Create & Manage Lookups

Lookups allow you to create and store a table of contents within CivicOptimize that can be used to look up and populate data across multiple forms. This new feature requires no custom coding or use of APIs.

You can also still create Dynamic Lookups to query content external to the CivicOptimize platform using APIs.  

Populate Number or Text Elements

When populating elements with content in a Lookup you can choose between two types of content, text and numeric elements. Selecting Text will allow you to populate Text, Multi-line Text, Email, Phone Number, Barcode Scanner, Radio Button, Select, and Autocomplete elements. Selecting Numeric will allow you to populate Number elements. This configuration can be found on the right of your column name.

Populating Number elements provides the ability to do calculations, payments, and more advanced conditional logic.

Lookup Limitations

• Supported Element Types: Lookups currently only support text-based and number-based values and content. Meaning elements that are able to be looked up and populated with data include: Text, Multi-line Text, Email, Phone Number, Barcode Scanner, Radio Button, Select, Autocomplete, and Number.
• Offline: At the moment Lookups are not supported when the user of the form is offline, the lookup requires the user to be connected to a network.

Instructions

1. Navigate to Advanced Tools and select Lookups
   
   
2. Click the + button in the lower right corner
   
3. Add a Lookup Label and click Save
   
   
4. Click Edit to start building your lookup
   
5. Select the Environment(s) you wish to add the lookup to
   
6. Add content by following the instructions to Upload a CSV, Import Form Elements, Import List Rows, or Manually Add Rows and Elements
   
   
   Note: In the Lookup table, the row is the value that the user will be looking up in the form and the column will be the element that will be pre-filled with content.

Upload From CSV

1. Select Upload from CSV to use a file with pre-built rows and columns
   
   
   Note: Uploading a CSV will replace any rows or elements that you have already created for the lookup. View a Lookup CSV Example.

Import Columns from Form Elements

You can use an existing form to populate the columns/elements of the lookup. 

1. Select Import and choose Import form elements
   
   
2. Select a Form from the drop-down
   
3. Check the boxes next to the elements you wish to add to your Lookup
   
4. Select Import
   
   
5. The elements will now show as columns on your lookup
   
6. You can manually add row values or import rows from lists

Import Rows from Lists

1. Select Import and choose Import rows from list
   
2. Select a List from the drop-down
   
   
   Note: Learn how to create a list.
3. Check the boxes next to the items you wish to include
   
4. Click Import
   
   
5. The list items will now show as rows on your lookup
   
6. Fill out the element information for each value/row
   
   
   Note: If your element data is numeric you can click the Set values to be numeric values (123) icon in the top right corner of the column. 
   
7. Click Save
   
   
8. You can now add your lookup to a form

Manually Add Rows & Elements

In the Lookup table, the row is the value that the user will be looking up in the form and the column will be the element that will be pre-filled with content.

1. Click Add Row to start building the table. 
   
2. Enter a Value (name) for the row and click Save
   
   
   Note: Adding a row to the table will allow you to populate corresponding form elements when the value of the row is entered or selected on the Lookup form element.
   • Use clear value: Toggle on if you wish to add a clear value row to populate form elements when a Lookup element is cleared. Only one clear value row per lookup is allowed. The form element option 'run lookup on clear' must be configured. 
3. Click the Element column to update the name
   
4. Add an Element name and click Save
   
   
5. If needed, click Add Element to add additional columns
   
   
   Note: Adding an element to the table will allow that element to be populated with content whenever a user enters or selects the corresponding value on the Lookup form element.
6. Fill out the element information for the value
   
7. Add additional rows, as needed
   
   
   Note: By default, the columns will be set to text values. Click the 123 icon in the top right corner to change to numeric values. 
   
8. You can click Copy to Environment to allow the lookup to be used on forms in other environments
   
9. Once you are finished building your lookup, click Save
   
   
10. You can now add your lookup to a form

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Export & Edit Lookup Data in a CSV

You can export a lookup as a CSV, make modifications in Excel or Google Sheets, and then import the changes into the Lookup table.

1. Navigate to Advanced Tools and select Lookups
   
   
2. Click Edit next to your lookup
   
   
3. Select Download CSV to export the existing lookup data
   
4. Edit the CSV as needed by adding additional columns or rows
   
5. Replace the existing lookup data by uploading your updated CSV
   

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Supporting Articles

• Add a Lookup to a Form
• Create & Manage Dynamic Lookups