Hide a custom field

[osolaru063]

As part of our integration of AD to ServiceNow, I  created a custom field on the sys_user table to assist with flagging down inactive users in Active Directory.  I keep on getting different solutions  on how to hide a custom field. What is the best practice in hiding a custom field from the users?

[SVimes]

This depends on how you want it hidden which probably explains why you have a number of different solutions. It being a custom field should have no bearing on the solution since the handling should be the same as an OOB field.

You could lock this down via a read ACL. This will be a strict can or cannot see across the board. A read ACL resolving to no access means can't be seen in lists or forms. OR, you could lock this down on the form only using a Client Script or UI Policy instead.

[billmartin0]

Hi @osolaru063 ,

Thank you for your patience. In a ServiceNow implementation, we typically begin by establishing strong foundation data that represents the governance structure of the organization. This includes groups, roles, and users, ideally synchronized from a clean and well-maintained Active Directory. Once this structure is defined, it becomes the reference point for managing access across the platform.

When it comes to hiding a custom field, the best practice is to control visibility through Access Control Rules (ACLs), rather than relying on UI policies or client scripts. Implementing a field-level read ACL on the custom field allows you to truly hide it from users who do not have the appropriate role. This enforces security at the platform level and ensures privacy, proper data ownership alignment, and long-term maintainability.

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