Reference Fields – Servis.ai

In FreeAgent, Reference Fields are used to establish connections between Apps.

For example, in a traditional B2B sales setup, the Opportunities App will have a Reference Field called Account that links an Opportunity record to an Account record.

This allows users to see which Account an Opportunity is associated with and makes navigating between the Opportunity record and the associated Account record fast and easy.

Edition Qualifier: This feature is available in all FreeAgent Editions.

This article covers the following topics:

FAQs

What is a Reference Field?

A Reference Field is a field in an App record that links to another App record in a different App. See below to learn more.

How do Reference Fields improve business processes in FreeAgent?

Reference Fields can be used to streamline your business processes in several key ways. See below to learn more.

Can I configure my own Reference Fields in FreeAgent?

Yes. You can configure your Reference Fields in the Form Fields tab of the App Settings.

Can Reference Fields be used to link records between custom APPs in FreeAgent?

Yes. You can configure your own Reference Fields in your own custom Apps.

What types of relationships can be created using Reference Fields in FreeAgent?

Reference fields can create one-to-many or many-to-many relationships between records. See below to learn more.

Can changes to a referenced record trigger updates in the referencing record?

Yes. Through automation, changes to a referenced record can trigger updates in the referencing record.

What is a Reference Field?

A Reference Field is a field in an App record that links to another App record in a different App.

Some common examples include:

Account field in the Opportunities App- An Account field in the Opportunities App that links an opportunity to an associated account record.
Contact field in the Tickets App- A Contact field in the Tickets App that links to the primary contact record associated with a ticket.
Campaign field in the Leads App- A Campaign field in the Leads App that links to the marketing campaign that generated the lead.

How do Reference Fields improve business processes?

Reference Fields can be used to streamline your business process through:

Faster navigation between records- FreeAgent users can easily navigate between linked records using Reference Fields.
Improved data consistency- Changes made in an App record can be updated automatically in all other App records linked to that record via Reference Fields.
Enhanced Reporting and Analysis- Reference Fields enable FreeAgent users to generate reports that pull data from multiple Apps. For example, you can generate a report that analyzes Opportunities based on industry data pulled from Account records.
Related Lists- In FreeAgent, Reference Fields are used to create Related Lists. See our article on Related Lists to learn more.

Reference Field relationships

In FreeAgent, the relationship between individual records helps define how information is stored, organized, and accessed.

One-to-many relationships

A one-to-many relationship refers to an App record that can have multiple different App records associated with it.

For example, an account record can be associated with many different contact records, but each contact record can only be associated with a single account record.

The one-to-many relationship is commonly used in scenarios where there is a clear hierarchy, such as a parent-child relationship. See our App Relationships article to learn more.

Many-to-many relationships

In FreeAgent, a many-to-many relationship means that multiple records in one App can be associated with multiple records in another App and vice versa.

It is a network of connections where each record is linked to various others. This is useful for defining the more complex and interconnected relationships.

For example, the Contacts App and the Opportunites App share a many-to-many relationship. This means the Contact App can have Reference Fields that link to Opportunity records and the Opportunities App can have Reference Fields that link to Contact records.

This is beneficial because an opportunity can involve several contacts and a contact can be involved in several opportunities. Linking these records in FreeAgent allows for better collaboration, greater visibility, and more comprehensive reporting.

How to configure a Reference Field

Navigate to the Form Fields tab in the App Settings

There are two ways to access the Form Fields tab in the App Settings.

1. From the Navigation Menu, go to Settings > Apps and select the App you'd like to add the Reference Field to. Next, select the Form Fields tab from the menu bar across the top.

2. From the Apps Home Page, hover your cursor over an App icon and you'll see the gear icon appear in the top right corner. Click on it to enter the App Settings for that App. Next, select the Form Fields tab from the menu bar across the top.

Add Field

Navigate to the App you want to configure the Reference field in and click the Add Field button.

You will be presented with the Select Field Type menu. Select the Reference icon.

Configure the Reference Field - Basic Settings

In the Reference window, you will be able to name the Reference Field, provide a brief description and hint to its purpose, and choose what App the Reference Field will reference.

Field Name

The Field Name field allows you to choose a name for the Reference Field. Use a name that is simple and informative and tells you what kind of record the Reference Field will contain.

This is a required field (*).

Field Description and Field Hint

In the Field Description and Field Hint fields, you can provide a brief description of your Reference Field and a hint that lets users know what kind of information it is referencing. The description will appear under the Reference Field’s fillable form box when the Reference Field is selected.

Section

The Section field is where you will select the section of the App record that the Reference Field will be displayed in. Your options are based on the App sections of the App you are creating the Reference Field in.

For example, in the Accounts App you could include a Contacts Reference Field in the Company Information section or the Account Details section of the Account record.

Type

The Type field allows you to make the Reference Field a single-select field or a multi-select field. If you choose Reference - Multi Select, you will be able to choose multiple records from the selected App. Options will appear in a drop-down menu.

For example, you could make Contacts a multi-select Reference Field in the Accounts App. This would allow you to link all the contact records associated with an account record in a single field.

This is a required field (*).

Reference Object

The Reference Object field is where you will specify the App the reference Field will be referencing. You will be able to choose from among all your existing Apps.

This is a required field (*).

Configure the Reference Field - Advanced Settings

If you select the Show Advanced Settings button, an Additional Settings section will appear.

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Reference Qualifier and Qualifier Value

The Reference Qualifier and Qualifier Value fields allow you to limit the options available when selecting a value for the Reference Field.

For example, if you want to add a Products Reference Field to your Quote records, you could limit the products available to select from to only those products you currently have in stock.

In this case, you would set the Reference Qualifier to Products and the Qualifier Value to In-stock.

Default Value

The Default Value field allows you to set a default value for the Reference Field. Users can override the default value if desired.

Show Card

The Show Card field allows you to display a card when hovering over the Reference Field to provide more detailed information at a glance.