---
title: Working with Read-Only and Required Business Rules
slug: neurons-for-itsm/admin-user-help/enu/latest/working-with-read-only-and-required-business-rules
createdAt: 2026-07-14T19:16:28.360Z
---

- [Overriding Read-Only Business Rules](docId\:DzatWdgRvZZX1mY9OrPD3)
- [Protecting the Read-Only Field From Override](docId\:DzatWdgRvZZX1mY9OrPD3)
- [Overriding the Required Business Rule](docId\:DzatWdgRvZZX1mY9OrPD3)
- [Working with Read-Only Business Rules](docId\:DzatWdgRvZZX1mY9OrPD3)

## Overriding Read-Only Business Rules

- [Overriding the Read-Only Business Rule from a Quick Action](docId\:DzatWdgRvZZX1mY9OrPD3)
- [Overriding the Read-Only Business Rule from a Role Definition](docId\:DzatWdgRvZZX1mY9OrPD3)
- [Overriding the triggered Actions Business Rule for Locked Business Objects](docId\:DzatWdgRvZZX1mY9OrPD3)

  :::hint{type="info"}
  When a field is applied with a read-only business-rule it becomes non-editable, but it retains its control type. Therefore, set fields as read-only (see [Creating a Form](docId\:JYLKXqCbBNaYk66grC2ty)), and remove the edit permission for the field from the **Object Permission** tab in the **Roles and Permissions** workspace.
  :::

### Overriding the Read-Only Business Rule from a Quick Action

1. From the Configuration Console, click **Build > Business Objects** to open the **Business Objects** workspace.
2. Open a business object.
3. Click **Action Menu > Edit Actions** to open the Quick Actions Center.
4. Click the **Create New Actions** tab on the left.
5. Choose **Update Object**.
6. In the **Field Name** field, choose **ReadOnly** from the drop-down list. In the **Field Value** field, enter true.
   *Update Object Quick Action - ReadOnly Field*

   ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/parib0MC3hVoUNdfQdnac/yIxxahkMBcX7mTyVttrQG_readonlyruleqa.png" position="flex-start" size="40" initialPath="../../Resources/Images/help-images/readonly_rule_QA.png" githubPath="Content/Resources/Images/help-images/readonly_rule_QA.png" showCaption="false" width="606" height="371" darkWidth="606" darkHeight="371"}
7. Enter information into the other fields as needed.
8. Click Save.

   :::hint{type="info"}
   Users can choose this quick action to apply to the read-only field on a specific business object record if the read-only field is set up for that business object.
   :::

### Overriding the Read-Only Business Rule from a Role Definition

1. From the Configuration Console, click **Configure > Users and Permissions > Roles and Permissions** to open the **Roles and Permissions** workspace.
2. From the **Role Name** column, choose the role for which to modify the read-only rule. The **Role Details** page appears.
3. Choose the **Object Permissions** tab.
4. Find the business object to override for this role, then click **Edit** under the **Lifecycle** column.
5. Under **When Business Object is in Final State**, check **Allow Editing**.
6. Click **Save**.

### Protecting the Read-Only Field From Override

Use a global constant to manage server-side validation of read-only fields. This ensures that fields set to read-only by a business rule only accept updates via business rules, preventing users from updating fields using Quick Actions, Templates, or Role Definitions without the approval of an Administrator. It also allows Administrators to control read-only access at the field level.

**EnableServerSideValidationforReadOnlyFields**

- This global constant is set to **True** by default for all new OOTB installations of ITSM. The global constant is set to **False** for updates to existing installations.
- When enabled, it allows server-side validation of the read-only field, configured at the field level.
- To enable the global constant when it is set to False, go to the Configuration Console and select **Build** > **Global Constants**. Find the EnableServerSideValidationforReadOnlyFields global constant and set the value to **True**.

### Managing Server-Side Validation for Read-Only Fields

Server-side validation allows Administrators to lock a read-only field for users to prevent updates using Quick Actions, Role Definitions, or any other ITSM feature. Once the global constant is set to true, you can enable, configure, or disable it at the field level.

:::hint{type="info"}
Verify that the field is not referenced or updated in any way other than business rules. Setting a referenced or continuously updated field to "Strict Read Only" will result in errors in workflows where it appears.
:::

### Configuring Strict Read-Only for a Field

The global constant, when set to **True**, allows Administrators to customize the way the read-only business rule is applied to the field.

1. Open the read-only business rule.
2. In the **Read-Only Rule Editor**, the box next to **Strict Read-Only** will be appear when the global constant is set to **True**. By default, it is not checked.
3. If you want users to be able to modify the field using Quick Actions or other ITSM-provided features, leave the **Strict Read-Only** box unchecked.
4. If you want to ensure that the field only updates via business rule, check the **Strict Read-Only** box.
5. The Administrator has two options to choose from to describe the condition of the field:
   - **This field is always read-only**: This option enforces update only by business rule (**Strict Read-Only**).
   - **This field is conditionally read-only based on an expression**: This option ensures the field is only updated based on an expression.

When a field is designated as "Strict Read-Only," users attempting to modify the read-only field receive an error message.

:::hint{type="info"}
Uncheck the **Strict Read-Only** box to remove server-side validation from a field. To disable the Read-Only Business Rule for a field, check the **Disable Rule** box.
:::

## Overriding the Required Business Rule

- [About Required Business Rules](docId\:DzatWdgRvZZX1mY9OrPD3)
- [Setting a Field in a Business Rule to Required](docId\:DzatWdgRvZZX1mY9OrPD3)
- [Setting a Form in a Business Rule to Required](docId\:DzatWdgRvZZX1mY9OrPD3)
- [Overriding the Required Business Rule for a Form](docId\:DzatWdgRvZZX1mY9OrPD3)
- [About Completely Overriding a Required Business Rule](docId\:DzatWdgRvZZX1mY9OrPD3)
- [Required Business Rules Matrix](docId\:DzatWdgRvZZX1mY9OrPD3)

### About Required Business Rules

You can specify that a business rule be required for a field. In this case, the application does not accept blank values in that field and you must enter something before the business rule can be saved. The fields in business objects that are created as a result of this required business rule are also subject to these rules.

### Setting a Field in a Business Rule to Required

To specify that a field in a business rule be required, do one of the following:

1. From the Configuration Console, click **Build > Business Objects** to open the **Business Objects** workspace.
2. Open a business object.
3. Click the **Business Rules** tab.
4. Scroll to the **Required Rules** section.
5. Click the **edit** icon :inlineImage[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/parib0MC3hVoUNdfQdnac/yOwMLewyf7Jh4cJ7j1Crw_edit-old.png" alt caption size="10" width="16" height="16"} for a business rule.
6. Do one of the following:
   - Select **This field is always required**.
   - Select **This field is conditionally required based on an expression** and set a condition for when this business rule is required. If the condition evaluates to *true*, the field is required.
     *Required Field in a Business Rule*

     ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/parib0MC3hVoUNdfQdnac/_ks5btIv5gHDtgeZYXh0N_requiredrule.png" position="flex-start" size="40" initialPath="../../Resources/Images/help-images/required_rule.png" githubPath="Content/Resources/Images/help-images/required_rule.png" showCaption="false" width="818" height="441" darkWidth="818" darkHeight="441"}
7. Click **Save**.

### Setting a Form in a Business Rule to Required

You can also specify that a business rule be required for all of the forms associated with a business object, including any that are created based on business rules or workflows.

1. From the Configuration Console, click **Build > Business Objects** to open the **Business Objects** workspace.
2. Open a business object.
3. Click the **Business Rules** tab.
4. For the **Show rules for form** field, select **Default**.
   *Required Business Rule*

   ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/parib0MC3hVoUNdfQdnac/z06i9xMohjeqC_Ouea75u_requiredruleform.png" position="flex-start" size="40" initialPath="../../Resources/Images/help-images/required_rule_form.png" githubPath="Content/Resources/Images/help-images/required_rule_form.png" showCaption="false" width="1013" height="482" darkWidth="1013" darkHeight="482"}

### Overriding the Required Business Rule for a Form

You can override a business rule from being required for all forms. To make a business rule not required for a particular form, do the following:

1. From the Configuration Console, click **Build > Business Objects** to open the **Business Objects** workspace.
2. Open a business object.
3. Click the **Business Rules** tab.
4. For the **Show rules for form** field, select the form for which to override the rule. The application only displays the business rules that affect this form.
5. Check **Do not show any object-wide rules, show only form-specific ones**.
6. Click the **Required Rules** header to expand it.
7. Open the business rule to modify.
8. Select **This field is conditionally required based on an expression** and enter an expression.
9. Click **Save**.

By overriding a required business rule for a form, you are using the Boolean OR operator.

### About Completely Overriding a Required Business Rule

By default, if you override a business rule on a form, it is combined with the business object level rule. The resulting rule is of the form FormRule OR ObjectRule.

Check **Complete Override** to ignore any previous business rules and only use this business rule.

The following are examples:

- The **Problem** business object has the following required rule for the **owner** field: **$(if Status == "Logged" || Status == "Cancelled" then false else true)**.
- To make the **owner** field not required when the **status** field is set to **Investigation** and the form is the problem form, first override the default rule on the problem form: **$(if Status == "Investigation" then false else true)**.
- If left that way, the resulting expression for a form is: **$(if Status == "Logged" || Status == "Cancelled" then false else true) OR $(if Status == "Investigation" then false else true)**.

  :::hint{type="info"}
  If the **status** field is set to **Investigation**, the resulting value is still true (that is, the business rule is required) due to the first (business object-level) clause.
  :::

:::Paragraph{indent="1"}
There is no way to make the **owner** field not required for "Identified" problem without having to change the business object-level rule.
:::

- If you check **Complete Override** on a form business rule, the result is **$(Status == "Investigation" then false else true)**.
- And it evaluates to false (that is, the business rule is not required) for business objects that have the **status** field set to **Investigation**.

:::hint{type="info"}
You must duplicate the business object-level rule part within an overridden business rule to extend the behavior correctly. To add the **status** field set to **Investigation** to the list of not-required and leave all other statuses as they are, check **Complete Override** and use this expression: **$(if Status == "Logged" || Status == "Cancelled" || Status == "Investigation" then false else true)**.
:::

### Required Business Rules Matrix

| Business Object Rule | Business Object Rule Disabled? | Form Rule | Form Rule Disabled? | Complete Override? | Resulting Business Rule |
| -------------------- | ------------------------------ | --------- | ------------------- | ------------------ | ----------------------- |
| R                    | --                             | F         | --                  | --                 | R or F                  |
| R                    | --                             | F         | --                  | true               | F                       |
| R                    | --                             | F         | true                | --                 | R                       |
| R                    | --                             | F         | true                | true               | R                       |
| R                    | true                           | F         | --                  | --                 | F                       |
| R                    | true                           | F         | --                  | --                 | F                       |
| R                    | true                           | F         | true                | -- or true         | --                      |

where

- R = business object-level rule
- F = form-level rule
- \-- = false or not specified
- \-- or true = the resulting value is the same for either true or false

## Working with Read-Only Business Rules

- [About Read-Only Business Rules](docId\:DzatWdgRvZZX1mY9OrPD3)
- [Specifying a Read-Only Rule for a Field in a Business Object](docId\:DzatWdgRvZZX1mY9OrPD3)
- [Specifying a Read-Only Rule for a Business Object](docId\:DzatWdgRvZZX1mY9OrPD3)
- [Business Objects Containing Final State Rules](docId\:DzatWdgRvZZX1mY9OrPD3)

### About Read-Only Business Rules

There are two types of read-only rules that can be specified for a business object. One is for fields within the business object and the other is for the business object. The following information provides an examples of how to add a read-only rule for both fields and business objects.

### Specifying a Read-Only Rule for a Field in a Business Object

1. From the Configuration Console, click **Build > Business Object** to open the **Business Object** workspace.
2. Open a business object.
3. Click the **Business Rules** tab on the toolbar. The **Business Rules** page appears.
4. Under **Read-only Rules**, click **Add Read-only Rule**. The **Add Read-only Rule** window appears.
   *Add Read-Only Rule Window*

   ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/parib0MC3hVoUNdfQdnac/eO3tPnrbtur1QZ9Fa8Q7i_readonlyrule.png" position="flex-start" size="40" initialPath="../../Resources/Images/help-images/read_only_rule.png" githubPath="Content/Resources/Images/help-images/read_only_rule.png" showCaption="false" width="984" height="477" darkWidth="984" darkHeight="477"}
5. From the **Field Name** drop-down list, select a field (for example, **Status\_Valid**).
6. Check **This field is conditionally read only based on expression**.
7. In the Expression Editor, enter **$(if(((Status == "Closed") then true else false)))**.
   *Add Read-only Rule Window with Expression*

   ::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/parib0MC3hVoUNdfQdnac/rQC9K9T6A6h02HHYi-z9s_statusexpression.png" position="flex-start" size="40" initialPath="../../Resources/Images/help-images/status_expression.png" githubPath="Content/Resources/Images/help-images/status_expression.png" showCaption="false" width="999" height="599" darkWidth="999" darkHeight="599"}
8. Click **Save**.

### Specifying a Read-Only Rule for a Business Object

You can create a read-only rule for a business object so that users are not allowed to modify the record after the status of the business object has been marked as being in a final state. You can select the states that define a business object as final.

You can also specify more than one state, such as closed and canceled, as a final state.

Do the following to edit a business object:

1. From the Configuration Console, click **Build > Business Object** to open the **Business Object** workspace.
2. Open a business object.
3. Click the **Business Rules** tab on the toolbar to open the **Business Rules** page.
4. Under **Read-only Rules**, click **Add Object Read-only Rule** to open the **Add Final State Rule** window.

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/parib0MC3hVoUNdfQdnac/_OvwU7ZflhOnU7djUi1K7_readonlybus-objrule.png" position="flex-start" size="40" initialPath="../../Resources/Images/help-images/read_only_bus-obj_rule.png" githubPath="Content/Resources/Images/help-images/read_only_bus-obj_rule.png" showCaption="false" width="866" height="34" darkWidth="866" darkHeight="34"}

5. At the **Add Final State Rule** window, add or edit the following:

| Field             | Description                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
| ----------------- | -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Name              | Add an easily identifiable name for the rule such as **Final State Rule for Change**                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
| Description       | Add a description for the business rule.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
| Expression Editor | Add the expression required to set the final state. See the examples below for setting a single state or multiple states as final states.<br />To make closed a final state, enter **$(status == "Closed")**.<br />To make closed, canceled, and denied final states, enter<br />**$(Status == "Closed" \|\| Status == "Canceled" \|\| Status == "Denied")**.                                                                                      |
| Except Fields     | Lists fields that can be edited even after the business object is in the final state. Enter exceptions here by selecting a field from the drop-down list and clicking the **add** icon :inlineImage[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/parib0MC3hVoUNdfQdnac/-xC2rFf08JbJHTGUTd_A3_addgreen.png" alt caption size="10" width="17" height="15"}. You can edit these fields for any business objects that contain final state designations. |
| Disable Rule      | Disables the rule.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |

6. Click **Save** when you are done.

### Business Objects Containing Final State Rules

The following business objects have read-only rules specified, with at least one status defined as a final state. Once the status for the business object record is changed to that state, the record and any child records, such as tasks and approvals, that were assigned to a user, can no longer be edited.

| Business Object | Final States               |
| --------------- | -------------------------- |
| Approval        | Canceled, Approved, Denied |
| Call Log        | Closed                     |
| Change          | Closed, Canceled, Denied   |
| CI Service      | Retired                    |
| Knowledge       | Expired                    |
| Incident        | Closed                     |
| Problem         | Canceled, Closed           |
| Project         | Closed                     |
| Release         | Canceled, Closed           |
| Service Request | Canceled, Closed           |

### Overriding the Triggered Actions Business Rule for locked Business Object

When a Business Object is locked, Triggered Actions for the Business Object cannot be modified. If you click the **On/Off** button for a Triggered Action record, the error message “ *Metadata permission for object instance prevents update*” is displayed.

However, there may be a case where you do not need all the default Triggered Actions provided for a Business Object and may want to disable some of them, in such a case you need to be able to override the Business Rule and disable certain Triggered Actions. To do so, a Global Constant - **OverwriteTriggerActionsPermissions** is provided.

- When the **OverwriteTriggerActionsPermissions** is True - you can edit the Triggered Actions for locked Business Objects.
- When the **OverwriteTriggerActionsPermissions** is False - you cannot edit the Triggered Actions for locked Business Objects.

### Sample Scenario

**Edit Triggered Actions of a locked Business Object**

1. Login to Neurons for ITSM as an Administrator.
2. Open the Configuration console.
3. Clic&#x6B;**&#x20;Build** > **Business Object**.
4. Open any locked Business Object and select the **Business Rules** tab.
5. Try disable any of the Triggered Actions by clicking the **On/Off** toggle button in the **Status** column.

:::Paragraph{indent="1"}
The application does not allow the edit and displays the message "*Metadata permission for object instance prevents update*".
:::

**Add and enable the Global Constant**

Add the Global Constant to be able to edit the Triggered Actions.

6. From the Configuration console, click **Build** > **Global Constant**.
7. Click **Add** in the Global Constant page.
8. Enter the following values:
   - **Name** - OverwriteTriggerActionsPermissions
   - **Value** - True
   - **Type** - Boolean
   - **Description** - enter a relevant description, example - Overwriting the Triggered Actions for Locked Business Objects
9. Click **Save**.

**Now edit Triggered Actions for a locked Business Object**

10. Follow from [step 1](docId\:DzatWdgRvZZX1mY9OrPD3) through step 5.

:::Paragraph{indent="1"}
You will be able to edit the Triggered Actions.
:::

:::Paragraph{indent="1"}
*Triggered Actions edited for a locked Business Object*
:::

::Image[]{src="https://api.archbee.com/api/optimize/parib0MC3hVoUNdfQdnac/j4hizN70aVo_D3OtVv3sb_editingtriggeredactionsforlockedbo.png" position="flex-start" size="40" initialPath="../../Resources/Images/Configure/Business-Rules/EditingTriggeredActionsForLockedBO.png" githubPath="Content/Resources/Images/Configure/Business-Rules/EditingTriggeredActionsForLockedBO.png" showCaption="false" width="1094" height="813" darkWidth="1094" darkHeight="813" indent="1"}