question Re: Dynamically retrieving the approver user in ATF and impersonating them in Developer forum

Dynamically retrieving the approver user in ATF and impersonating them

rafaelmach7x — Fri, 19 Sep 2025 15:57:33 GMT

Hello community — I'm facing an issue with ATF impersonation and hope someone can point out what I might be missing.

Environment & context

I have an ATF test where:
- Step 36 is a Record Query that successfully returns a sysapproval_approver record (I can see the approval record sys_id in Step 36 output).
- Step 37 is a Run Server-side Script that should read the Step 36 output, query sysapproval_approver, extract the approver (a reference to sys_user), and return a record output in the format the Impersonate step expects:
  
  outputs.record = { document_id: "<sys_user_sys_id>", table: "sys_user" }

What I expect to happen

Step 37 prepares outputs.record with the approver sys_user id.
Step 38 (Impersonate) is configured to use {{Step 37: Run Server Side Script.Record}} (dot-walk → Step 37 → Record → document_id) and should impersonate that user so the remaining ATF steps run in that user's context.

What actually happens

Step 37 executes successfully (no script error).
However, Step 38 fails with:
User to impersonate not specified
In Step 38 I selected the user via the dot-walk UI (Step 37 → Record → document_id). The Impersonate field shows that reference, but the step fails at runtime.

What I tried already

I made the Step 37 script robust so it detects either steps[36].first_record.document_id or steps[36].record_id (I log both).
I tried returning outputs.record as shown above.
I also tried returning an alternative name (outputs.user) and other shapes, but Impersonate only accepts a dot-walkable Record → document_id.

Here´s the code - Step 37 script (full) that I used

Important: If I manually enter the approver’s username in the Impersonate step, the test runs successfully until the end. This confirms that Step 36 is correct and is returning the sys_id of the approval record.

Here´s some prints that might me usefull.

Step 38 failed: User to impersonate not specified

Is the outputs.record = { document_id: "<sys_id>", table: "sys_user" } shape definitely the correct format for the ATF Impersonate step to consume?
Could there be a timing/serialization issue where the Impersonate step evaluates the dot-walk reference before the Run Script outputs are fully available? If so, any workaround?
Has anyone seen the Impersonate step return “User to impersonate not specified” even though the preceding Run Script produced outputs.record? If so, what fixed it?

Thank you in advance for any help or pointers. Any sample working snippet or a note about version-specific behavior would be very appreciated.

Kind regards,
Rafael

Re: Dynamically retrieving the approver user in ATF and impersonating them

Chidanand_VK — Sat, 27 Sep 2025 20:30:33 GMT

Hi @rafaelmach7x ,

You can use the below simple script to do the same action.

(function(outputs, steps, stepResult) {

var prevStep = "XXXXXXXXX"; //Sys Id of Step 36

var approval = new GlideRecord("sysapproval_approver");

approval.get(steps(prevStep).first_record);

var approverSysId = approval.getValue("approver");

var approver = new GlideRecord('sys_user');

approver.get(approverSysId);

if (!approver.getUniqueValue()) {

stepResult.setOutputMessage("Unable to find the User to Impersonate");

stepResult.setFailed();

return false;

} else {

stepResult.setOutputMessage("User found for Impersonation is - " + approver.getDisplayValue("name"));

stepResult.setSuccess();

outputs.record_id = approverSysId;

return true;

}

})(outputs, steps, stepResult);

If my answer helped, please mark it as helpful or accept as the solution.

Regards,

Chidanand

Re: Dynamically retrieving the approver user in ATF and impersonating them

rafaelmach7x — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 18:26:13 GMT

Hi Chidanand_VK!

Thanks for your help!

I don’t want to manually enter the sys_id, because that’s not sustainable in tests that may change.

Ideally, the script or ATF itself should be able to dynamically determine the sys_id of step 36, or the step should be configured to pass this information through an output.

In this line of code, I understood that you want me to manually enter the sys_id of step 36.
var prevStep = "XXXXXXXXX"; //Sys Id of Step 36

That’s why I tried this approach below in my script, but it didn’t work...

steps[36] && steps[36].first_record && steps[36].first_record.document_id

Is there a way to dynamically determine the sys_id of step 36?

Kind regards!

Re: Dynamically retrieving the approver user in ATF and impersonating them

aruncr0122 — Mon, 29 Sep 2025 18:56:10 GMT

Hi @rafaelmach7x ,

In Step 37, you’re outputting:

outputs.record = { document_id: approverSysId, table: "sys_user" };

In Step 38 (Impersonate), you’re dot-walking to Record → document_id.

But ATF’s Impersonate step doesn’t understand document_id — it expects a sys_id in the record object. That’s why you’re seeing “Usuário para representação não especificado” (User to impersonate not specified).

✅ Fix: update Step 37 to return sys_id instead:

outputs.record = {
sys_id: approverSysId,
table: "sys_user"
};

Alternatively, you can set:

outputs.record_id = approverSysId;

and then in the Impersonate step, select Record → sys_id (not document_id).

Re: Dynamically retrieving the approver user in ATF and impersonating them

rafaelmach7x — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 14:22:55 GMT

Hi @aruncr0122.

Thanks for your answer.

Unfortunately, in Step 38 – Impersonate – ATF only allows me to select Record → document_id.

See the image below ...

This is the last test log

The most recent version of the script with your suggested adjustments ...

Is there a way to make it work?

Re: Dynamically retrieving the approver user in ATF and impersonating them

rafaelmach7x — Tue, 30 Sep 2025 17:20:28 GMT

@aruncr0122 and @Chidanand_VK

I also tried this script but it didn't work.

And after testing with ATF ... I'm getting this error message from the test log ...

❌ Could not find Step 36 in steps object.

Re: Dynamically retrieving the approver user in ATF and impersonating them

aruncr0122 — Wed, 01 Oct 2025 15:48:44 GMT

Hi @rafaelmach7x ,

Can you try to use previous step sys_id to get submitted record sys_id by following way.

var STEP_SYS_ID = 'previous step sys_id'; // Your Submit form test step sys_id

var record_sys_id = steps(STEP_SYS_ID).record_id); // get submitted form record sys_id.

Thanks!

Re: Dynamically retrieving the approver user in ATF and impersonating them

Chidanand_VK — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 08:51:07 GMT

Hi @rafaelmach7x ,

"I don’t want to manually enter the sys_id, because that’s not sustainable in tests that may change."

When you mention NOT sustainable, What that mean? any below statement or anything else?

->If you copy the Test and run that New Test, it will not work?

->The execution will NOT successfully works every time?

Re: Dynamically retrieving the approver user in ATF and impersonating them

rafaelmach7x — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 12:58:26 GMT

Hi @aruncr0122.

I really appreciate your effort in helping me.

Every time I run the test, the sys_id is different. I can’t set the sys_id manually, you know?

That’s why I need a way to retrieve the sys_id dynamically from the step 36.

Re: Dynamically retrieving the approver user in ATF and impersonating them

rafaelmach7x — Thu, 02 Oct 2025 12:56:59 GMT

Hi @Chidanand_VK

I really appreciate your effort in helping me.

Every time I run the test, the sys_id is different. I can’t set the sys_id manually, you know?

That’s why I need a way to retrieve the sys_id dynamically from the step 36.

Re: Dynamically retrieving the approver user in ATF and impersonating them

Chidanand_VK — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 08:51:45 GMT

Hi @rafaelmach7x ,

Ok...so you are talking about the 'sys_id' of the record of the Record query (in your case Approval), right?

If Yes, then you are wrong. You don't need to set the sys_id every time when you run.

FYI: If you set the Sys Id of the Test step manually in the script (which I showed), then it works all the time. Unless you delete the Test step and Create a new one.

Just give it a try by setting the Sys Id of the Test step 36 in the script manually and try to run multiple times.

I am sure it works as I was doing the same in my case.

If my answer helped, please mark it as helpful or accept as the solution.

Regards,

Chidanand

Re: Dynamically retrieving the approver user in ATF and impersonating them

aruncr0122 — Fri, 03 Oct 2025 07:34:32 GMT

Hi @rafaelmach7x,

What I meant by “previous step sys_id” is the ATF step sys_id of Step 36, which will always remain the same. The returned output (record sys_id) might change every time, but the step sys_id itself is fixed.

For example:

// Step 36 sys_id (this never changes for that test step)
var STEP_SYS_ID = 'xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx';

// Retrieve the submitted record sys_id dynamically
var record_sys_id = steps(STEP_SYS_ID).record_id;

gs.info("Submitted record sys_id: " + record_sys_id);

This way, you don’t have to hardcode the record sys_id — it will always be fetched dynamically from Step 36’s output.