question Re: Look Up select box is not working via integration in Developer forum

Look Up select box is not working via integration

SumanthK7729163 — Mon, 27 Jul 2026 04:42:15 GMT

1) In the background script is working fine :

var taskSysId = '5f1f516dc35203d05a76d5fe0501315d';
var grTask = new GlideRecord('sc_task');

if (grTask.get(taskSysId)) {
var ritmSysId = grTask.request_item.toString();
gs.info("Found Parent RITM: " + ritmSysId);

var test = new x_custom_scope.CustomScriptInclude();
var variableJSON = test.getVariableJSON(ritmSysId);

gs.info("Variable JSON Output:\n" + JSON.stringify(variableJSON, null, 4));
} else {
gs.error("Could not find an sc_task record with the provided sys_id: " + taskSysId);
}

2) when i run via Business rules and script includes its getting the Sys_id Instead of script inlcude in the payload generation

...
var variableJSON = CustomScriptInclude.getVariableJSON(current.request_item.toString());
....

var payload = {};
...
payload.variables = variableJSON;
....

// Genericized custom table name
var transactionlogGr = new GlideRecord('x_custom_scope_transaction_log');
transactionlogGr.initialize();

transactionlogGr.payload = JSON.stringify(payload);

.......................

Re: Look Up select box is not working via integration

Rafael Batistot — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 00:25:01 GMT

Hi @SumanthK7729163

If you could share the complete code for the CustomScriptInclude, especially the getVariableJSON() method, it would be much easier to determine why it returns only the sys_id when called from the Business Rule, while it returns the expected JSON when executed from the Background Script.

Re: Look Up select box is not working via integration

Ankur Bawiskar — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 02:59:52 GMT

@SumanthK7729163

what's your actual requirement?

share some screenshots etc

Re: Look Up select box is not working via integration

Tanushree Maiti — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 03:44:03 GMT

Hi @SumanthK7729163

Could you please try to replace this code in BR and try like this .

From :

var variableJSON = CustomScriptInclude.getVariableJSON(current.request_item.toString());

To:

var test = new x_custom_scope.CustomScriptInclude();
var variableJSON = test.getVariableJSON(current.request_item.toString()); //the way you did it in background script

Re: Look Up select box is not working via integration

SumanthK7729163 — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 04:19:28 GMT

below is in the scoped Application In the sc_task table after insert or update
<-----Business rule code--->

(function executeRule(current, previous /*null when async*/ ) {

var debug = (gs.getProperty('x_4dai_vi.vendorIntegration.debug', false).toString() == "true");
if (debug) {
gs.info("Business Rule: VI: Catalog Task Assigned - Triggered");
}

var vendorIntegrationOutboundUtils = new x_4dai_vi.Vendor_Integration_OutboundUtils();
var processSysid = vendorIntegrationOutboundUtils.getProcessSysID('request_management');
var methodSysid = vendorIntegrationOutboundUtils.getMethodSysId(processSysid, 'taskAssigned');
var processPriority = vendorIntegrationOutboundUtils.getProcessPriority('request_management'); var requestedforDetails = {};
requestedforDetails['first_name'] = current.request_item.request.requested_for.first_name.toString();
requestedforDetails['last_name'] = current.request_item.request.requested_for.last_name.toString();
requestedforDetails['email_address'] = current.request_item.request.requested_for.email.toString();
requestedforDetails['user_name'] = current.request_item.request.requested_for.user_name.toString();

var requestedbyDetails = {};
requestedbyDetails['first_name'] = current.request_item.opened_by.first_name.toString();
requestedbyDetails['last_name'] = current.request_item.opened_by.last_name.toString();
requestedbyDetails['email_address'] = current.request_item.opened_by.email.toString();
requestedbyDetails['user_name'] = current.request_item.opened_by.user_name.toString();

var catalogitemDetails = {};
catalogitemDetails['name'] = current.request_item.cat_item.name.toString();
catalogitemDetails['sys_id'] = current.request_item.cat_item.sys_id.toString();
catalogitemDetails['catalog'] = current.request_item.cat_item.sc_catalogs.getDisplayValue();
catalogitemDetails['category'] = current.request_item.cat_item.category.getDisplayValue();

// Prepare some additional requested item details
var requestedItemDetails = {
number: current.request_item.number.toString(),
service: {
value: current.request_item.business_service.toString(),
display_value: current.request_item.business_service.getDisplayValue(),
},
service_offering: {
value: current.request_item.service_offering.toString(),
display_value: current.request_item.service_offering.number.toString(),
},
application_service: {
value: current.request_item.u_service_instance.toString(),
display_value: current.request_item.u_service_instance.getDisplayValue(),
},
cmdb_ci: vendorIntegrationOutboundUtils.prepareCI(current.request_item.cmdb_ci.toString()),
};

// Prepare some additional request details
var requestDetails = {
delivery_address: current.request_item.request.delivery_address.toString(),
special_instructions: current.request_item.request.special_instructions.toString(),
};

var ciDetails = vendorIntegrationOutboundUtils.prepareCIListInJSON(current.cmdb_ci.toString());
var variableJSON = vendorIntegrationOutboundUtils.getVariableJSON(current.request_item.toString());
//var attachmentJSON = vendorIntegrationOutboundUtils.getAttachmentJson(current.request_item.toString());

var payload = {};
payload.sys_class_name = current.sys_class_name.toString();
payload.servicenow_process = "request_management";
payload.servicenow_method = "taskAssigned";

payload.number = current.number.toString();
payload.requested_item_number = current.request_item.number.toString();
payload.requested_item = requestedItemDetails;
payload.request = requestDetails;
payload.catalog_item = catalogitemDetails;
payload.requested_for = requestedforDetails;
payload.requested_by = requestedbyDetails;
payload.service = current.business_service.getDisplayValue();
payload.service_offering = current.service_offering.number.toString();
payload.application_service = current.u_service_instance.getDisplayValue();
if (ciDetails) {
payload.cmdb_ci = JSON.parse(ciDetails);
} else {
payload.cmdb_ci = "";
}
payload.description = current.description.toString();
payload.short_description = current.short_description.toString();
payload.priority = current.priority.toString();
payload.assignment_group = current.assignment_group.getDisplayValue();
payload.variables = variableJSON;
//payload.attachments = attachmentJSON;
payload.legal_entity = current.u_legal_entity.toString();

var transactionlogGr = new GlideRecord('x_4dai_vi_transaction_log');
transactionlogGr.initialize();
transactionlogGr.direction = "Outbound";
transactionlogGr.method = methodSysid;
transactionlogGr.process = processSysid;
transactionlogGr.u_processing_priority = processPriority;
transactionlogGr.payload = JSON.stringify(payload);
transactionlogGr.integration_account = current.assignment_group.u_integration_account;
transactionlogGr.related_task = current.sys_id;
transactionlogGr.state = "Ready";
var res = transactionlogGr.insert();})(current, previous);

<----Script include function and this is also a scoped application----->

getVariableJSON: function(requestItemsysid) {
var finalJson = {};

var grRITM = new GlideRecord('sc_req_item');
if (grRITM.get(requestItemsysid)) {
var vars = grRITM.variables.getElements(true);

var arMrvs = [];
var arVariables = [];
var typenotAllowed = gs.getProperty('x_4dai_vi.notallowed.variable.types.for.outbound');
var arTypenotAllowed = typenotAllowed.split(',');

for (var i = 0; i < vars.length; i++) {
var scVar = vars[i];
if (scVar.isMultiRow()) {
var jsonMrvs = {};
jsonMrvs.name = scVar.getLabel();
jsonMrvs.display_name = scVar.getLabel();
jsonMrvs.total_rows = scVar.getRowCount();

var rows = scVar.getRows();
var arRows = [];
for (var j = 0; j < scVar.getRowCount(); j++) {
var row = rows[j];
var cells = row.getCells();
var arCells = [];

for (var k = 0; k < cells.length; k++) {
var cell = cells[k];

var jsonCell = {};
jsonCell.name = cell.getVariableName();
jsonCell.value = cell.getCellValue();
jsonCell.display_value = cell.getCellDisplayValue();
arCells.push(jsonCell);

}
var jsonRow = {};
jsonRow.cells = arCells;
arRows.push(jsonRow);
}
jsonMrvs.rows = arRows;
arMrvs.push(jsonMrvs);

} else {
var question = scVar.getQuestion();
if (arTypenotAllowed.indexOf(question.type.toString()) > -1) {
continue;
} else {
var jsonVariables = {};
jsonVariables.name = question.getName();
jsonVariables.value = question.getValue();
jsonVariables.display_value = question.getDisplayValue();

arVariables.push(jsonVariables);
}
}
}

finalJson.mrvs = arMrvs;
finalJson.variables = arVariables;
}
return finalJson;
},

Re: Look Up select box is not working via integration

SumanthK7729163 — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 04:20:36 GMT

As is said When i run in background script i am able to get GetDisplay Value from the below line

jsonVariables.display_value = question.getDisplayValue();

But when actual scipt will run when created via sc_task i am getting the sys_id

Re: Look Up select box is not working via integration

SumanthK7729163 — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 04:20:53 GMT

I tried this way as well but during the creation of payload this is getting impacted during the ccreation json format an html tags will come here

Re: Look Up select box is not working via integration

Rafael Batistot — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 09:00:45 GMT

Hi @SumanthK7729163

may you try replace

var variableJSON = vendorIntegrationOutboundUtils.getVariableJSON(current.request_item.toString());

to

var variableJSON = vendorIntegrationOutboundUtils.getVariableJSON(current.getValue('request_item'));

The issue occurs because in scoped Business Rules within ServiceNow, using ⁠current.request_item.toString()⁠ can fail to extract the pure string of the reference ⁠sys_id⁠, passing a ⁠GlideElement⁠ object instead. This causes the ⁠GlideRecord⁠ query in the Script Include to fail or behave inconsistently.

The correct way to retrieve the ⁠sys_id⁠ as a clean string within the Business Rule context is to use ⁠current.getValue('request_item')⁠.

Re: Look Up select box is not working via integration

SumanthK7729163 — Tue, 28 Jul 2026 10:44:51 GMT

Thanks mannn!!!

Re: Look Up select box is not working via integration

NehaG8791370651 — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 07:34:43 GMT

Hi Sumanth,

This is a classic hurdle when generating integration payloads with Reference or Look Up Select Box variables. Because these variable types inherently store the sys_id as their underlying value in the database, server-side scripts will pull that sys_id by default unless explicitly instructed otherwise.

A few things to check in your implementation:

Display Value Extraction: Inside your getVariableJSON Script Include, ensure you are utilizing .getDisplayValue() rather than just grabbing the value. For example: gr.variables.your_variable_name.getDisplayValue();.
Instantiation Differences: I noticed a slight syntax discrepancy between your snippets. In the background script, you instantiate the Script Include with new x_custom_scope.CustomScriptInclude(). In the Business Rule, you are calling it statically via CustomScriptInclude.getVariableJSON(...). Ensure your Script Include is properly structured to handle static calls if you aren't instantiating it, and double-check your application scopes.
Variable Context: Sometimes Business Rules (especially if running asynchronously) handle the current.variables object differently than a GlideRecord query in a background script.

Updating your Script Include to explicitly map display values for lookup variables should resolve the payload discrepancy.

Re: Look Up select box is not working via integration

VJ_Srivastava — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 07:57:18 GMT

Hello Sumanth,

From a platform architecture perspective, this behavior makes sense. ServiceNow defaults to passing the sys_id for reference and lookup fields to maintain strict referential integrity across its data model.

However, when building an integration layer, downstream systems almost always require human-readable strings rather than system identifiers. To make your architecture more robust and scalable, I recommend updating your CustomScriptInclude to act as a centralized serialization utility.

You can script it to dynamically inspect the dictionary type of each variable in the requested item. If it detects a reference or lookup type, it should automatically extract and map both the sys_id and the display value into your JSON payload. Abstracting this logic into a universal utility now will prevent your team from having to write custom data transformations for every future integration you build.

Re: Look Up select box is not working via integration

NehaG8791370651 — Wed, 29 Jul 2026 08:00:14 GMT

Hi Sumanth,

This is a common "gotcha" when transitioning logic from a background script to a Business Rule. The discrepancy usually happens because the background script queries the database directly, while the Business Rule interacts with the current object in memory during a transaction.

Look Up Select Box and Reference variables inherently store the sys_id at the database level. To fix this, you need to ensure your getVariableJSON function in the Script Include explicitly requests the display value.

Instead of just grabbing the variable's value, make sure you are using .getDisplayValue() on the specific element (e.g., current.variables.your_variable.getDisplayValue()). Also, double-check your Script Include's accessibility and ensure it is properly handling the static call CustomScriptInclude.getVariableJSON() if you aren't instantiating it with new in the Business Rule.