---
title: Administer table and field descriptions
description: Users with the report\_description\_admin role can add and edit table and field descriptions that users see when they create reports.Users with the admin role can enable the report\_description\_admin role. Users with this role can add and edit table and field descriptions.Users with the report\_description\_admin role can add and edit table and field descriptions that users see when they create reports.
locale: en-US
canonical_url: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/now-intelligence/reporting/admin-table-field-descriptions.html
release: australia
product: Reporting
classification: reporting
topic_type: concept
last_updated: "2026-03-12"
reading_time_minutes: 2
breadcrumb: [Administering reports, Reporting, Reporting, dashboards, and Performance Analytics in the Core UI, Platform Analytics]
---

# Administer table and field descriptions

Users with the report\_description\_admin role can add and edit table and field descriptions that users see when they create reports.

A user with the admin role must enable the report\_description\_admin role. The user with the report\_description\_admin role can edit field and table descriptions. Report administrators inherit this role by default when it is activated.

In the Report Designer, the user sees the table descriptions on the **Data** tab. When appropriate, the user sees the field descriptions on the **Configure** tab.

\[Omitted image "field-hint-in-report-designer.png"\] Alt text: Group by field in Configure tab showing field description.

**Parent Topic:**[Administering reports](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/australia/now-intelligence/reporting/c_AdminsteringReports.md)

## Enable the report description admin role

Users with the admin role can enable the report\_description\_admin role. Users with this role can add and edit table and field descriptions.

### Before you begin

Role required: admin

### Procedure

1.  Navigate to **All** > **System Definition** > **Plugins**.

2.  Enter `com.glideapp.report.description_config` in the search bar.

3.  Install the **Table and field description configuration for report** plugin.

    This plugin enables the configuration of table and field descriptions in reports. \[Omitted image "enable-table-field-descr-plugin.png"\] Alt text: Find the table and field description configuration plugin and install it.

4.  Assign the report\_description\_admin role.

    For more information, see [Assign a role to a user](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/platform-administration/t_AssignARoleToAUser.md) and [Assign a role to a group](https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ServiceNow/ServiceNowDocs/australia/markdown/platform-administration/t_AssignRoleToGroup.md)

    Users with the report\_admin role have the new role automatically.


### Result

In the Report Designer, the user sees the table descriptions on the **Data** tab and the field descriptions, when appropriate, on the **Configure** tab.

## Edit table and field descriptions

Users with the report\_description\_admin role can add and edit table and field descriptions that users see when they create reports.

### Before you begin

Role required: report\_description\_admin

### Procedure

1.  Navigate to **All** > **Reports** > **Administration** > **Field Descriptions**.

    The **Field Labels** list has four columns:

    -   **Table**

        Lists the table the element is associated with. There is one entry in this column for every field in the table, plus one for the table itself.

    -   **Element**

        The field in the table that the description applies to. If the **Element** value is empty, then the description applies to the table.

    -   **Language**

        Two-letter code of the language the field is localized in. Read-only.

        **Note:** Right-click the code of the language you're adding descriptions in and select **Show Matching**. In this way, you limit the table to only the fields you need for this task.

    -   **Hint**

        Contains the descriptions of the tables and fields that users see in the Report Designer.

2.  Double-click the cell in the **Hint** column and add or edit the description.

    Click the check icon to save the description.\[Omitted image "add-field-description.png"\] Alt text: A description being added to the severity element on the incident table.


### Result

In the Report Designer, when you group by a field that you have added a hint to, you see that hint text in the Information popup for the field.

\[Omitted image "field-hint-in-report-designer.png"\] Alt text: The added description of the severity element visible on the Report Designer.