Skip to content
Release: Australia · Updated: 2026-03-12 · Official documentation · View source

Override a formatter with macros

The system uses formatters to handle complex rendering of specific form elements.

Before you begin

Role required: ui_macro_admin

About this task

Examples of form elements rendered by formatters in the base platform are:

  • Activity formatter: Displays the list of activities, or history, on a task form.
  • Process flow formatter: Displays the different stages in a linear process flow across the top of a record.
  • Task parent breadcrumbs formatter: Provides breadcrumbs to show the parent or parents of the current task.
  • Approval summarizer formatter: Displays dynamic summary information about the element being approved.

A UI macro can override formatters provided in the base system.

Procedure

  1. Navigate to All > System UI > UI Macros.

  2. Click New.

  3. In the Name field, enter the same name as the formatter you want to override, but omit the .xml extension.

  4. Complete the remaining fields on the form.

  5. Click Submit.

Example

This example shows the form that defines the existing approval summarizer formatter:

Image omitted: Formatter.png
Approval summarizer formatter

Here is the form for the UI macro that overrides the approval summarizer formatter:

Image omitted: FormatterOverride.png
Override the formatter

Parent Topic:Using formatters

Related topics

Create a UI macro for a formatter

Create a formatter and add it to a form