Overview
Shared Option Lists allow you to create reusable lists of dropdown options that can be shared across multiple forms. Instead of manually entering the same options in every dropdown field, you maintain a single source of truth — update the list once and all linked forms reflect the change.
Why Use Shared Option Lists?
Consistency — the same options appear everywhere they are used
Efficiency — update options in one place instead of editing each form individually
Governance — control who can modify standard option sets
Creating a Shared Option List
Quick Steps
Navigate to Settings > Dynamic Forms > Option Lists
Click to create a new option list
Enter a name (e.g. "Department List") and save
Open the option list to add items
Add items such as "Finance", "HR", "Engineering", "Marketing"
Select Save
Reordering Items in a Shared Option List
Open the shared option list
Items are displayed in their current order (e.g. A, B, C, D)
Drag an item to a new position (e.g. drag D to the first position)
The list reorders (e.g. D, A, B, C)
Select Save to persist the new order
Any form using this option list will reflect the updated order in its dropdown.
Using a Shared Option List in a Form
Open the form designer and add a Dropdown field (or select an existing one)
In the DCM, open the Options sub-tab
Change the Source* from "Custom List" to Shared Option List
A dropdown of available shared option lists appears
Select the desired list
The field is now linked to the shared option list
Important: Changes to a shared option list affect all forms linked to it. Test after modifying a shared list to ensure dependent forms still work correctly.
External API Datasets
In addition to shared option lists, dropdown fields can also pull options from an external API dataset:
Add a dropdown field to the form
Change the options source to External Dataset
Select a configured external API dataset
The dropdown will load options from the external source at runtime
Further Information
For general field configuration, see Configuring Form Field Properties. For creating forms, see Creating a Dynamic Form.