Related lists show records from other tables that connect to your current record at the bottom of forms. You'll add one using the form configuration menu and choose which child table records to display.
Why forms need related lists
Without related lists, users have to navigate away from a record to see its child records — opening the incident, then searching for all its tasks separately. This breaks the user's mental model and slows down work. Form designers and system administrators add related lists so users can see and manage all related data from one place. The alternative is forcing users to memorize table relationships and navigate manually, which nobody does consistently.
How related lists work
Related lists are driven by reference fields — only tables that have a reference field pointing to your current table appear as options. ServiceNow looks for any field of type 'Reference' that points back to the table you're configuring. When you add the related list, it automatically filters child records to show only ones where that reference field matches the current record's sys_id. The basic version shows all records; production-quality related lists use custom views to show only relevant columns and may include additional filter conditions.
Making related lists production-ready
Once the basic related list works, focus on performance and usability. Create custom list views that show only the columns users actually need — wide related lists with 15 columns kill mobile usability. Add filter conditions to exclude closed or irrelevant child records if your data volume is high. Consider the order carefully — put the most-used related lists at the top. For tables with heavy child record counts, evaluate whether the related list should load by default or require a manual refresh.
Before you start
- •admin role or form personalization rights for the target table
- •The child table must have a reference field pointing to your current table
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Step by step
Open the target form
Navigate to the table and record where you want to add the related list. This could be any existing record or create a new one for testing. The form must be in normal view — related list configuration doesn't work from mobile or service portal views.
Use an existing record with child data so you can immediately see the related list populate.
Access form configuration
Right-click in any empty area of the form — not on a field or button. Select Configure > Related Lists from the context menu. ServiceNow opens the related list configuration dialog showing currently configured related lists on the left and available ones on the right.
Add the related list
In the Available list on the right, find the table you want to show as a related list. The list only shows tables that have reference fields pointing back to your current table. Double-click the table name or select it and click the left arrow to move it to the Selected list.
If your expected table doesn't appear in Available, verify that the child table actually has a reference field pointing to your current table.
Set the display order
In the Selected list, use the up and down arrows to position your new related list. Related lists appear on the form in the order shown here, with the top item appearing first below the form fields. Put frequently-used related lists higher in the order.
Choose the list view
Select your newly added related list in the Selected column, then choose a view from the View dropdown. The Default view shows all columns from the table's default list layout. For production use, create and select a custom view that shows only relevant columns to improve performance and readability.
Apply the configuration
Click OK to save the related list configuration. ServiceNow immediately adds the related list to the bottom of your form. Refresh the page to see the related list populate with child records that reference the current record.
Best practices
Create custom list views for related lists instead of using Default view — wide tables with many columns break mobile layouts and slow page loads.
Don't add more than 5-6 related lists to a single form — each one makes an additional database query and delays form loading.
Put related lists in order of business priority, not alphabetical order — users scan from top to bottom and give up if they don't find what they need quickly.
Test related list performance with realistic data volumes — a related list that works fine with 10 child records can timeout with 1000.
Add related lists to form views, not form layouts, when you need them to appear for specific user groups only.
Test Your Knowledge
Quick 3-question quiz — see how your ServiceNow skills stack up.
A list view on a table with millions of records is slow. Best fix?
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