Build It the Right Way: How to Retrieve a Single Record Using Glide Record with GlideRecordHelper

[BillMartin]

When I first started building applications on ServiceNow, I remember feeling proud the first time I wrote a simple GlideRecord query to fetch an Incident.

It was quick, it worked, and I moved on.

But as the platform grew... and as the apps got more complex... problems started creeping in.

Suddenly, I had dozens of Script Includes, Flow actions, and Business Rules—all manually repeating the same GlideRecord logic just to fetch a single record.

Whenever a change was needed, it wasn’t just a one-line fix.

It was a painful search across the whole codebase.
A missed update here.
An outdated method there.
Logs scattered everywhere.

That’s when I realized: working code isn't enough — maintainable, scalable code matters.

So I went back to basics and asked:

What if fetching a single record could be standardized, reusable, and reliable across the entire platform?

That’s how I started designing with GlideRecordHelper and the Repository Pattern.

Instead of writing raw GlideRecord calls everywhere, I built a clean utility—GlideRecordHelper—that knows how to:

• Connect to any table

• Fetch exactly what I need

• Handle optional fields dynamically

• Cleanly log every action for visibility

Then, I introduced a Repository layer, like IncidentRepository, that wraps around the helper and focuses purely on Incident-specific logic.

And finally, I added a simple BaseLogger to every operation, so every get, update, or delete is tracked—with no guesswork.

Fetching a single Incident record became as easy as:

• Pass the sys_id to the repository

• Get a clean, structured response back

• Log every step automatically

 

Why This Matters

This small shift changed everything.

Instead of scattered, fragile queries, now:

• The code is dynamic: Works on any table, not just Incident.

• The code is reusable: One pattern reused everywhere.

• The code is traceable: Every action is logged and searchable.

• The code is maintainable: Future changes happen in one place, not everywhere.

 

See It In Action

If you’re curious how this works in real life (not just theory), I recorded a full walkthrough demo.

You’ll see:

• How easy it is to use IncidentRepository.getBySysId()

• How GlideRecordHelper simplifies all database interaction

• How BaseLogger ensures no action goes undocumented

Watch the full YouTube tutorial here 

Today, when I look back, I realize that fetching a single record may seem "simple"—
but doing it the right way lays the foundation for clean, scalable, and professional ServiceNow development.

And that's the kind of developer and architect you want to become.

Are you ready to build it the right way too? 

Let’s grow together.