Attribute Types

When adding a new object attribute, you can choose between the attribute types described on this page.

Warning

You cannot change the attribute format / type as soon as it is applied. If you no longer need an object attribute, consider disabling it instead of removing.

Boolean Field

Provides a drop-down field with display values for true and false. Setting a default is mandatory.

Date Field

Provides a date selection field. During object creation (e.g. ticket creation), it gets pre-filled with the current date and the specified difference/offset is applied.

Default time diff (hours): Define the default time difference/offset (in hours) which gets applied when the field is pre-filled during object creation.

Date & Time Field

Provides a date and time selection field. During object creation (e.g. ticket creation), it gets pre-filled with the current date and time and the specified difference/offset is applied.

• Allow future: Allows dates and times in the future. Default: yes.

• Allow past: Allows dates and times in the past. Default: yes.

• Default time diff (minutes): Define the default time difference/offset (in minutes) which gets applied when the field is pre-filled during object creation.

Integer Field

Provides an input field that allows integer usage only. You may define a default value. You cannot enforce comma separation.

• Minimal: The minimal value the field accepts.

• Maximal: The maximum value the field accepts.

Multiple Selection Field

Provides a field with pre-defined values from which the user can select one or more. It does not support a hierarchy (like a Multiple Tree Selection Field). You can define a default value.

Tip

Don’t forget to press “+ Add” after adding your values. Otherwise, you may lose a value.

Link template: See Link-Template for more information.

Tip

↕️ This field type allows the positioning of its values ↔️

In order to re-arrange the field values, edit the field and scroll below the values. Make sure to tick the option “Use custom option sort”. Now use ☰ to drag the values in question to the correct position. When you’re ready, submit your changes to save the object attribute.

Single Selection Field

Provides a field with pre-defined values from which the user can select one. It does not support a hierarchy (like a Single Tree Selection Field). You can define a default value.

Tip

Don’t forget to press “+ Add” after adding your values. Otherwise, you may lose a value.

Link template: See Link-Template for more information.

Tip

↕️ This field type allows the positioning of its values ↔️

In order to re-arrange the field values, edit the field and scroll below the values. Make sure to tick the option “Use custom option sort”. Now use ☰ to drag the values in question to the correct position. When you’re ready, submit your changes to save the object attribute.

Textarea Field

Provides a text area input field (multiple lines). You can set a default value. It does not support text formatting or HTML content (rich text).

• Default: This text will be shown for not yet filled fields.

• Maxlength: Set the maximum length of the field. Default: 500.

• Rows: Set the size of the field. In any case, the field is scrollable if the content exceeds the number of displayed rows. Default: 4.

Text Field

Provides a text field (one line). You can set a default value.

• Type: Defines the type of the input field. This allows your browser to ensure that you provide the specific format. Available options:

  • Email

  • Phone

  • Text

  • Url (note: disables link-template availability)

• Maxlength: Set the maximum length of the field. Default: 120.

• Link template: See Link-Template for more information.

Single Tree Selection Field

Provides a field with pre-defined values from which the user can select one. It supports up to 6 hierarchy levels. To restrict the selection of a value (e.g. for parent values), uncheck the box in the “Active” column.

Tip

↕️ This field type allows the positioning of its values ↔️

In order to re-arrange the field values, first edit the field. Then you can use ☰ to drag the values in question to the correct position. If you want to change the layer depth, double click on ☰. With it you can cycle through the available layers.

Multiple Tree Selection Field

Provides a field with pre-defined values from which the user can select one or more. It supports up to 6 hierarchy levels. To restrict the selection of a value (e.g. for parent values), uncheck the box in the “Active” column.

Tip

↕️ This field type allows the positioning of its values ↔️

In order to re-arrange the field values, first edit the field. Then you can use ☰ to drag the values in question to the correct position. If you want to change the layer depth, double click on ☰. With it you can cycle through the available layers.

External Data Source Field

Provides a searchable field which fetches data from an external system. This can be useful if you have data outside of Zammad and don’t want to maintain both data sources. It works like this:

• Zammad sends a query with a search string (free text from agent or based on a variable) in a pre-defined format (“Search URL”) to an external system.

• This external system searches for matches and provides a response as a JSON structure to Zammad.

• Zammad just looks for the defined list and value keys, reads the content and displays the value to the user. There is no search on Zammad side.

Warning

• The usage of a PostgreSQL database for Zammad is required. In any other case, Zammad will hide the external data source type and you are not able to use it. If you want to use this feature, consider to migrate your database.

• Only GET is supported as request method.

• The data structure must be in JSON format and provide the objects in an array.

• The endpoint for the external data source has to support search. On Zammad side, there is no search/logic implemented; however, you can define the output key and value based on the result(s) from the response (which provides already filtered content based on the search).

• If you receive more results as expected, your external data source search may not work properly or the structure of the URL is not correct. You should get in touch with a responsible person from the external system.

Please have a look at our example, where you can find a possible configuration, using a public dummy endpoint.

Search URL

Set your endpoint where Zammad fetches the data. Please make sure to include a valid search variable as an URL parameter. Example for a free text search at user input: #{search.term}

If in doubt, ask the responsible person for the external data source how they expect the structure of the URL.

Note

Depending on your search variable, the preview might work or not. The reason is that the context might not be available and it is no bug.

Please also make sure to use a variable which is available in your object context. For example you won’t be able to search for a ticket in a user object context.

SSL Verification

Here you can switch the SSL verification to no.

Danger

Please be aware that turning off SSL verification is a security risk. It should only be used temporarily or for testing purposes. If turned off, there is no verification of the certificate, which means that any presented certificate will be accepted.

If your external data source system is using self signed certificates, please have a look here for further information about how to handle them in Zammad, so you can keep the SSL verification activated.

HTTP Authentication

If your external data source requires an authentication, you can set it here. You can leave it empty or choose between Basic Authentication or Authentication Token (selecting one of the two methods leads to additional fields where you can enter your credentials/token).

Search result list key

Defines the level in the JSON structure which provides the list with search results. You can leave it empty, if the data is already provided as an array. If you have to go deeper in the structure, you can provide a path with . as separators, e.g. key.subkey.sub-sub-key.

Search result value key

Defines the attribute in the structure in which your external data source provides the value for your data. An example would be a product number. If you have to go deeper in the structure, you can provide a path with . as separators, e.g. key.subkey.sub-sub-key.

Search result label key

Defines the attribute in the structure in which your external data source provides the label for your data. An example would be a product name. If you have to go deeper in the structure, you can provide a path with . as separators, e.g. key.subkey.sub-sub-key.

Preview

In the preview area, you can find the following items (depending on your configuration above):

• Error/hint message (only if configuration is not complete): Zammad tells you, if there is a problem and what you should change in your configuration.

• Search field: search for an existing attribute in the data source to get a preview. This is required for the fields below to show up.

• Search result response (only if configuration is not complete): here you can find a syntax highlighted JSON preview of the response, based on the search term you entered.

• Search result list (only if search result list key is properly set): output of the structure under the configured search result list key.

• Preview table (when fully configured): Zammad shows you a table which includes the found items based on the search string (value, label and optional link). You can use this preview if you don’t have the complete data structure of the external system in mind.

An example of a configured external data source field from agent perspective:

Misc

Link-Template

Link templates allow you to generate dynamic URLs based on the content of the attribute. This way you can define a base URL and add a variable for the field’s content, for example in a search query or as a product ID. After adding content to a link-template field, a URL icon appears on its right side. Clicking the icon opens a new browser tab with the generated URL.

Example for a search query URL:

• Ticket attribute type: Text Field

• Text field type: Text

• Ticket attribute name: my_attribute

• Link template content: https://www.duckduckgo.com/&q=#{ticket.my_attribute}

• Added field content: zammad

• Resulting URL: https://www.duckduckgo.com/&q=zammad

Tip

You can use any Zammad variable as long as it’s available in the moment you need it.

Available for the field types Text (type: text), Single Selection, Multiple Selection and External Data Source.

Note

Another great way of communicating with another system may be Zammad’s Webhooks.

Translate Field Contents

For some attribute types, you can decide if their values should be translatable or not. If they are configured as translatable, they appear in the translation interface as other strings in Zammad. This works only for fields with selectable options because the possible choices are known and limited. You can set the translatable flag for these types:

• Boolean field

• Single selection field

• Multiple selection field

• Single tree selection field

• Multiple tree selection field