How to Include Related Entity Columns in Dynamics 365 Views

In Dynamics 365, displaying data from related entities in views can greatly enhance user experience by providing comprehensive insights at a glance. However, administrators may sometimes face issues where columns from a related entity, such as a parent entity, do not appear in the dropdown list for adding to a view. This article explores a solution to this common challenge.

Problem

Consider a scenario where you have a custom table with a lookup field to another table, but the related entity's columns are not available when attempting to add them to a view. For instance, if you have a table named 'Class Registration' that includes a lookup field to the 'Contact' table, you might expect to easily include columns from 'Contact' in your views of 'Class Registration'. Despite the established Many-to-One (N:1) relationship from 'Class Registration' to 'Contact', the 'Contact' table may not appear in the related dropdown list.

Solution

The key to resolving this issue is to ensure that the relationship setting "Searchable" is enabled. Here’s how to check and adjust this setting:

1. Open Power Apps Maker Portal

   • Navigate to your solution and select the table involved in the relationship.

2. Modify the Relationship

   • Go to the relationships area and select the specific Many-to-One relationship that links your tables.
   • Open the relationship settings.

3. Enable Searchable

   • Look for the option labeled "Searchable" in the relationship settings. This setting might initially be disabled.
   • Enable the "Searchable" option. This change allows the parent table to be included in the view’s column selection dropdown.
     
     
     

4. Save and Publish

   • Save the changes to the relationship and ensure you publish all modifications to make them effective.

5. Edit the View

   • Return to the entity views, and open the view editor where you want to include the columns.
   • You should now see the parent table in the related dropdown list. Select it and add the desired columns.

Conclusion

Enabling the "Searchable" option in the Many-to-One relationship settings is a simple yet effective solution to a common issue in Dynamics 365. This adjustment ensures that you can fully leverage the relational data model by including necessary data from related entities in your views, enhancing both functionality and user experience.