---
title: "Autosuggest for Custom Datasets"
slug: "autosuggest-for-custom-datasets"
updated: 2026-05-08T16:38:35Z
published: 2026-05-08T16:38:35Z
canonical: "knowledge.technolutions.net/autosuggest-for-custom-datasets"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://knowledge.technolutions.net/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Autosuggest for Custom Datasets

Autosuggest can be used on a form to relate a [child record to a parent record](/v1/docs/creating-a-child-dataset). Autosuggest functionality already exists on form fields to search for organization records, allowing a form submitter to easily search for a specific school. For custom datasets, the same functionality can be implemented using the steps outlined in this article.

Before configuring autosuggest on a custom dataset form, complete the following:

- [Build a custom dataset](/v1/docs/creating-a-custom-dataset).
- Create a form with a scope of "Dataset" and select the custom dataset.

## Configuring Autosuggest on a Form

A common example for creating a custom dataset-scoped form is to create child records, such as CBO contacts, and tie the record to the parent record, such as CBOs. Without autosuggest set up on the dataset-scoped form, it is possible that a form response will not relate to the proper dataset record. Setting up an autosuggest will ensure the child dataset record will associated with the parent dataset record each time the form is submitted.

To set up the autosuggest for a custom dataset-scoped form, take the following steps:

1. Go to **Database → Datasets**.
2. Select a dataset from the list.
3. In the **Type**field, enter a computer-friendly (lower-case only, underscores, and numbers) type, such as `cbo`.
4. Click **Forms** in the top navigation bar and select the dataset-scoped form that should contain the autosuggest field.
5. Add a form field for the form submitter that will store the parent dataset record's name. With autosuggest in place, this form field will allow the form submitter to search for their parent dataset record. Continuing with the CBO example, the form submitter (i.e. a CBO Contact) could search for their CBO organization record by name.
6. Add a **Hidden** field to the form that retrieves the parent record's GUID. Similar to mapping both 'School Name' and 'School CEEB' on a form, a dataset form that collects parent dataset record information should collect both the searchable data point (i.e. a parent dataset record's name) and the unique identifier. Much like 'School CEEB', the Record > Parent Slate GUID field represents the unique identifier for the dataset record.

> [!WARNING]
> 📝 When mapping this field, consider selecting the system field of Record > Parent Name (for record creation). This can be useful if the parent dataset record entered in this field by the child dataset record does not yet exist in Slate.

## Autosuggest Formula

Similar to the above examples, an autosuggest formula, added to the autosuggest field used to link a parent dataset record to a child dataset record should take the following form:

```plainText
suggest,d:[GUID of the dataset]/[name or id]
```

For instance, if your organization dataset has the GUID of "fcf110b3-c595-4851-9b2d-5ad26f17f7ee" and you want to grab the id of an organization dataset record, use:

```plainText
suggest,d:fcf110b3-c595-4851-9b2d-5ad26f17f7ee/name
```

For custom dataset records with “hide from public autosuggest” checked off, instead of using the dataset GUID you would use the dataset **type**. For example if you have a custom dataset for your tour guides and the **type** is “guides,” use:

```plainText
suggest,guides/name
```

## Controlling Which Records Appear in Autosuggest

You can control which dataset records appear in an autosuggest list by [population](https://knowledge.technolutions.net/v1/docs/en/populations) using this syntax:

```plaintext
suggest,d:[GUID of the dataset]/[name or id],p:[Population GUID]
```

For instance, if your organization dataset has the GUID of "fcf110b3-c595-4851-9b2d-5ad26f17f7ee" and you only want to show dataset records in a high school population where the population’s GUID is “bb4fe732-d8b2-4a0d-a8e6-0964c7031d11”, use:

```plaintext
suggest,d:fcf110b3-c595-4851-9b2d-5ad26f17f7ee/name,p:bb4fe732-d8b2-4a0d-a8e6-0964c7031d11
```

You can get the GUID of a population by running a query with the Configurable Joins > System > Populations query base.

## Autosuggest for Related Dataset Row Fields

Autosuggest can also be used to link a record (either a person or dataset record) to a different dataset. When adding the Related Dataset Row Field to a person- or application-scoped form, map to the "(Organization Record GUID)" version of the field mapping. This will automatically add the appropriate autosuggest to the form field.