Workflow: How to create a drop-down field with more than 2000 values

<p>You can create up to 2,000 values in a <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408838961562-About-custom-field-types" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">custom dropdown list field</a>. If you need to add more than 2,000 options to a custom dropdown list, use one of the solutions in this tutorial to work around the 2,000-option limit for a single custom dropdown field.</p><p>This workflow includes the options below:</p><div style="margin-bottom: 20px; text-align: right;">
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</script><div class="accordion"><h3 id="h_01HKAD396F9RTTNT7Q9YMCN69V">Option 1: Custom objects</h3></div><div class="panel">
<p>If you have a list of more than 2,000 products, create a <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/5914453843994-Understanding-custom-objects" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">custom object</a> for products. Create a custom object record for each product. Next, create a custom lookup relationship ticket field that lets agents search all product options in a single ticket field. End users cannot interact directly with custom lookup fields.</p>
<h4 id="h_01KVYZAZSZ4V0W28CWC73H9MKZ">To create custom objects with a dropdown field with more than 2,000 values:</h4>
<ol>
<li data-list-item-id="ee71ae4cbfa7e26c11e424574587f9502">
<a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/5392409465370#topic_scr_vmy_kwb" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Create a custom object in Admin Center</a> with "Product" as the <strong>Display name*</strong>
</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e02625314d2ba87966957c3ffc448fe93">Then add custom object records for your products<br><img src="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/article_attachments/7856558388762" alt="" width="500" height="554">
</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e5919f87ceaeea1fbabb74f957556133d">In <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4581766374554#topic_hfg_dyz_1hb" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Support</a>, click the <strong>Custom objects</strong> icon (<img src="https://zen-marketing-documentation.s3.amazonaws.com/docs/en/icon_custom_objects_records_page.png" alt="" id="topic_skh_wwz_pyb__d8e1194">) in the sidebar</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e513370d5815f366475a30bb496b83960">Select "Products" or the name of your custom object, and click <strong>Add</strong><br><strong><img src="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/article_attachments/10569921746074" alt="Your custom object in Zendesk" width="500" height="auto"></strong>
</li>
<li data-list-item-id="ea5322109813584c8e83dc3f364a3c924">
<a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4591924111770#topic_kmz_wl3_ttb" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Create a new custom lookup relationship ticket field</a> and reference your "Product" custom object under the <strong>Select a related object </strong>field<br><img src="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/article_attachments/7856558389146" alt="" width="500" height="510">
</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e381ff5d9215fbe3a125d1908a012f7f9">
<p>Add your "Product" ticket field to your <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408883152794-Adding-custom-fields-to-your-tickets-and-support-request-form" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">ticket form</a> so agents can use the field</p>
<p><img src="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/article_attachments/7856563792538" alt="" width="500" height="252"></p>
</li>
</ol>
<p>For more information, see <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/6070642803610-Planning-your-custom-objects-workflow" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Planning your custom objects workflow</a>.</p>
</div><div class="accordion"><h3 id="h_01HKAD2RY1FQZM7AWFBP92RSBX">Option 2: Conditional fields</h3></div><div class="panel">
<p>Split your options across multiple fields and use <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408834799770-Creating-conditional-ticket-fields" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">conditional fields</a> to show relevant options. For example, if you have 6,000 products, sort them into catalogs. Show Catalog A, Catalog B, and Catalog C. Each catalog has its own dropdown ticket field with up to 2,000 products. Then use conditional ticket fields to show one catalog at a time.</p>
<p>Users choose the main catalog first, then see a smaller list that matches the catalog they chose. Agents and end users can use this solution.</p>
<h4 id="h_01KVYZDPQWRBAC25B4AP3J7HTY">To create a conditional dropdown field with more than 2,000 values:</h4>
<ol>
<li data-list-item-id="e0521433952c692d8d6bbbb7193b98508">Create a "Product Catalog" custom <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408838961562-About-custom-field-types" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">dropdown ticket field</a> with values for each catalog option <img src="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/article_attachments/7856558389402" alt="" width="500">
</li>
<li data-list-item-id="ee0a433f41e2bc6d362793b9cc4a77b36">Create a custom dropdown field for each catalog and add the relevant options. Here's an example of a field for "Catalog A". <img src="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/article_attachments/7856558389786" alt="" width="500">
</li>
<li data-list-item-id="ed04b1ab5624b57b21bb05059d1ef669e">Add the fields you created to the relevant ticket forms</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e3ff041cce0e3e1a5ee3d6b43a7ba19a6">Add <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408834799770-Creating-conditional-ticket-fields#topic_vkc_tsl_rgb" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">conditions to the form</a>. When a user selects the "Catalog A" option in the "Product Catalog" field, the form displays the "Catalog A" field</li>
<li data-list-item-id="e94fb27de6b47f089139d51e9d3eefc5d">Repeat this for each catalog. The result looks like this. <img src="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/article_attachments/7856558388250" alt="" width="500">
</li>
</ol>
<p>For more information, see <a href="https://support.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/4408828883738-Editing-and-managing-your-ticket-fields" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Editing and managing your ticket fields</a>.</p>
</div>