Role functionality

[AnthonyMull]

Hi community,

I am looking for a reference to all roles in Servicenow and their function. I can see the description in the tool itself but I am looking for more detail as to what app the role gives access to and what permissions the role gives in each applicaiton / module.

Thanks for help.

[AndersBGS]

Hi @AnthonyMull ,

you don’t find what you’re looking for in one place / one page, but the product documentation is a good place to start for OOTB roles. For custom roles, you can only rely on your own documentation. 

[Dr Atul G- LNG · Accepted solution]

Hi @AnthonyMull 

There is no direct way to get all this information in one place. However, you can refer to the Roles table, where you will find brief role descriptions that are fairly close.

For more detailed information, you can:

• Refer to the official documentation, or

• If the requirement is module-specific, follow best practices (formerly known as Now Create). From there, you can download the Process Workshop decks, which provide detailed explanations of specific roles and responsibilities.

https://INSTANCENAME.service-now.com/now/nav/ui/classic/params/target/sys_user_role_list.do%3Fsyspar...

[KrishnaMohan]

Hi @AnthonyMull ,

In Addition to anders, atul. Since ServiceNow has thousands of roles that vary by release (e.g., Xanadu, Washington DC), there isn't a single "master spreadsheet" that covers every permission for every role. However, you can use the following methods to get the level of detail you need

The Official "Base System Roles" Reference

ServiceNow maintains a documentation page for every release that lists out-of-the-box roles. While it summarizes functions, it often links to specific application pages that list exact permissions.
Base system roles : This is the primary list for the core platform.

Application-Specific Roles: For deeper modules (like HRSD, CSM, or ITOM), you must look at the "Roles installed with [Application Name]" page in the documentation. For example, search the docs for "Roles installed with Incident Management" to see the specific CRUD (Create, Read, Update, Delete) permissions for that module.

Note: To see a visual "map" of what a role can do, go to User Administration > Roles, open a specific role record, and look at the "Contains Roles" related list. This shows you the hierarchy (e.g., the itil_admin role "contains" the itil role).

If this helped to answer your query, please mark it helpful & accept the solution.
Thanks!
Krishnamohan