Remote Instance Creation Fails with 401 Unauthorized – “Invalid insert”

VasagnanesG — Mon, 28 Sep 2026 10:51:49 GMT

Authentication to remote instance failed

Check saved username and password

Error Message

Invalid insert

Remote Instance Creation Fails with 401 Unauthorized – “Invalid insert”

Hi ServiceNow Community,

I am trying to create a Remote Instance connection from one ServiceNow instance to another ServiceNow instance.

While creating the Remote Instance, I am receiving the following error:

Error:

Authentication to remote instance failed

Method failed:
(https://dev405790.service-now.com/sys_properties.do?SOAP&displayvalue=all&redirectSupported=true)
HTTP/1.1 401 Unauthorized with code: 401

Check saved username and password

Error Message:
Invalid insert

Environment

Source Instance: ServiceNow instance from which I am creating the Remote Instance
Target Instance: dev405790.service-now.com
Connection Type: Remote Instance
Target endpoint being accessed:
sys_properties.do?SOAP&displayvalue=all&redirectSupported=true

What I have checked

The target ServiceNow instance is accessible through the browser.
The credentials have been verified.
I can log in to the target instance using the credentials.
I re-entered the username and password while configuring the Remote Instance.
The target instance is active and accessible.

However, the Remote Instance creation still fails with:

HTTP/1.1 401 Unauthorized

followed by:

Invalid insert

Question

What could be causing the 401 Unauthorized response when ServiceNow attempts to access the target instance's sys_properties.do?SOAP endpoint?

Are there any specific requirements for:

Remote Instance authentication
User roles/permissions on the target instance
SOAP/Web Service access
Basic Authentication
ACLs on sys_properties
System properties that need to be enabled
Integration user configuration
Authentication restrictions or MFA/SSO settings

Could someone please provide the correct configuration steps for creating a Remote Instance connection between two ServiceNow instances and explain what needs to be configured on the target instance?

Any guidance on troubleshooting the 401 Unauthorized and Invalid insert errors would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you.

question Remote Instance Creation Fails with 401 Unauthorized – “Invalid insert” in Community Central forum

Remote Instance Creation Fails with 401 Unauthorized – “Invalid insert”

Remote Instance Creation Fails with 401 Unauthorized – “Invalid insert”

Environment

What I have checked

Question