Dynamic options

A Select, Multi Select, Radio or Email Selector can load its options when the form opens. Choose where from under Options Source in the field’s properties.

Dynamic dropdowns: a dropdown filled by a workflow, one that reloads when another answer changes, and a client's Microsoft users (1:29).

Options sources

Options Source	Lists	Value sent to your workflow
Manually provide options	The options you type, or a CSV (Field reference)	The option’s value
Use workflow	What a workflow publishes (below)	The item’s Value Field
Microsoft	Users, Domains or Groups in the client’s Microsoft 365	User or group object ID, or the domain
Use integration	A list from an integration (below)	Set by the integration
Triggr	Your Clients, or your distributor Packages	Client or package ID
Use database	Rows from a SQL query (Databases)	The Value Column
Use cache	A stored list (Cache)	The Value Key
Use form params	A list in the form link’s `?params=` (below)	The item’s Value Field

Microsoft and integration lists, and client-specific database or cache lists, need a form that knows the person’s client: Microsoft or Google sign-in, or Internal with Manually Set Client. With None or Password, those lists stay empty. To hide some items, such as break-glass accounts, attach an exclusion list. A Department dropdown filled by a workflow; a Code step stands in for a lookup in your PSA.

Build the workflow

Create a workflow with a Trigger, a Code step and a Finish Workflow. It needs no trigger set up and can stay Inactive.

// Stand-in for a lookup in your PSA
return [
  { id: 'finance', name: 'Finance' },
  { id: 'sales', name: 'Sales' },
  { id: 'it', name: 'IT' }
];

The workflow designer with Trigger, List departments and Finish Workflow steps joined in a line, and the List departments step's Setup tab showing JavaScript that returns finance, sales and it items, each with an id and a name.

Publish the list

On the Code step’s Settings tab, enter departments as the Context Variable Name, tick Publish Variable and save the workflow.

The List departments step's Settings tab: Set Output As Context Variable, Context Variable Name departments, and Publish Variable ticked.

Point the field at it

Click the Department field, set Options Source to Use workflow and choose the workflow. Enter {} as Workflow Parameters (left blank, the list stays empty) and departments as Published Variable Name. Value Field and Label Field already hold id and name. Save the form.

A field's properties with Options Source Use workflow, Workflow Docs sample – Department options, Workflow Parameters {}, Published Variable Name departments, Value Field id, Label Field name and an empty Preselected Field.

Try it

Click Preview and open the dropdown.

A previewed form with a required Department dropdown open, listing Finance, Sales and IT, with a reload button beside it.

What the workflow receives

Path	Holds
`ctx.params.<Field ID>`	Every answer so far: text, `true` or `false` for a Checkbox, a list for a Multi Select, `""` when empty
`ctx.params.<key>`	Keys from Workflow Parameters and the link’s `?params=`; answers win when names clash
`ctx.metadata.source`	`form_field_options`
`ctx.metadata.loadingFormOptionsForTenantId`	The person’s client ID (from sign-in or Manually Set Client), or `""` when there’s none

Nothing about the signed-in person is passed. Each load appears on the workflow’s Runs page; Initial Context shows what arrived:

A run's Initial Context: org with defaultMicrosoftConnection microsoftSAM, an empty client, params with team Service desk and department sales, an empty project, and metadata with source form_field_options and an empty loadingFormOptionsForTenantId.

ctx.client is empty until a Set Client From Form step runs. After it, a Code step can return ctx.client.sites; to list a client variable sites holding [{"id": "ldn", "name": "London"}]. Without a client, the dropdown stays empty.

What it must return

One published variable holding a list of objects, such as [{ "id": "finance", "name": "Finance" }].
Each item needs the Value Field and Label Field keys; items missing either are left out. Numbers and true/false become text.
Items whose Preselected Field key is true start selected: the first for a Select, all of them for a Multi Select.
The run must reach Finish Workflow. Its Outcome isn’t used.

An empty list, a misnamed variable or a failed run shows “No options found”.

When it runs

The workflow runs, uncached, when the form opens, when the field appears after being hidden, when a watched field changes and when the person clicks the reload button. The field shows a spinner for up to 5 minutes, so keep the workflow to a few seconds; for slow lookups, fill a cache on a schedule and use Use cache instead.

Reload options when another answer changes

A Team dropdown listing the teams in the chosen Department. Watch Fields reload a field’s options whenever another field changes.

Build a workflow that reads the answer

As above, publish teams from a Code step that reads ctx.params.department. Marking the first team isDefault selects it.

const teams = {
  finance: ['Payroll', 'Accounts'],
  sales: ['New business', 'Renewals'],
  it: ['Service desk', 'Projects']
};
const dept = ctx.params.department;
const list = teams[dept] || [];
return list.map((t, i) => ({
  id: t, name: t, isDefault: i === 0
}));

Watch Department

Click the Team field and set Use workflow as before, with Preselected Field isDefault. Under Watch Fields, click Add Watch Field and choose Department.

The Watch Fields section of a field's properties with an Add Watch Field link, the hint When any of these fields change, this field will refetch its options, and Department chosen.

The canvas tags both fields:

Try it

In Preview, choose Sales. Team lists the Sales teams with the first one chosen.

A previewed form with Department set to Sales and the Team dropdown open, showing New business ticked and Renewals.

The field reloads half a second after the watched field’s last change, and only while it’s visible.
Only Use workflow reads the other answers. Other sources reload with the same list.
A reload keeps the current answer, even one no longer listed, unless the workflow preselects an option.
Team here also has a condition to show only when Department Is Not Empty.

Other sources

Microsoft

Choose the Data to list. Users can leave out disabled, unlicensed or guest accounts; Groups can be narrowed by type; Domains can leave out onmicrosoft.com domains.

Triggr reads the client’s tenant through the connection named in the org variable defaultMicrosoftConnection: microsoftGDAP, microsoftSAM or CIPP. Set it before you use a Microsoft list; without it the list stays empty. On Google-authenticated forms, Groups lists nothing. To try a Microsoft list in Preview, use an Internal form with Manually Set Client: Preview asks for the client first.

Integration

Choose an integration’s list, such as HaloPSA’s Get Ticket Types or CIPP’s List Users, and fill in any Action Variables. The integration sets each option’s label and value. Results are reused for a minute; the reload button fetches a fresh list.

Form params and default values

A form link can carry URL-encoded JSON in ?params=, such as ?params={"offices":[{"id":"ldn","name":"London"}],"office":"ldn"}. Use form params lists the offices items; Default Value Source From parameters picks the answer from the office key.

A field's properties with Default Value Source From parameters, Parameter Key office, Options Source Use form params, Params Property offices, Value Field id and Display Field name.

Defaults (From parameters or Static value) apply once, when the form opens; watchers reload options, not defaults. In Preview, click Debug to see the params the form received.

Troubleshooting

Microsoft or integration options are empty

For Microsoft lists, check that the org variable defaultMicrosoftConnection is set. Otherwise the form has no client: use Microsoft or Google authentication and test as a client user with Share Form > Impersonate, or Internal with Manually Set Client and pick the client in Preview.

“Error saving form - builder validation failed: field team watchFields[1] is empty”

A watch field was added without choosing a field. Choose one or remove it, then save.

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