---
title: "Using block jobs in the Order Blotter dashboard"
slug: "using-block-jobs-in-the-order-blotter-dashboard"
updated: 2025-04-22T16:10:35Z
published: 2025-04-22T16:10:35Z
canonical: "support.lusid.com/using-block-jobs-in-the-order-blotter-dashboard"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://support.lusid.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Using block jobs in the Order Blotter dashboard

LUSID allows you to create your own custom actions to perform on one or more [order blocks](/v1/docs/what-is-order-blocking-in-lusid) in the Order Blotter. For example, you could create a block job that runs some data validation, or sends blocks to an external process.

You define these custom block jobs using [Luminesce custom views](/v1/docs/creating-custom-views-sysadminsetupview). Once you have created a custom view, you can select it as **Block job** when interacting with the Order Blotter in the [LUSID web app](https://www.lusid.com/app/home):

![](https://cdn.document360.io/d575ad81-c0ed-4980-bbd1-d59ac5c3de82/Images/Documentation/image(765).png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-09T06%3A06%3A25Z&se=2026-11-09T07%3A06%3A25Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=U3w%2Fsh4Fa8qiO2%2BRJDGL8IqWs7bPZh1yVPi1NuiV%2FvI%3D)

The block job is a Luminesce custom view which must take in a `BlockIds` table input parameter containing the following:

- Block scope
- Block code

The custom view should then do the following:

1. Perform one or more operations using the block.
2. Use `Lusid.Block.Writer` to update any block values.
3. Output a success or error message using the `WriteErrorCode`.

To make the custom view available in the Order Blotter, you must register the `OrderBlotterBlockAction` metadata key with the view.

## Example: Creating a block job that sets a contingent order ID

Let’s imagine you want to generate some order numbers for each block, ready for placement. You can use [Sys.Admin.SetupView](/v1/docs/creating-custom-views-sysadminsetupview) to define the following block job that can be run on any set of blocks, specifying in your query:

- A name for the custom view
- Optionally, a description
- The required input parameters for a block job, as detailed above
- The operation to perform on the block. In this example, the view uses `Lusid.Sequence.Writer` to generate an order number.
- The values to write to the block using [Lusid.Block.Writer](/v1/docs/lusidblockwriter)
- A success and an error message depending on the `WriteErrorCode`. For LUSID providers, a `WriteErrorCode` of `0` indicates the write operation was successful.

Outside of the custom view, you must use the [Sys.Registration.Metadata.Writer](/v1/docs/sysregistrationmetadatawriter) provider to set the `OrderBlotterBlockAction` metadata value to `true`.

```sql
@@providerName = select 'set_contingent_order_id';

@table_blocks = select 'Finbourne-Examples' as scope, 'BLK-0' as code;

-- Create the custom view

@x = use Sys.Admin.SetupView with @@providerName, @table_blocks
--provider={@@providerName}
--description="A process that can be triggered for some blocks"
--parameters
BlockIds,Table,@table_blocks,false,"Pass in a table of data of block scopes and codes"
----

@block_ids = select * from #PARAMETERVALUE(BlockIds);

-- Trigger sequence and get contingent ID

@sequence = SELECT 1 as NextBatch,
'OrderBlock' as Code,
'Next' as WriteAction,
'Finbourne-Examples' as Scope;
@contingent_id = select NextValueInSequence as Contingent_Id, WriteErrorCode, WriteError from Lusid.Sequence.Writer where toWrite = @sequence;

@@contingent_id_string = SELECT Contingent_Id from @contingent_id LIMIT 1;

-- Add contingent IDs to the blocks
@blocks = SELECT
@@contingent_id_string as Contingent_Id,
b.* 
FROM @block_ids bi
INNER JOIN Lusid.Block b
ON bi.scope = b.BlockScope AND
bi.code = b.BlockCode;
        
-- Write updated values to the block
@insert = select * from Lusid.Block.Writer where toWrite = @blocks;

@@result = SELECT
CASE
    WHEN WriteErrorCode = 0 THEN 'Contingent IDs written as ' || Contingent_Id
    ELSE 'There was an issue with your Contingent ID. Error: ' || WriteError
END AS result
FROM @contingent_id LIMIT 1;

select @@result as result;

enduse;

@create_view = select * from @x;

--- Register metadata for the custom view

@metadata = values
  (@@providerName, 'OrderBlotterBlockAction', 'True');
@toWrite = select
  column1 as ProviderName,
  column2 as MetadataKey,
  column3 as MetadataValue
from @metadata;

select * from Sys.Registration.Metadata.Writer
  where ToWrite = @toWrite
```

> [!NOTE]
> **Note:** For the example above, you must first create a sequence with the specified `scope` and `code` using the [CreateSequence](https://www.lusid.com/docs/api/lusid/endpoints/sequences/CreateSequence) API.

Once you have created a block job in the form of a custom view, to run it:

1. Navigate to **Portfolio Management > Order Blotter** in the LUSID web app. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/d575ad81-c0ed-4980-bbd1-d59ac5c3de82/Images/Documentation/image(766).png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-09T06%3A06%3A25Z&se=2026-11-09T07%3A06%3A25Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=U3w%2Fsh4Fa8qiO2%2BRJDGL8IqWs7bPZh1yVPi1NuiV%2FvI%3D)
2. Create your order blocks as usual.
3. Select the blocks you want to include in your block job.
4. Select a **Block job** from the dropdown.
5. **Run** the block job. ![](https://cdn.document360.io/d575ad81-c0ed-4980-bbd1-d59ac5c3de82/Images/Documentation/image(767).png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-09T06%3A06%3A25Z&se=2026-11-09T07%3A06%3A25Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=U3w%2Fsh4Fa8qiO2%2BRJDGL8IqWs7bPZh1yVPi1NuiV%2FvI%3D)

Once the block job has run, the dashboard displays your success or error message:

![](https://cdn.document360.io/d575ad81-c0ed-4980-bbd1-d59ac5c3de82/Images/Documentation/image(546).png?sv=2026-02-06&spr=https&st=2026-11-09T06%3A06%3A25Z&se=2026-11-09T07%3A06%3A25Z&sr=c&sp=r&sig=U3w%2Fsh4Fa8qiO2%2BRJDGL8IqWs7bPZh1yVPi1NuiV%2FvI%3D)