Data Policies: The Long Lost Relative To Client Scripts and UI Policies

[Allen Andreas]

Data Policies: The Long Lost Relative To Client Scripts and UI Policies

Did you know that ServiceNow Client Scripts and UI Policies have a distant relative? I'm talking about Data Policies! From my experience, Data Policies are commonly forgotten and rarely utilized.

So what do they do? Data Policies allow you to set fields mandatory and read-only, just like Client Scripts and UI Policies, but they have additional functionality to also enforce those rules beyond the browser (client). This additional enforcement applies to data entered into the system such as through import sets, web services, and even the mobile interface. This is because Data Policies are server-side application files.

Additional Pros worth noting are:

• Can use a condition to determine when to trigger
• Low-code, meaning scripting isn't required to set a field Mandatory or Read-Only
• You can enable a Data Policy to also act like a UI Policy (so two uses from one configuration)
• Can be converted to a UI Policy after configuration, if applicable

Some Cons are:

• May be too strict for most needs (although you can opt out of some of the enforcement)
• Can not be used to show or hide a field
• Are more complex as it requires a deeper understanding of the data involved beyond the client interface

So, why aren't these used more often? Well...beyond the cons listed above, most tables simply won't need this additional data enforcement, so it wouldn't make sense to use a more complex solution.

So, what's a use case for a Data Policy? One example is when table data is being updated from an external source (like a REST call) and you want to make sure a specific field is filled in as part of that update. Client Scripts and UI Policies wouldn't enforce rules during this transaction, but Data Policies do.

Want to learn more about Data Policies? Check out this new ServiceNow Now Learning course that was just released a few weeks ago!

Do you have examples of other use cases for Data Policies? Have you also seen the same that Data Policies are rarely configured? Comment below and let us know your thoughts!

If you enjoy ServiceNow content like this, consider subscribing to my ServiceNow focused YouTube channel: Allenovation and connect with me on LinkedIn!