Validate New Drop-Down Options Before Saving

Question

I have a drop down field that allows user to create new options, but I'd like to prevent people from adding any options with a specific key word. I thought I could accomplish this with a formula field that would just check if the drop-down field contained the key word. The problem I've run into is that it seems the formula fields are reading the new option as '_other' rather than what has been entered. I assume that is the placeholder that's used because the new option doesn't actually get saved to the drop-down field options list until the record is saved, but I cannot think of an alternative way to validate the field because of this issue.

Here was my formula, just for reference:
If(
Contains([field],"Keyword"),
Case([field],
"Valid Option with Keyword",false,
"Other Valid Option with Keyword",false,
true),
false
)

MarkShnierYou · Answer

I think you're kind of mis-using the field type.

The proper way to do this is set up a table of choices and a relationship so that one choice record has many of your detailed data entry records. Then if you allow users to add new choices, you will be on a proper form where you can have form rules or even data table rules to control what is allowed to be saved. A multiple choice field is really designed to have a few very few number of stable choices, and typically not a field where you would allow random users to add choices.

So yes, a little more set up but a proper relationship is the way to go here.

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