Dynamic Choice user input control

reference australia Updated Sep 10, 2026 9 min read va-reference-choicelist.md
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Use the Dynamic Choice user input control in a Virtual Agent topic to dynamically create a list of available choices for your users. Create these choices by querying a table or by using a script to dynamically create them.

Choice list display

The Dynamic Choice list contains up to 10 items per page. When more than 10 items exist in an LLM conversation, a scroll bar appears. When more than 16 items exist in an LLM conversation, a search bar appears.

If selecting multiple choices is turned on, you can search within the Search for options field for filtering search results. Select or type all choices that apply, and then select the send icon [Omitted image "icon-arrow-submit-send.png"] Alt text:. When you send your choices through an LLM topic, the LLM responds with whether your choices meet the validation criteria.

You can also select a choice or choices from a list in an LLM conversation by entering an utterance in the chat window. If there is no match for your input, the Virtual Agent informs you that it is not a valid choice, and prompts you to try a different input.

The Dynamic Choice control also provides the option to add a header card that displays above the choice list. Header cards are supported in web and mobile channels.

  • The header card can contain a large or small image or a YouTube video card, along with descriptive text. The choice list contains up to five items by default, but the search feature is suppressed. If there are more than five items, users can choose to show the additional items.

  • To control the number of items displayed below a header card, add the com.glide.cs.web_header_picker_page_limit system property. Use the Value to specify the number of items in the choice list. For details about creating a system property, see Add a system property.

Note:

If you populate a Dynamic Choice list node with only one choice, when testing or using the node, you receive a message reading “We have [choice] as [node name], is this correct?”. Use multiple choices in the Dynamic Choice list node to avoid receiving this message.

You can also alter the message content by navigating to ALL > sys_properties.list and editing the glide.cs.retry_question_message system property. This message value is by default a string We have {0} as {1}, is this correct? and is used for slot-filling in multiple cases outside the Dynamic Choice list. Any changes you make are reflected in every use of this property.

Dynamic Choice user input control properties

Property

Description

Node name

Name that identifies this node in the topic flow.

Variable name

Name of the variable that stores the user response to this prompt. The variable name is automatically created from the Node name property.

Prompt

Prompt or question for the user. The prompt can be either a text string or a script that returns text. This value is used only when the default value is not specified. For example: What's your name?

You can create rich text to alter the styling of the prompt:

  • Use single asterisks or underscores for italic text. For example, *text* or _text_.
  • Use double asterisks or underscores for bold text. For example, **text** or __text__.
  • Use triple asterisks or underscores for italic and bold text. For example, ***text*** or ___text___.
  • Use a spaced hyphen to add a bullet point to a line. For example, - text.
  • Use a spaced right angle bracket to create a block quote. For example, > text.
  • Use between one and six hash marks to create headers. For example, #text# or ######text######
  • Use brackets and parentheses to create a hyperlink. For example, [Link text](url). Add an exclamation point to a hyperlink to display an image. For example, ![alt text](image url)

Choices

Populate choices by

Type of dynamic variable to be used. Select one of the following options:

  • Record: Returns records from the table selected. The values for these options are GlideRecord objects.
  • Script: Expression that returns an array of options.

Note:

For more efficient pagination return results for a large data set when using a script expression, review the following script and determine whether you want to use this script:

```

(function execute() {

var pagingUtil = new global.VirtualAgentChoicePagingUtil(null, "sys_user", null, "user_name,name", "active=true", null, vaVars);

var gr = pagingUtil.getPagingGlideRecordSecure("name", false);

var options = pagingUtil.getSecureOptions(gr, null,'user_name', ['user_name','name']);

return options; })()

```

For more information about the preceding scripting details, review information about GlideRecords and the additional information:

-   **fieldName**: Field name is optional information. Pass with `null`.
-   **table**: Table name to query for displaying the available options.
-   **pageSize**: Page size is optional information. Pass with `null`.
-   **searchColumns**: Table columns in a comma-delimited list that applies to any searchText.
-   **encodedQuery**: Initial query to apply to table rows. For example, `active=true`.
-   **searchText**: Search text is optional information. Pass with `null`.
-   **vaVars**: Reference to virtual agent context variables \(`vaVars`\).
-   **orderByColumn**: Table column used to order the options.
-   **orderDescending**: Options appear in descending order. Only `true` or `false` values accepted.
-   **gr**: Glide record name.
-   **startRow**: Starting row is optional information. Pass with `null`.
-   **valueColumn**: Table column name to use as the value of each option.
-   **labelColumns**: Array of table columns to use for each option display.

Table

Table to be searched, available only if you selected Record as the method to populate choices.

Filter choices

Option to use the condition builder or provide a script. Select one of the following:

  • Condition Builder: Creates a filter used to select a subset of records from the table.
  • Script: Defines the enumeration list for the options (choice list) to be displayed. The name-value pair is stored as a string object.

This field is available only when the Record option is selected.

Allow the user to select more than one choice

Option to allow users to choose multiple choices from the choice list.

No records response message

Message displayed to the user when the table search doesn’t return any records. The message can be either a text string or a script that returns text.

Advanced

Header card

Toggle to open a field to add cards which may include images or YouTube videos. For more information, see Insert a header card in a Static Choice or Dynamic Choice control

Default value

Default Value

Predefined value for the user response to the question or prompt. The response defined in the Default value confirmation field asks the user to confirm the default value. If the user responds with no, the value becomes null. The default value can be either a text string or a script that returns text. For example, if you're using dot-walking, the default value might be: Script Variables > Last username. Or if you're using a script, the default value might be: {{vaScripts.lastUsername}}.

Confirmation messages

Input completion confirmation

Bot response shown to the user when the node interaction is complete. The message can be either a text string or a script that returns text. For example, if you're using dot-walking: Thanks, (Input Variables > Username)! Or if you're using a script, the acknowledgement might be: Thanks, {{vaInputs.username}}!

Default value confirmation

Message that asks the user to verify that the value in the Default value field is correct. This message is used instead of a value in the Prompt field. It can contain either a text string or a script that returns text. For example, if you're using dot-walking: Are you (Input Variables > Username)? Or if you're using a script, the confirmation message might be: Are you {{vaScripts.lastUsername}}?.
## Example Dynamic Choice user input control

Note: Asset library controls may display and function differently in other channels.

Input properties

List user prompt

[Omitted image "va-dynamic-choice-llm-3.png"] Alt text: All basic Dynamic Choice user input fields are openly available. Select any of the advanced options to toggle them open individually.

[Omitted image "nass-dynamic-choice-user-prompt-zp4.png"] Alt text: A choice list returns a list to select from.
## Dynamic Choice script examples

The following script example can be used in the Define choices field only if the value for Populate choice by is set to Script. This script enables requesters to see their previously selected choices if they choose to edit their choices later in the conversation. This script also displays secondary fields to requesters, such as an email address, gender marker, or both, to help them further differentiate their available choices. Displaying the secondary field to requesters can be especially helpful when dealing with similar values, such as selecting the correct employee name when working with the same or similar names (that is, Christopher Smith or Chris Smith).

JavaScript
(function execute() {    var pagingUtil = new global.VirtualAgentChoicePagingUtil(null, "sys_user", 10, "user_name,name",      "active=true", null, vaVars);    var selectedOptions = pagingUtil.getSavedSelectedOptions("user", vaSystem);    if (!selectedOptions || selectedOptions.length == 0) {      // Secondary labels can be passed to selected options       selectedOptions.push({ "value": "abel.tuter", "label": "Abel Tuter"        ,"secondary_label": ["abel.tuter@example.com", "male"]        });       selectedOptions.push({ "value": "Beth.anglin", "label": "Beth Anglin"        ,"secondary_label": ["beth.anglin@example.com", "female"]         });    }    vaSystem.setSelectedOptions(selectedOptions, "user", false);    // Topic authors have the ability to define which values should go in the     // secondary labels by adding secondary label functions    pagingUtil.addSecondaryLabelFunction(function (gr) {      return gr.getValue("email");    });    pagingUtil.addSecondaryLabelFunction(function (gr) {      return gr.getValue("gender");    });    var gr = pagingUtil.getPagingGlideRecordSecure("name", false);    var options = pagingUtil.getSecureOptions(gr, null,'user_name', ['user_name']);    return options;})()

Example Dynamic Choice list value expression

JavaScript
(function execute(table) {        var options = [];        var gr = new GlideRecordSecure(table);        gr.addEncodedQuery('active=true');        gr.setLimit(5);        gr.query();        while(gr.next()) {            options.push({ 'value': gr.getUniqueValue(), 'label': gr.getValue('short_description') });        }        return options;})(table)

The script in the Choice Value Expression property defines and returns an array of choices. In the example, the script creates an array called options, and adds each record found in a GlideRecord query to this array. Each element in the array is given a value in the value and label keys using data from that GlideRecord. The Table property of the control defines the table used by the script. This example script uses gr.setLimit(5) to limit the number of records returned to 5. Using this method helps prevent returned records from creating an overly large choice list.

Key Description
value The value for the choice. When a user selects a choice from the control, this value is stored in the variable named in the Variable name property.
label The label that appears for this choice in the choice list.

Channel support

Channel Support Constraints
Microsoft Teams Supported None
Slack Not supported Header cards aren’t supported.
SMS Twilio Not supported Header cards aren’t supported.
WhatsApp Supported None
Google Chat Supported None

Parent Topic:Assistant Designer user input controls

Keywords AssistantDesignerAssetLibraryLLMNow AssistGenAIGenerative AIDynamic ChoiceUser input control
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