Custom Widgets let you decide what is shown on the Summary tab of a record. You can add lists of related records, for example open tasks on a project, and a box for writing comments, emails and SMS. With Own layout you can also move the built-in widgets, such as Key Fields and Comments, choose the number of columns, and build the whole page yourself.
Users see the most important related information and can act on it without leaving the record. This saves clicks and gives everyone the same overview.
Administrators set up the widgets per module. All users see them on the records.
What you can do
- Show related records: list records from one or more related modules, with your own columns, sorting and filter.
- Choose the look of a list: a clean list or a table with header and lines, with or without view and edit icons, and with long rows on one line or wrapped.
- Show records from a hierarchy: if a record has none of its own, show those of its parent or child records, for example the membership lines of the company group.
- Arrange the whole page: with Own layout, choose 1 to 6 columns and move the built-in widgets (Key Fields, Documents, Activities, Comments and others) between the custom widgets, or leave them out.
- Create records quickly: add a quick create row at the top of a list.
- Mark records as done: tick a checkbox on a row. Completed records are shown struck through.
- Write from the record: add a composer for comments, emails and SMS.
- Hide standard widgets: hide Comments, Activities or Documents.
- Arrange the layout: drag widgets between columns and change their order.
Set up a widget
- Go to Settings > App Management > Custom Widgets.
- Choose the module under Select Module.
- Click Add Widget and choose the type under Select type of widget.
- Fill in the settings below and click Save.
- Drag the widget to the column and position you want. Use the pencil icon to edit a widget and the trash icon to delete it.
Own layout: move the built-in widgets
By default, the built-in widgets of a module (for example Key Fields and Documents on the left, Activities and Comments on the right) are always shown at the top of their column, and custom widgets are added below them. Most modules have 2 columns; some, such as Projects, have 3.
Tick Own layout at the top of the page to place everything yourself for the selected module:
- The first time you turn it on, the module's built-in widgets are added to the list as Built-in widget entries, in the same columns and order as on the standard summary view. The summary view looks the same as before.
- Choose the number of Columns (1 to 6). It starts at the module's standard number. With 2 columns, the first is narrow and the second wide, as on the standard view; with any other number, the columns are equally wide. Widgets in a column that no longer exists are moved to the last column.
- Drag the entries to change the order or column, also between your own widgets.
- To leave out a built-in widget, edit it and untick Active, or delete it. You can add it again with Add Widget > Built-in widget.
Untick Own layout to go back to the standard layout. Your arrangement is kept, so you can turn it on again later. Own layout is set per module, so other modules are not affected.
With Own layout, Hide Default Widgets is not used. Built-in widgets that are not in the list are not shown. This includes boxes that a module shows through its own customer-specific code.
The columns and order also apply in the new interface for Key Fields, Documents, Activities and Comments. Other built-in widgets, such as Tickets or Milestones on projects, are only shown in the classic interface.
Related module
Shows a list of related records.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Label | The widget title. |
| Limit of entries | Number of records shown before the user loads more. |
| Related module | One or more modules to list. The module must be related to the selected module. Required. |
| Columns | The fields shown for each record. |
| Sort By | The field and order (ASC or DESC). When set, users can also drag rows to change the order. |
| List Filter | Only show records that match a saved list filter of the related module. None shows all related records. |
| Quick Create Bar | Adds a row at the top of the list for creating a record. |
| Status Field, Status Values | A dropdown field and the values that count as completed. Rows get a checkbox, and completed records are shown struck through. |
| Widget Style | Default (list) or Timeline. |
| Table style | Clean (a simple list) or Table (grey header row, border and lines between the rows). |
| Icons on each row | View and edit, View only, Edit only or None. Controls the eye and pencil icons at the start of each row. |
| Long rows | One line, scroll sideways keeps each row on one line, and the user scrolls to see more columns. Wrap, show everything wraps the text so all columns fit in the box. |
| Fallback via hierarchy field | Optional. A field on the module that points to the same module, for example the parent organization. Used when the record has no records of its own (see below). Empty = off. |
| Direction, Max depth | Up follows the field (the parent), Down finds records that point to this record (the children), Both does both. Max depth is how many levels are searched (default 5). |
| Active | Turns the widget on or off. |
Add button, Select button and Filter are not used in the new interface yet.
Table style, icons and long rows apply in the classic interface. Without a choice, the widget looks as before: clean, with both icons and one line per row. With Wrap, very long text fields are still shortened with "…".
Records from a hierarchy
When Fallback via hierarchy field is set and the record has no records of its own, the widget looks one level away first (parent and children), then two levels away, and so on. The first level with records is shown. If several records at that level have records, they are combined, sorted and limited like the widget's own list.
Rows from another record are greyed out and have a hierarchy icon. Hover it to see which record they belong to, and click it to open that record. The rows can still be opened, edited and used with buttons. A record that points to itself, or a loop in the hierarchy, is handled safely.
This works in the classic interface.
Buttons on the rows
Buttons set up with the view Summary widget (see the article on Buttons) are shown in their own column at the end of each row. They run on the record in the row, and only the widget refreshes afterwards.
Built-in widget
Places one of the module's built-in widgets (Key Fields, Activities, Documents, Comments, …). Used only when Own layout is on.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Built-in widget | Which built-in widget to show. |
| Label | The name in the list. The widget itself keeps its own title. |
| Active | Shows or hides the widget. |
Composer
Lets users write comments, emails and SMS from the record.
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Label | The widget title. |
| Modules TO Include | Comments, Email and/or SMS. Each becomes a tab in the composer. |
| Submit Email As | A dropdown field on the record, for example Status on tickets. When sending an email, the user can set a new value at the same time. |
| Height | The height of the composer. |
| Active | Turns the widget on or off. |
Email recipients can be picked from the email fields of linked records, for example the contact or organization.
Other widget types
Comments and Dashboard Widget can be set up, but are not shown in the new interface yet.
Hide standard widgets
Under Hide Default Widgets, tick the widgets you want to hide on the selected module:
- Comments: the comment box and recent comments.
- Activities: the list of events and tasks.
- Documents: the list of documents.
This is not used when Own layout is on. Untick Active on the built-in widget instead.
Use the widgets
Open a record and go to the Summary tab. Click a row to open the record, or use the quick create row to add a new one. Use the buttons at the end of a row, if any are set up.
Troubleshooting
A module is missing under Related module? It must be related to the selected module, so it is shown as a related list on the record.
A built-in widget disappeared after turning on Own layout? It is not in the list or not active. Add it with Add Widget > Built-in widget, or untick Own layout to go back to the standard layout.
A built-in widget in the list is not shown? The module does not show that widget on the summary view, or it is only shown in the classic interface. Delete the entry.
A column is empty in the new interface? It only has built-in widgets that are shown in the classic interface, such as Tickets or Milestones. Move other widgets there or choose fewer columns.
No field under Fallback via hierarchy field? Only fields that point to the same module are listed, for example the parent organization on organizations.
A button is cut off or hidden? The widget is too narrow. Choose Wrap, show everything under Long rows, show fewer columns, or move the widget to a wider column.
No quick create row? Tick Quick Create Bar, and check that the user can create records in the related module.
No checkboxes on the rows? Choose both a Status Field and Status Values, and at least one column.
Comments or Dashboard Widget not shown? These types are not available in the new interface yet.
Widget still shown after unticking Active? Delete the widget with the trash icon instead.