Picklists are the dropdown options available for an attribute and they configurable via your Site Settings. This article outlines how to add, remove, edit, merge, and reorder picklist values across the platform.
2. How to Manage Outcome Survey Picklists
3. FAQs
Picklist Management
To begin managing a picklist, navigate to your Site Settings by selecting Site Management then Site Settings on the left hand navigation panel. Choose your desired module from the left-hand side navigation panel, and select the "Picklists" tab. Just like with attributes, picklists that are bolded can be modified in some ways whereas picklists that are unbolded are hard-coded in the site and cannot be changed.
To add a picklist value, click on the picklist, and select Add New Option from the Action button.
Type in the new option’s name, and select Save. Please note: different picklists may have a different interface for customization.
To modify a picklist value, select the 3-dot action button next to the picklist value, and select from Edit, Merge, or Delete.
Edit allows you to update the name of the attribute or modify the mapping for options that can be mapped. Not all picklist options will be available for mapping. If you'd like to learn more about picklist mapping, please see the article Picklist Configuration - Mapped & Core Values.
Merge allows you to merge to options into one. This option will update to the merged value anywhere that the option is used and will update historical data. Select the "Merge Into" drop-down to select the option you which to merge the value into. Merging options cannot be undone.
Delete allows you to delete an existing option as long as data is not tied to it. If data is already tied to that option, you will be unable to delete it. We suggest merging the value into an existing option instead.
To reorder a picklist in bulk, use the Action button to select Reorder Ascending or Reorder Descending.
To rearrange specific items in the picklist, you can also drag and drop a single picklist value using the three horizontal lines next to the value.
How to Manage Outcome Survey Picklists
To edit picklist options for Outcome Surveys:
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Select Settings from on the left hand navigation panel and select "Site Settings".
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Select "Outcome Survey" under Outcome Data and Analytics, and select the Picklists tab.
A Note on Cities: The City picklist is not searchable in your Site Settings, although it is a field that appears on your Outcomes Survey. This picklist is mapped directly to the Country picklist and cannot be customized. You will note that the Country field must be completed first, then the City picklist will populate for locations within the United States when you begin typing.
International cities, on the other hand, are not always mapped by Country. For international outcomes, you will see that when you select a Country outside the United States, the City field will not always populate results when you begin typing. For this reason, it is important to carefully review the City and Country fields of international outcomes to ensure there are no errors in reporting.
FAQs
Why can't I find the picklist I am looking for?
The "Picklist" tabs can be found under the associated module under Site Settings. For example, if you wanted to update the Student Picklist, you'd go to Site Management > Site Settings > Students & Alumni > Picklists.
I accidentally merged/deleted an option -- can I undo this change?
Actions, including merging and/or deleting picklist values, can not be undone. Please use caution when managing a picklist, as changes are permanent.
I am receiving an “option cannot be deleted” error when I attempt to delete a picklist value.
This error indicates that there is data associated to this value on your platform. For example, there may be outcome surveys for which students have indicated this value for the specified field. Please remove all associated data before deleting this option (e.g. update each outcome survey such that no outcomes have this value indicated for the field). Alternatively, you can merge this option into another option.
Why can't I edit, reorder, or add new options to some picklists?
If you are unable to make changes to the items in a picklist, it may be because the picklist is either core to the platform and cannot be customized or it has its own interface for customization.
Why can't I edit the Student Group picklist?
The Student Group picklist has it's own interface for customization. To update Student Group options, go to Site Management > Manage Users > Students & Alumni > Student Groups.
To learn more about Student Group management, please see this article.