🚀 Top 5 Things I Wish I Knew When I Started Working with ServiceNow

[Bhavesh Patil]

As I begin sharing my experiences here, I wanted to start with something that might help others who are just beginning their ServiceNow journey.

These are the **top 5 things I wish I had known earlier**—insights that would have saved me hours of trial and error.

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🔹 1. Understand the Platform, Not Just the Module

When I started, I dove straight into ITSM and missed the bigger picture.

👉 ServiceNow is not just a set of apps — it’s a powerful **platform**.

📌 Learn how:

* Tables & relationships work

* Dictionary entries define structure

* ACLs control access

Once you understand the platform layer, every module starts making more sense — and customizations become smarter and safer.

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🔹 2. 🛠️ Always Follow Best Practices — They Exist for a Reason

Whether it’s scripting, building flows, or designing UIs — **best practices** are your long-term friends.

✅ Key habits to adopt:

* Use **naming conventions** consistently

* Write **modular, reusable, and commented** code

* Prefer **Flow Designer** or **Script Includes** over duplicated logic

* Stick to **configuration over customization** whenever possible

This makes your work easier to scale, maintain, and upgrade.

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🔹 3. 📚 Leverage the Official Docs & Developer Portal Early

Don't rely solely on YouTube or random blogs in the beginning.

The official [ServiceNow Docs](https://docs.servicenow.com/) and [Developer Portal](https://developer.servicenow.com/) are your best teachers.

💡 You’ll find:

* Step-by-step **learning paths**

* Access to **personal developer instances**

* **Code examples** and **release-specific content**

They help you build real confidence backed by reliable, structured knowledge.

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🔹 4. ⚙️ Understand Client-Side vs Server-Side Scripting

A common beginner mistake: using the wrong script in the wrong place. This can break performance, logic, or even security.

🧠 Quick guide:

* Use **Client Scripts & UI Policies** for form-level interactions

* Use **Business Rules, Script Includes & Flows** for backend logic

* Use **GlideAjax** to safely call server-side code from the client

Mastering this will give you clean, optimized, and upgrade-safe code.

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🔹 5. 🤝 Never Underestimate the Community – It’s Your Best Resource

No matter your experience, you’ll hit roadblocks. That’s when the **ServiceNow Community** becomes your best ally.

🗣️ Tips to make the most of it:

* Search before you post — someone’s already been there

* Ask questions or share even small wins

* Follow contributors and trending topics

Being part of this community helps you **grow faster, learn smarter, and stay inspired**. That’s why I’m starting my own contribution journey here — to learn, share, and give back.

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🙌 Final Note:

> If you’re just starting out, I hope these tips help you skip a few early mistakes and grow with more clarity.

> Let me know in the comments — what’s *one thing* you wish *you* knew when you started with ServiceNow?

If this helped, please mark it as Correct or Helpful—it really means a lot!

[shubham84061822]

Great knowledge, helpful

[ererg]

Excellent summary

[vishvas]

great work

[ganeshbagul]

Great knowledge, helpful