Rally - Why is the behavior of Custom User Lookups (Drop-Down List (User)) different on the Project and Artifact Pages?

Products

• Rally SaaS

Issue/Introduction

Admins experience inconsistent results when using a custom user lookup field (specifically the "Drop Down List (User)" type) depending on where the field is accessed within the Rally interface. In some views, the list contains all users in the workspace, while in others, it only displays a subset of users. Why?

Environment

Rally SAAS

Cause

This behavior is "Working as Designed".  The scope of the user lookup is intentionally context-sensitive to provide the appropriate level of access for the task being performed.

Resolution

This design ensures that artifact-level assignments remain relevant to the project team while maintaining administrative flexibility at the workspace level.

The system restricts or expands the user list based on the page context:

• Admin Page Lookup: When using the lookup on an administrative page (such as the Project settings/administration page), it is designed to show all users within the workspace. This allows administrators the necessary visibility to assign ownership or manage permissions across the entire workspace user base.

• Artifact Level Lookup: When interacting with the lookup at the artifact level (e.g., within a specific User Story, Defect, or Task), the list is restricted to users who are members of that specific project. Users who are not project team members will not appear in the search results to maintain the relevance of the project-specific context.