An exemplary method and device provide for managing and configuring field devices in an automation installation with a configuration tool designed to physically detect a field device in the automation installation, logically incorporate the field device in the automation installation, and configure the field device in the automation installation. For this purpose, the configuration tool uses a predefined field-device-specific information packet which describes the functions and data of the field device. The functions and data of the field device are displayed in an instantiated manner in windows or dialogs on a display. In order to improve clarity, the display groups windows of the same device entity for the same input context and displays them in a superordinate group window.