Enforcing Dynamic Mandatory Attachments Based on Account in ServiceNow

[Sushma Pavani K]

Use Case

In certain ServiceNow implementations, organizations require users to attach supporting documents when submitting a Record Producer or form.

However, the rules for mandatory attachments may vary depending on the account associated with the logged-in user. For example:

• Users from specific accounts may be excluded from mandatory attachments.

• All other users must attach at least one file before submission.

This article explains a dynamic solution that achieves this requirement using a Client Script with onSubmit() and a Script Include, avoiding hardcoding values and enabling easy maintenance via a system property.

 

Problem Statement

The standard “Mandatory Attachment” checkbox in ServiceNow has limitations:

• It cannot differentiate based on user account.

• It cannot dynamically enforce rules without modifying the client script.

• Hardcoding account values makes future changes cumbersome.

As a result, organizations need a solution that:

1. Dynamically checks if the logged-in user belongs to an excluded account.

2. Enforces attachments only for users not excluded.

3. Works across Service Portal and Mobile UI without relying on client-side UI logic.

 

Solution Overview

The solution uses:

1. Client Script (onSubmit) – to intercept the form submission and check attachments dynamically.

2. Script Include – server-side logic to determine if the current user’s account is excluded.

3. System Property – to maintain a list of account sys_ids excluded from mandatory attachments.

 

Implementation Steps

1. Create a System Property

• Name: sn_customerservice.glide.account.sysids.excluding.skip.attachment

• Type: String

• Value: Comma-separated sys_ids of accounts to exclude

This property allows admins to update excluded accounts without touching code.

 

2. Script Include

Create a Script Include named CheckAccountExclusion:

var CheckAccountExclusion = Class.create();
CheckAccountExclusion.prototype = Object.extendsObject(global.AbstractAjaxProcessor, {
    validateAttachmentExclusionAccount: function() {
        var userID = gs.getUserID();
        var contactGR = new GlideRecord('customer_contact');
        contactGR.addQuery('sys_id', userID);
        contactGR.query();
        if (!contactGR.next()) return 'false';

        var userAccount = contactGR.getValue('account');
        if (!userAccount) return 'false';

        var excludedAccounts = gs.getProperty('sn_customerservice.glide.account.sysids.excluding.skip.attachment', '');
        if (!excludedAccounts) return 'false';

        var excludedList = excludedAccounts.split(',').map(function(s){ return s.trim(); });
        var isExcluded = excludedList.indexOf(userAccount) > -1;
        return isExcluded ? 'true' : 'false';
    },
    type: 'CheckAccountExclusion'
});

Explanation:

• Retrieves the current user’s customer_contact record.

• Checks the associated account.

• Compares against a system property list to determine exclusion.

• Returns 'true' or 'false' for client-side usage.

3. Client Script (onSubmit)

Create a Client Script on the Record Producer:

function onSubmit() {
    if (g_scratchpad.isFormValid) return true;

    var ga = new GlideAjax('CheckAccountExclusion');
    ga.addParam('sysparm_name', 'validateAttachmentExclusionAccount');
    ga.getXMLAnswer(setAnswer);

    return false;

    function setAnswer(answer) {
        if (g_form.getValue('u_case_type') == 'broken') {
            if (answer == 'false') { // user is NOT excluded
                if (document.getElementsByClassName('get-attachment').length == 0) {
                    g_form.addErrorMessage("Please attach a file before submitting.");
                    return false;
                }
            }
        }

        var actionName = g_form.getActionName();
        g_scratchpad.isFormValid = true;
        g_form.submit(actionName);
    }
}

Explanation:

• Calls the Script Include via GlideAjax to check account exclusion.

• If the account is not excluded and no attachment exists, submission is blocked.

• Uses g_scratchpad to prevent multiple validations during the same submit.

 

Benefits

1. Dynamic and Configurable: Admins can update excluded accounts via system property.

2. Reusability: Works across multiple forms or portals without changes to the script.

3. Improved UX: Users immediately see error messages when attachments are required.

4. No Hardcoding: All logic is based on system property and current user’s account.

 

Conclusion

This solution provides a flexible, dynamic way to enforce mandatory attachments in ServiceNow.

By combining Client Scripts, Script Includes, and System Properties, administrators can easily maintain rules while ensuring compliance based on user accounts.