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Field Status Indicators

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In this lesson, you will learn:

  • How to tell if a field is mandatory
  • How to spot a read-only field
  • How ServiceNow shows fields you’ve changed but not saved

1 Fields that talk to you

Fields on a form give you small visual hints. These hints are called field status indicators. They tell you what you must fill in, what you can’t change, and what you have changed. 🚦

Four field states side by side. Mandatory and empty: a red asterisk next to the label, and the form won't save until it's filled. Mandatory and filled: the asterisk turns grey. Read-only: the field is greyed out and can't be edited. Changed but not saved: a marker next to the field shows it has a new value that hasn't been saved yet.
Figure 1. Red asterisk = must fill. Grey box = can’t change. Marker = changed, not saved.

2 The indicators

You see It means What to do
Red asterisk * Mandatory and still empty Fill it in before you save
Grey asterisk Mandatory, and it has a value You’re good!
Greyed-out field Read-only You can look, but not change it
Changed marker You changed it, but haven’t saved yet Save, or your change is lost

Key term: Mandatory field

A field that must have a value before the record can be saved. Also called a required field.

Key term: Read-only field

A field you can see but can’t change.

3 Trying to save with empty mandatory fields

If you click Submit or Update while a mandatory field is empty, ServiceNow stops you. It shows a message like “The following mandatory fields are not filled in”, and the record isn’t saved.

💡 Good to know: Look for red asterisks before you click Submit. It saves you a click!

4 Why do fields change status?

A field isn’t always mandatory or read-only. It can change as you fill in the form. For example:

  • When State becomes Resolved, the Resolution notes field may become mandatory.
  • When an incident is Closed, many fields may become read-only.

Admins set these rules with UI policies, data policies, and security rules. You’ll build them in the Advanced track.

⭐ Remember: Red = must fill. Grey box = can’t change. Marker = unsaved change.

5 Let’s try it: spot the signs

  1. Open Incident > Create New. Find the fields with a red asterisk.
  2. Click Submit without filling them in. What message do you see?
  3. Fill in one mandatory field. Does its asterisk turn grey?
  4. Find a greyed-out field, like Number. Can you type in it?
  5. Change a field and look for the changed marker. Then leave without saving to see what happens.

6 Quick recap

  • Red asterisk = mandatory and empty
  • Grey asterisk = mandatory and filled
  • Greyed-out field = read-only
  • A changed marker shows unsaved changes
  • Rules like UI policies can change a field’s status as you work

7 Check yourself

Think of your answer first. Then tap to check.

1 A field has a red asterisk. What does that mean? Show answer

It’s mandatory and still empty. Fill it in before saving.

2 You can’t type in the Number field. Why? Show answer

It’s read-only.

3 Name one tool admins use to make a field mandatory only in some cases. Show answer

A UI policy (or a data policy).

Nice work! You finished this lesson. 🎉

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