Editions Available: Corporate;Enterprise Audience: Administrative Users

Add a Drop Down Field to a Custom Field

Adding or updating drop-down options in a custom field in Bullhorn ATS lets you provide users with predefined choices, keeping data entry consistent and reporting accurate. This guide walks you step by step through creating, configuring, and managing drop-down values so your custom fields meet your team’s needs.

All fields that have the edit type of Drop Down is editable from a record Overview. No other edit type allows this.

Common Reasons You Might Need to Add a Drop-Down Field

  • You want to provide new options for an existing custom field so users can select them.

  • Users need a structured list of values to standardize data entry.

  • You need to update or edit existing drop-down values for accuracy or reporting purposes.

  • Your team is adding a new entity (like a location or department) that requires selection from predefined options.

  • You want to set default values for commonly selected options to speed up data entry.

To add or update a drop-down field, first locate the field mapping for your entity.

  1. From your Bullhorn Menu, select Field Mappings.

    S-Release: From your Tools Menu, select Field Mappings.

  2. Expand the entity where you want to add or edit the drop-down field.

  3. In the field column, type in "customText" and press Enter.

  4. Select a custom field that is not currently in use or that you want to edit by clicking its hyperlinked field name.

  5. Fill out the field details on the pop up window.

    Field

    Description
    Display

    The name visible to users in Bullhorn.

    Edit type

    Choose Drop Down (required for drop-down functionality).
    Required

    Toggle on if users must select a value before saving the record.
    Hidden

    Toggle on if the field should be invisible to users.
    Allow Multiple Values

    Toggle if you want users to select more than one option.

    Some fields, like job title or plain text fields, do not support multiple values.

    Sort Order

    Enter a number to determine the field’s position on the edit screen.

    For example: If I wanted this to show above the Pay Rate and the Pay Rate is sort order 165, then I would use sort order 160.

    Keep numbers 5 apart (e.g., 130, 135) for easy insertion of future fields.

    Value List

    Input the values users can select, separated by commas without spaces.

    • Example: Tampa,Orlando,Fort Myers,Miami

    Display List

    Optional; use only if you want to associate a user-friendly label with numeric back-end values.

    • Example: If you have store numbers or location numbers for export purposes, but want your users to see the location name instead.
    Default Value

    Optional; select a default value from the value list.

    Description

    Provide the field’s purpose.

    • S-Release: Text appears above the field in black.
    Hint

    Optional guidance text within the field.

    • S-Release: Text appears below the field in red.

  6. Click Save.

You may need to refresh your login to see changes.

Troubleshooting

  • If the drop-down values do not appear: Refresh your login or browser and verify the field is not hidden.

  • If users can’t select multiple values: Check that Allow Multiple Values is enabled and that the field type supports it.

  • If default values are not applied: Ensure the default value exists exactly in the Value List.

  • If the field is not visible in the record: Confirm the Hidden toggle is off and the Sort Order is correct.

  • If new values don’t save: Ensure there are no duplicate sort orders and the field name is unique.

  • If numeric back-end values display instead of labels: Use the Display List to map numbers to readable names.

FAQs

Q: Can I add a new option to an existing drop-down field without affecting existing data?

A: Yes, you can append new values to the Value List. Existing records will retain their current selections.

Q: Why can’t I select multiple options in some fields?

A: Only fields that support Allow Multiple Values and certain edit types (like Drop Down) allow multiple selections.

Q: How do I set a default selection for a drop-down field?

A: Enter the default value exactly as it appears in the Value List under the Default Value field.

Q: Can I reorder drop-down values after creating them?

A: Drop-down options display in the order you entered them in the Value List. To reorder, edit the list accordingly.

Q: How do I remove or update options from a dropdown field?

A: You can easily manage a dropdown field’s options using Field Mappings. Navigate to Admin > Field Mappings, then locate the specific field you want to modify. In the Value List section, you can add, remove, or update any of the values. Just be sure to separate each value with a comma and click Save when you are finished.