Adding a popover
You can add a popover to a layout to organize objects and make data entry easier. To add a popover to a layout, create a popover button. FileMaker Pro creates a popover at the same time. Add fields and other layout objects on the popover.
To add a popover to a layout:
1.
In Layout mode, choose the layout you want from the Layout pop-up menu.
2.
In the status toolbar, do the following:
 •
Windows: Click the arrow next to the Button tool Button tool in the status toolbar in Windows or the Popover Button tool Popover Button tool in the status toolbar in Windows, and choose Popover Button from the menu. Then drag the crosshair to draw the popover button.
 •
OS X: Click and hold the Button tool Button tool in the status toolbar in OS X or the Popover Button tool Popover Button tool in the status toolbar in OS X, and choose Popover Button from the menu. Then drag the crosshair to draw the popover button.
Tip  You can also add a popover button by choosing Insert menu > Popover Button.
A popover button along with the popover are displayed on the layout.
3.
In the Popover Button Setup dialog box, choose how you want the labels to appear.
By default, FileMaker Pro creates a label of text only, center aligned. See Defining or changing a button.
4.
Choose additional options for the popover, including selecting the direction in which the popover opens, changing the popover’s title, and showing the title bar.
See Changing popover settings.
5.
To assign one or more script triggers to the popover, click Set Script Triggers and choose one or more script triggers.
See Setting up script triggers and Creating scripts to automate tasks.
6.
Close the Popover Button Setup dialog box.
7.
To add objects to the popover, select the popover. If the popover is not displayed, choose Format menu > Display Popover. To add objects, use the layout tools in the status toolbar, choose items from the Insert menu, or drag objects onto the popover.
8.
Close the popover by clicking its close button.
Notes
 •
In Layout mode, a badge  Layout trigger badge on a layout appears in the lower-right corner of a popover on which you’ve set a script trigger.
 •
After you've added objects to a popover, you can move, resize, reshape, copy, delete, and arrange the objects on the popover. See Selecting and working with objects on popovers.
 •
You can place a popover inside a portal; however, you cannot place a portal on that popover.
 •
If necessary, you can place a popover button close to the edge of the layout’s viewing area. If the popover’s display direction will extend the popover beyond the viewing area, the popover will open in the direction in which it is most visible. Scroll bars appear on the popover, if needed, to allow you to display all the objects on the popover.
 •
If you are using a popover on a narrow or short layout and you want the popover to extend past the edge of the layout to enlarge the popover’s data entry area, set fields and the popover to resize automatically, and anchor the popover on the right side or bottom. See Setting auto-resize options for layout objects.
 •
Popovers cannot display in front of web viewers or interactive containers in Browse mode. To avoid overlapping these objects, a popover will shrink, if possible, or display behind these objects.
 •
To have a popover display in Table View, place the popover in the header part, footer part, or top or bottom navigation part on the layout.
 •
You can export data from fields on popovers with the following exceptions:
 •
When you save or send data as Excel (using File menu > Save/Send Records as > Excel), fields on popovers are not included in the destination file. Use File menu > Export Records instead. After naming the destination file and setting Excel options, choose Current Table in the Specify Field Order for Export dialog box, then select the fields you want to export. See Exporting data from FileMaker Pro.
 •
When you use the context menu in Table View to copy records or to save or send records as a PDF, fields on popovers are not included in the destination file.
 •
When you use the Copy Record/Request script step or Copy All Records/Requests script step, fields on popovers are not included in the destination file.
 •
Popover buttons are identified by a badge Popover badge in Layout mode. If you don’t see a badge, choose View menu  > Show > Popover Buttons.
 •
To close a popover in Browse mode, select another area of the layout, or press Esc.
Related topics 
Moving and resizing popovers
Formatting buttons, popover buttons, and popovers
Copying, duplicating, and deleting popovers
Was this topic helpful? Send feedback.