Tips and Tricks for webhook integrations

[Adam_on_Now]

I've always found that when it comes to integrating servicenow with an external API, taking Servicenow out of the picture initially is makes it easier and less stressful to get the prototype of the integration working. That brings me to my integrations for dummies checklist!

1. Define what you want to do. Is the integration useful and fit for purpose?

2. If so, do your research and make sure a pre-built integration spoke doesn't already exist. If it does, this will make your life much easier, as the pre-built spoke and actions will make things much easier (and secure!) provided it actually does what you want.

3. If there isn't a pre-built spoke, then finding and reading through the external API is your next task. Assuming there is a REST API available, using tools to "play around" with it is always recommended.

4. Use a tool such as PostMan to interact with the API and do the basics before you try to accomplish what you're actually trying to do. Start small. Sometimes just getting authentication working is a hassle, so start from the ground up witht he most basic call you can accomplish through Postman just to confirm it works and it does what you want. This will eliminate weird network/vpn/connectivity issues that you might have to deal with if you try to build the integration directly in ServiceNow from the start. Also, it will make troubleshooting and reviewing logs much easier too.

5. Once you get the basics setup, then start to build upon the complexity and using dummy data, get the integration mostly working through postman which could take several calls. Make sure to review the responses and read through the documentation to understand the expectations of the responses and all error codes.

6. Once you have it working in PostMan, now you can start pulling your code and configuration into ServiceNow. Use the Flow Design when/where you can to make it easy and create some re-usable actions so that it's easy to follow. Be sure to use the annoation and documenation features of Flow Designer to make it easy for someone else to follow your flow.

7. Lastly, and most importantly use the Connection and Credential Aliases within the platform to make sure you're not "hard coding" credentials into your flow or code. This will be key for long-term maintainability and security!

Here is a link to the PostMan tutorial to get you started: https://learning.postman.com/docs/introduction/overview/

These days you can utilize the online version of PostMan and don't even need to install anything. If you create an account, you can save different projects so you can refer back to them in the future!

Good luck and happy integrating!