Custom Module-Based Dependent Fields with FAFR
In the dynamic world of IT service management, form simplicity and accuracy play a major role in how smoothly requests are handled. However, many organizations face a recurring challenge—dependent field limitations within ServiceDesk Plus.
Currently, the system supports dependency only between Category, Subcategory, and Item fields. But what if your use case involves a different field structure—like Zone → Region → District → Cluster or Product Type → Model → Part Number? Unfortunately, existing additional fields don’t offer native support for creating such dependencies.
💡 The Solution: Field and Form Rules (FAFR) with Custom Module-Driven Data
To bridge this gap, we recommend leveraging the power of Field and Form Rules (FAFR) combined with structured data from a custom module.
This approach unlocks powerful new capabilities:
✅ Define multi-level dependent fields based on real-time user selections
✅ Build dynamic dropdowns without requiring custom modules
✅ Use easily updatable Custom Module to map thousands of combinations
✅ Improve accuracy, speed, and user experience on every form
🛠️ How It Works
Currently, the system supports dependency only between Category, Subcategory, and Item fields. But what if your use case involves a different field structure—like Zone → Region → District → Cluster or Product Type → Model → Part Number? Unfortunately, existing additional fields don’t offer native support for creating such dependencies.
💡 The Solution: Field and Form Rules (FAFR) with Custom Module-Driven Data
To bridge this gap, we recommend leveraging the power of Field and Form Rules (FAFR) combined with structured data from a custom module.
This approach unlocks powerful new capabilities:
✅ Define multi-level dependent fields based on real-time user selections
✅ Build dynamic dropdowns without requiring custom modules
✅ Use easily updatable Custom Module to map thousands of combinations
✅ Improve accuracy, speed, and user experience on every form
🛠️ How It Works
- Prepare a CSV that maps your dependency levels (e.g., Zone → Region → District → Cluster).
- Import this data in a Custom Module or use it directly in the script logic.
- Configure Field and Form Rules to filter child field options based on the selected parent.
- Deploy the logic in your request template—and watch your forms respond dynamically!
🚀 Why This Matters
By shifting to the Custom Module + FAFR approach, you're not just working around system limitations—you’re enabling smarter, cleaner, and highly scalable forms. Whether you're in Facilities, HR, IT, or Procurement, this method delivers context-aware interactions that improve form accuracy, reduce manual errors, and enhance service delivery.
🔍 Implementation Approaches
There are two primary methods to implement dependent field logic:
- Using a Custom Module
🛠️ How to Set It Up
1. Define the Additional Fields
Start by adding the following single-line additional fields in your request template:
- Zone – Will be transformed into a picklist (with values sourced from a CSV)
- Region – Dependent on the selected Zone
- District – Dependent on the selected Region
- Cluster – Dependent on the selected District
These fields will function as cascading picklists, where each selection dynamically filters the next.
2. Create the Custom Module
Admin > Custom Module > New
Add 4 custom additional field.
- Zone – Single Line field -Primary Data
- Region – Single Line field, Dependent on the selected Zone
- District – Single Line field, Dependent on the selected Region
- Cluster – Single Line field, Dependent on the selected Distric
Set permission for the newly created module. Ensure requesters have view permission.
3. Import Data into Custom Module:
- Navigate to the created custom module
- Click on import
- Select the CSV from which the data has to be imported.
- Make sure the headers match the field names in the module.
4. Implement the Script Logic
- Download the script provided with this article.
- Go to your desired Request Template → Field and Form Rules → On Load → New Rule
- Paste the script into the editor and update the field names to match your actual Request Additional Fields.
📌 Make sure the Custom module field names exactly match the column names used in the script.
💡 Need help finding the field names?
- In the FAFR editor, simply start typing the field label—it will auto-suggest the corresponding field name.
- In Custom module, we can see the Field Names in the Field List tab.
5. Activate the Script
- Set the script to execute On Form Load
- Once configured, the script will dynamically convert your single-line fields into smart picklists, loading values from the CSV file based on user selections—creating a seamless, responsive form experience.
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