Configuration Inquiry: Displaying Full 'Display Name' in System Fields ('Created By', 'Updated By').

[B Swethana]

By default, the 'Created By', 'Updated By', and 'Opened By' fields store the username. However, I want to display the full 'Display Name' instead.

[Ankur Bawiskar]

@B Swethana 

sys_created_by, sys_updated_by stores user name and are string field.

you can store full Display Name there as the logic to set those fields is at Platform level and you don't have access to it.

I believe Opened By field is a reference to sys_user table

On sys_user table Name field (First Name + Last Name) is Display=true so it shows Full name only

If my response helped please mark it correct and close the thread so that it benefits future readers.

[Dr Atul G- LNG]

Hi @B Swethana 

We had a similar request in my client environment as well. Based on our experience working with ServiceNow, it is not recommended to make such changes for the following reasons:

1. It is out-of-the-box (OOTB) functionality, and changing values or references may cause issues.

2. If you use a full display name, it might not fit properly—names can be longer than 40 characters and may not be supported here.

In short, avoid making these changes and educate the users and clients accordingly. Otherwise, it could lead to significant technical debt down the line

[M Iftikhar]

Hi @B Swethana,

By design, fields like sys_created_by and sys_updated_by are string fields, not references to the sys_user table. They store the username (user ID) of the person who created or updated the record and are part of ServiceNow’s audit fields. These fields are read-only and populated automatically by the platform.

Refer to this knowledge base article for more context: 
How to display username on "created by" field - Support and Troubleshooting

Thanks & Regards,
Muhammad Iftikhar
If my response helped, please mark it as the accepted solution so others can benefit as well.