Updating Incidents from vendor replies when subject is different and email is marked as new

[Ross Walker]

Hi All

im looking for a way to be able to update my Incidents from vendor replies so it doesnt create a new incident everytime they reply.

when we have an issue we have our own Incident and send an email from that Incident to the vendor but they reply from their ticketing platform - the email has their reference in it - not ours and is marked as a new email everytime it hits servicenow so it creates a new ticket with every reply.

i would like to be able to get it to update the first incident - im thinking it must be possible with an inbound action but i cant figure it our

[Moin Kazi]

Hi @Ross Walker ,

Please create a new inbound email with the type set to "New." In the condition field, specify a unique condition, such as "subject contains 'identify something from email pattern and provide something unique from there.'" This way, this inbound email will only function in reply scenarios.

Refer to the image below for details.

Additionally, please ensure that the condition is properly filtered in your original inbound email action so that the incident creation inbound email does not get triggered in that case.

Inbound Email with Type is "new" and condition where subject is something specific in that case Action Section only contain code to update an incident.

Refer to the image below for instructions on how to update the email body in the comment fields.

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If you found my response **helpful**, I’d appreciate it if you could take a moment to select **"Accept as Solution"** and **"Helpful"** Your support not only benefits me but also enriches the community.

Thank you!
Moin Kazi
www.linkedin.com/in/moinuddinkazi

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[Ross Walker]

Hi @Moin Kazi 
thank you for this but i cant get this to work
it still just creates a new incident

[Moin Kazi]

If you wish to update an existing incident with a new email sent by the vendor, it's important to note that this may not be feasible. In ServiceNow, records are updated via email only if the message contains the watermark added by ServiceNow. Since the vendor is sending a new email, this watermark is absent, and the ServiceNow system cannot determine which record requires updating.

The most effective approach in this situation would be to instruct the vendor to reply directly to the existing ServiceNow email rather than sending a new message. This will ensure that the necessary identifiers are included, allowing the system to appropriately associate the update with the correct incident.

I hope this clarifies the situation.

Best regards,
Moin Kazi

[Moin Kazi]

In your case, integration is key because a new inbound email alone typically won’t update records effectively.

ServiceNow relies on unique identifiers or watermarks to connect emails to specific records. Without these, the system can’t determine which record to update.

Using integration—like APIs or automated workflows—provides a more reliable method for updating records, ensuring that changes are accurately reflected in ServiceNow.