Add sys_id column to List View

[Geoffrey_Bishop]

A common question is, "How can I get the sys_id column to show up in a List View?"

ServiceNow makes this surprisingly difficult.  Before you jump through hoops to do that, be aware that if you are just trying to find a single record, and you know the sys_id, there is generally a Sys ID option in the FILTER on list views; so there is no need to add a sys_id column.  Example of using the Filter to find a specific record by sys_id:

There are also other ways to get sys_id values to show up in VIEWS, REPORTS, and in EXPORTS.  But if you really want a sys_id column on a list view, and you have admin rights to make changes, here is a step by step process, with screenshots, that may help you:

Example of adding a sys_id column to a List View:
1) In the Filter Navigator, type "System UI".
2) Select the "Lists" module ( or navigate directly to "sys_ui_list.list" ).
3) Find the name of the table where you want the sys_id column to appear, for example "sc_catalog".
4) Open the record for the specific list view where you want to see the sys_id column, such as the "Default view", for all users / (empty) user.

5) In the Related Lists "List Elements" section, click "New" to create a new element with name "sys_id".
6) Give the element a Position, such as 6, and verify that it shows up in the List Elements list.

7) Navigate to your list view, for example "sc_catalog.list".
😎 Click the Gear icon ("Update Personalized List").
9) Click "Reset to column defaults"…

10) In the filter navigator, enter "cache.do" to flush the cache (believe this will affect all users) Or log out and log back into your instance.

11) Navigate to your list.
12) You should now, finally, see the sys_id column in the list view.

Note. If you then make ANY CHANGES AT ALL, using the Gear Icon ("Personalize List"), ServiceNow will A) Throw away any existing user-specific sys_ui_list record you may have had, and create a brand new one.  And B) it will also throw away your sys_id column. You will then need to take another action…

13) Add the sys_id column to your user-specific sys_ui_list records, and again execute another cache.do (or log out and back in).

Hopefully this helps someone.  Cheers.

[Geoffrey_Bishop]

Note.  The official response from ServiceNow on this issue is located here:

Users are unable to add the Sys ID field to a form or list view or a report / Exporting data with Sy...

In this article, ServiceNow says: "By design, the Sys ID field is not easily available for users to display on forms, lists, nor reports. This is because this field contains a unique numerical identifier for each record. If the Sys ID is modified or deleted, this would lead to bad data and/or data loss."

In my humble opinion, this is a TERRIBLE policy / decision which was made by ServiceNow, and they should absolutely re-think this ASAP.  The sys_id is fundamental to every record in the system.  There is nothing wrong with displaying a sys_id, sharing a sys_id, or playing scrabble with a sys_id.  MODIFYING OR DELETING a sys_id is a totally different story, of course.  So THOSE THINGS (Modifying or Deleting) should be hard.  Viewing should not be hard.

This is like the DMV telling you that they are going to hide your driver's license number, because if you were to change your driver's license number, "that would be bad".

</End Rant>

[Alan Akins]

This post is probably generally helpful, but it does leave out the assumption that the user has the necessary roles to access the links/pages provided. Even most "power users" do not have the roles required.

[Jim Coyne]

It is a little bizarre.  The field is extremely important, but should still be readily readable.  And for that very reason.  I mean, for an "admin", it's easy to get it in a number of ways:

• as you described above
• in the URL when looking at a form
• the "Copy sys_id" UI Actions
• by performing an "Easy Import"
• etc...

So why not make it possible to add it to a list view?  Besides, it takes about 30 seconds to make the field editable.  Did everyone just panic????  I used my words very carefully there.  The field IS "editable", but cannot actually be changed (i.e. saved with the new value).  But I'm sure that still scared a few people.  That is something that should probably be harder to do than to just see the value.  🙂

But, I must admit, in all my years, have not run into any issues where the sys_id really had to be easily visible.  I just don't understand the effort put into hiding it when it can so easily be revealed.

[Andres Magnin]

This is Faster:

[AP11]

Best ever solution 

[Mark Roethof]

Even faster is just using SNUtils for this, instead of having to go into the browser console 🙂

Kind regards,
Mark

[Alan Akins]

I can appreciate that all these "solutions" seem to work for some, but as a non-admin "power user" there is no solution yet that I have found which I can employ myself. The only one that still works for non-admins is the export all CSV by adding this to the end of the list view URL "%26CSV%26sysparm_default_export_fields%3Dall"

[Andres Magnin]

Maybe this will help, you can personalize your list and manipulate the DOM so servicenow sets whatever field you added to your personalized list, and any user can do this.

you still need to fiddle with the console, but you can add the sys_id filed or do some dotwalking 🙂

and if you put an invalid field nothing bad happens is just ignored

[Andres Magnin]

Can't find an option on SNUtils to do that, mind explaining where it is?

[Alan Akins]

Now THIS method works for me! Very similar to your previous post, but it clicked for me on this one given that it was using the end-user column list. Thank you!!

[Beata I_owiecka]

I love this solution 🙂

[Arnoud Kooi]

Just came across this discussion and wanted to make anyone aware of the 1-click way now available in SN Utils

- SHIFT-click the "Quick Add" Button (1) This will immediately add the sys id to the beginning of the list

- Alternatively, you can activate technical names (/tn or whitespace double-click) in the modal and click the +sys_id link (3) to add/remove the field (2)

See this GitHub issue as well