Reference Fields in Servis.ai are designed to create connections between different Apps, enabling seamless navigation and data organization.

In a B2B sales environment, for example, the Opportunities App typically includes a Reference Field named "Account". This field links each Opportunity record to a corresponding Account record.

Benefits

Clear Relationships – Users can easily identify which Account an Opportunity is linked to.
Efficient Navigation – Switching between Opportunity and Account records is quick and seamless.
Better Organization – Helps maintain structured data relationships within the system.

Edition Qualifier: This feature is available in all Servis.ai Editions.

This article covers the following topics:

What is a Reference Field?
How to Configure a Reference Field
- Add Field
Configure the Reference Field - Basic Settings
Configure the Reference Field - Advanced Settings
- Reference Qualifier and Qualifier Value

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 Servis.ai?

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 Servis.ai?

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 Servis.ai?

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

What types of relationships can be created using Reference Fields in Servis.ai?

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- Servis.ai 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 Servis.ai 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 Servis.ai, Reference Fields are used to create Related Lists. See our article on Related Lists to learn more.

Reference Field relationships

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

One-to-many relationships

A one-to-many relationship is a data structure where a single record in one App can be linked to multiple records in another App.

Example:

In a business context, an account record may be linked to multiple contact records, meaning:

One Account can have many associated contacts.
Each Contact, however, belongs to only one account.

This type of relationship is useful when organizing data in a hierarchical structure, such as parent-child relationships, where a primary record manages or oversees multiple related records.

Many-to-many relationships

A many-to-many relationship occurs when records in one App can be linked to multiple records in another, and vice versa.

Example:

Consider the Contacts App and the Opportunities App:

A single contact can be involved in multiple opportunities.
An opportunity can involve multiple contacts.

In Servis.ai, this relationship is established using Reference Fields:

The Contacts App includes Reference Fields that link to Opportunity records.
The Opportunities App includes Reference Fields that link to Contact records.

Benefits of Many-to-Many Relationships in Servis.ai:

Enhanced Collaboration: Multiple contacts can work together on the same opportunity.
Improved Visibility: Easily track which contacts are associated with specific opportunities.
Comprehensive Reporting: Generate detailed reports that reflect the interconnected nature of contacts and opportunities.

Navigating to Form Fields

Go to Settings > Apps, select the app you'd like to add the field to and select the 'Form Fields' tab.

Configuring a Reference Field

To set up a Reference field in your app, follow these steps:

Add a New Field: Click the Add Field button to open the Field Type selection window.

Select Choice Type: From the list of available field types, choose the Reference option.

Configure the Field: After selecting the Phone field, proceed with the configuration settings as needed.

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.

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.