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Catalog Audience: User Criteria and Visibility

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In this lesson, you will learn:

  • What user criteria are
  • Available for and Not available for
  • SNWR’s two criteria
  • How to test visibility

🔁 Quick look back: Last time: Multi-Row Variable Sets. You learned how a multi-row variable set lets Sam order several apps in one form.

1 “Why can the contractor order a laptop?”

A contractor orders a new laptop.

  • SNWR doesn’t give laptops to contractors.
  • Desktop Support has to cancel it.
  • London’s desk-booking item also shows in Mumbai.

🎯 The problem: When everyone sees every item, people order things they can’t have.

👉 The fix: show each item only to the people who can order it, with user criteria.

2 How it works

Key term: User criteria

A rule that describes a set of users, like “everyone in London”.

Key term: Available for

Only users who match can see and order the item.

Key term: Not available for

Users who match can’t see the item. This wins over Available for.

SNWR's two user criteria. SNWR Employees: company is SNWR. Contractors belong to their agency's company, so they don't match. Used on the Hardware category, Available for. SNWR London Office users: location is SNWR London Office. Used on London desk booking, Available for. A note says Not available for always wins over Available for.
Figure 1. User criteria decide who sees what.

3 Where to put them

Put criteria on… When
A category Every item inside follows the same rule
An item Just this item is different

⚠️ Heads up: A user must be able to see the category too. If the category is hidden, its items are hidden.

💡 Good to know: Need a refresher? See Fundamentals › Service Catalog › Catalog Items & User Criteria.

4 Let’s try it: set and test user criteria

  1. Open Service Catalog › Catalog Policy › User Criteria. Create SNWR Employees with Company = SNWR.
  2. Create SNWR London Office users with Location = SNWR London Office.
  3. Add SNWR Employees to the Available for list on the Hardware category.
  4. Impersonate Sam (Mumbai). He should see Hardware, but not London desk booking.
  5. Impersonate a contractor. Hardware should be hidden. If it still shows, log out and in again, as criteria can be cached.

5 Quick recap

  • User criteria describe a set of users
  • Available for lets them see an item
  • Not available for hides it, and always wins
  • Put criteria on a category to cover all its items
  • Always test by impersonating

6 Check yourself

Think of your answer first. Then tap to check.

1 A user matches both Available for and Not available for. Can they see the item? Show answer

No. Not available for wins.

2 Why doesn’t a contractor match SNWR Employees? Show answer

Contractors belong to their agency’s company, not SNWR.

3 You want all hardware hidden from contractors. Where do you add criteria? Show answer

On the Hardware category.

4 How do you test visibility? Show answer

Impersonate users, like Sam and a contractor.

Nice work! Each SNWR item now shows to the right people. 🎉
Next up: Catalog Roles and Delegated Management

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