 are reserved.

   • Label is the text you want the option to display

   1. Click OK
8. You can specify the default value by choosing one of the available options in the Default Value field.
9. When you have finished adding options, click Save and Close.
10. Add the attribute to the form:
    1. In the entity form, click Forms and Views.
    2. In the list of forms and views, double-click Form to open the form editor.
    3. In the Common Tasks area, click Add Fields.
    4. In the Add Fields dialog box, select the picklist attribute you created.
    5. In the Location area, in the Tab and Section lists, select the tab and section in which you want to place the selected field or fields, and then click OK.
11. When you finish editing the entity, publish it.
    1. On the Actions menu, click Publish.
    2. Click Save and Close to close the entity.

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Add a new picklist option

Tip

If you are adding a new option to a picklist that has already been in use, be sure to check whether there are any scripts or workflows that are dependent on the options defined in the picklist. If you include a new option that is not incorporated into the business processes that the scripts or workflows support, you may introduce inconsistent application of the business process.

1. Navigate to the picklist attribute.
   1. In the Navigation Pane, click System Settings, click Customization, and then click Customize Entities.
   2. Open the entity you want to edit.
   3. Under Details, click Attributes.
   4. Click the Type column to sort and group attributes by type.
   5. Locate the picklist attribute and double-click it to open it.
2. In the Type column, click Add.
3. In the Add List Value dialog box, enter a Value and a Label.
   • Value is a positive whole number below 2,147,483,646.

     Note

If the picklist attribute is a system attribute, an attribute set by Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online by default, the value numbering starts at 200,000. Values below 200,000 are reserved.

• Label is the text you want the option to display.

1. When you are finished editing the picklist option, click OK.
2. Click Save and Close to close the attribute form.
3. When you finish editing the entity, publish it.
   1. On the Actions menu, click Publish.
   2. Click Save and Close to close the entity.

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Edit a picklist option

Picklist options have two parts:

• The value is a number that is unique for the field and is saved in the database.
• The label is the text that is displayed to the user that represents the value.

You can change the label without changing the value to make the meaning of the option clearer.

1. Navigate to the picklist attribute.
   1. In the Navigation Pane, click System Settings, click Customization, and then click Customize Entities.
   2. Open the entity you want to edit.
   3. Under Details, click Attributes.
   4. Click the Type column to sort and group attributes by type.
   5. Locate the picklist attribute and double-click it to open it.
2. In the Type column, click Edit.
3. Change the Label to the text you want to use.

   Note

When editing the Value:

• For custom picklist attributes, you can set the value to any positive whole number below 2,147,483,646 as long as it isn't used by another option.
• For system picklist attributes, a picklist attribute set by Microsoft Dynamics CRM Online by default, you can only change the value of the picklist option to a number above 199,999 that isn't used by another option.

1. When you are finished editing the picklist option, click OK.
2. Click Save and Close to close the attribute form.
3. When you finish editing the entity, publish it.
   1. On the Actions menu, click Publish.
   2. Click Save and Close to close the entity.

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Change the order of picklist options

Generally, you want the most frequently used options to be available at the top of a picklist. However, if the number of options is long or there isn't any particular option that is used more frequently you may want to sort them alphabetically.

1. Navigate to the picklist attribute.
   1. In the Navigation Pane, click System Settings, click Customization, and then click Customize Entities.
   2. Open the entity you want to edit.
   3. Under Details, click Attributes.
   4. Click the Type column to sort and group attributes by type.
   5. Locate the picklist attribute and double-click it to open it.
2. To position options individually, in the Type column, select the option and click Move Up or Move Down.
3. To sort all options alphabetically, in the Type column, click Sort Ascending or Sort Descending.
4. Click Save and Close to close the attribute form.
5. When you finish editing the entity, publish it.
   1. On the Actions menu, click Publish.
   2. Click Save and Close to close the entity.

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Delete a picklist option

Important

If any records currently use the picklist option you are deleting, the data in the field will be invalid. It will not be possible to locate the record using the picklist field value as a criteria in Advanced Find.

When a record using the deleted value is opened, the default picklist option will be displayed, but the data values stored in the record for that field will not be updated until someone manually saves the record.

Before deleting a picklist option used by any records, you should locate those records using Advanced Find and bulk edit them so that the field value for the picklist uses a different option.

1. Navigate to the picklist attribute.
   1. In the Navigation Pane, click System Settings, click Customization, and then click Customize Entities.
   2. Open the entity you want to edit.
   3. Under Details, click Attributes.
   4. Click the Type column to sort and group attributes by type.
   5. Locate the picklist attribute and double-click it to open it.
2. In the Type column, select the option and click Delete.
3. Click OK at the message to continue.
4. Click Save and Close to close the attribute form.
5. When you finish editing the entity, publish it.
   1. On the Actions menu, click Publish.
   2. Click Save and Close to close the entity.

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Set a default picklist option

A default option is a great time saver when you can assume that a particular value is true the majority of the time. However, by setting a default option you never know for sure if people took the time to consider if the option was appropriate for a particular record. If the quality of the data in a picklist field is critical to your business process, make the field required and do not set a default option.

1. Navigate to the picklist attribute.
   1. In the Navigation Pane, click System Settings, click Customization, and then click Customize Entities.
   2. Open the entity you want to edit.
   3. Under Details, click Attributes.
   4. Click the Type column to sort and group attributes by type.
   5. Locate the picklist attribute and double-click it to open it.
2. In the Type column, in the Default Value field, select the option that should be the default value, or select Unassigned Value if a default value should not be set.
3. Click Save and Close to close the attribute form.
4. When you finish editing the entity, publish it.
   1. On the Actions menu, click Publish.
   2. Click Save and Close to close the entity.

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Related Links

Configure fields

Create or Edit Entity Attributes

Entity customizations