What is the difference between a dynamic field and a dependent field?
The difference is what changes when you select a value in the source field:
Configuration | What changes | When to use it |
Dynamic field | The target field appears or is hidden. | When you only need to request information in specific situations. |
Dependent field | The options available in the target list change. | When valid options depend on a previous selection. |
In both cases, a source field controls another field’s behaviour within the same entity.
The source field must be a value list.
To configure a dependency, the target field must also be a value list.
Configure a dynamic field
Go to Fields and select the relevant entity.
Find the field you want to show or hide.
Hover over its row and select the pencil icon.
Expand Dynamic visibility settings.
Under Field that controls visibility, select the source field.
Under Values that display the field, select the values that will make it appear.
Select Save.
To also configure mandatory status, read-only mode, or a default value for each selection, see the article about Smart Fields.
Practical example: display a field only for contractors
Situation and objective
A building materials company works with distributors, contractors, and end customers.
It only needs to record the estimated monthly purchase volume for contractors.
Configuration
Configuration
Configure both fields within the same entity:
Element | Configuration |
Source field | Customer type. |
Source field options | Distributor, Contractor, and End customer. |
Target field | Estimated monthly purchase volume. |
Value that displays the field | Contractor. |
Expected result
Expected result
Customer type selection | Is Estimated monthly purchase volume displayed? |
Distributor | No |
Contractor | Yes |
End customer | No |
Here, the target field’s visibility changes. The form only requests the purchase volume when relevant.
Configure a dependent field
Go to Fields and select the relevant entity.
Find the selection field whose options you want to limit.
Hover over its row and select the pencil icon.
Under Field that controls values (dependency), select the source field.
Select Save.
Go to Value lists and open the list associated with the dependent field.
Configure the relationship between its options and the source field’s values.
Selecting the source field establishes the dependency. The list configuration determines which options correspond to each value.
Practical example: offer finishes according to the material
Situation and objective
A company offers different finishes for wood, metal, and stone.
It needs the “Available finish” field to offer only the options corresponding to the selected material.
Configuration
Configuration
Configure both fields within the same entity:
Element | Configuration |
Source field | Material type, configured as a value list. |
Source field options | Wood, Metal, and Stone. |
Dependent field | Available finish, also configured as a value list. |
Link the values in both lists:
Selected material | Available finishes |
Wood | Natural, Dark stain, and Varnished. |
Metal | Galvanised, Painted, and Brushed. |
Stone | Polished, Aged, and Rustic. |
Expected result
Expected result
When you select “Wood”, the finish list offers “Natural”, “Dark stain”, and “Varnished”.
When you change the selection to “Metal”, it offers “Galvanised”, “Painted”, and “Brushed”.
Here, the target list’s options change. This relationship helps prevent users from selecting finishes that do not match the material.
Good practice
Define the expected result first: show or hide a field, or limit a list’s options.
Check that the source and target fields belong to the same entity.
For dependencies, review the options associated with each source value to avoid incomplete lists or incorrect relationships.
Test all source values, including those that should not display the field or have no associated options.
Change the selection after completing the target field and check what happens to the information.
Verify the result in the web and mobile apps when the field is available in both.
Before making it available to the team, check the configuration in creation and editing forms.
If you need to combine visibility with other behaviour conditions, review the specific Smart Fields configuration.