question Difference between Catalog item and record producer. in ITSM forum

Difference between Catalog item and record producer.

AnandKumar1 — Wed, 25 Dec 2019 16:47:53 GMT

Hi Team,

I would like to understand the dfference between Catalog item and record producer. And advantages,

thanks,

Anand Kumar.

Re: Difference between Catalog item and record producer.

hvrdhn88 — Wed, 25 Dec 2019 16:52:01 GMT

The service catalog is a collection of request forms presented as Catalog Items, Record Prodcures, Content Items, Order Guides, etc.

A record producer is a nice front end you can include in your Service Catalog to create records. Ask user friendly questions instead of using field labels on a standard form.

A Catalog Item is a request entry form that utilizes the cart format to associate a parent request to one or more child request items.

https://community.servicenow.com/community?id=community_question&sys_id=219e7665db58dbc01dcaf3231f9619f8

Re: Difference between Catalog item and record producer.

hvrdhn88 — Wed, 25 Dec 2019 16:54:49 GMT

A catalog item works with the cart where you can add multiple and then checkout. On the back end it creates a request, request item, and possibly approvals and tasks depending on its workflow.

A record producer is ordered one at a time and creates one record on the back end, most commonly an incident.

Re: Difference between Catalog item and record producer.

AbhishekGardade — Wed, 25 Dec 2019 17:30:35 GMT

Hello Anand,

1. Catalog Item will end up in opening a request and reqeust item and attaches a workflow and catalog task, approvals Where as a Record producer simply insert a record in the selected table.

2. With catalog item, You can add multiple items to cart and generate request and multiple RITM's. where as a record producer it only creates a single record on target table

3. Primarily, the difference is which type of record is created upon submission. I would use a catalog item when you want to generate a request, complete with a workflow, approvals, tasks, etc, and a record producer when you want to gather some information using a form (variables) but create some other type of record (incident, change, enhancement, etc.) as a result.

4.A record producer vs a catalog item will appear nearly the same for your end users, so I'd say it's mostly a process decision in terms of how you'd like to handle them once they're submitted.

5. Record Producer gives a non-itil user the ability to create things like an Incident, Change, basically anything but a Request from a custom front end you deliver via the Service Catalog/Portal.

Please mark as Correct Answer and Helpful, if applicable.
Thank You!
Abhishek Gardade

Re: Difference between Catalog item and record producer.

Azim Kazi — Thu, 26 Dec 2019 06:08:26 GMT

Hi Anand,

A record producer will be used in your scenario.

A record producer is a specific type of catalog item that allows end users to create task-based records, such as incident records, from the service catalog.

Use record producers to provide a better end-user experience instead of using the regular task-based form for creating records. The look and feel of a record producer is similar to that of a catalog item. But the record producer generates a task record such as incident, instead of a requested item.

You can create a record producer for tables and database views that are in the same scope as the record producer. You can also create a record producer for tables that allow create access from applications in other scopes.

Check this link for an example to create a record producer on change_request table.

wiki.servicenow.com/index.php?title=Creating_a_Record_Producer_to_Request_a_Change#gsc.tab=0

If my answer worthy kindly mark as helpful and correct.

Regards,

Ajim

Re: Difference between Catalog item and record producer.

Laukik Udpikar — Mon, 14 Sep 2020 11:00:09 GMT

Can we attach a workflow to a record producer?

Re: Difference between Catalog item and record producer.

peter_repan — Tue, 04 Oct 2022 08:12:58 GMT

Not directly to record producer, but you can trigger flow based on create/update action on the target record (which is submitted from record producer)

Re: Difference between Catalog item and record producer.

vijayaraj — Mon, 09 Jan 2023 07:22:27 GMT

noo we can't attach

Re: Difference between Catalog item and record producer.

timnardoni — Fri, 22 Nov 2024 18:43:17 GMT

Yes, there is a Workflow pick list near the top of the record producer's configuration screen. (I had to right-click on the form header, choose Configure > Form Layout, and add Workflow.)

Re: Difference between Catalog item and record producer.

ShubhamB14 — Mon, 30 Dec 2024 14:38:24 GMT

no we cant.

Re: Difference between Catalog item and record producer.

flob — Fri, 31 Jan 2025 18:31:17 GMT

Hello Anand,

The difference between Record Producers and Catalog Items in ServiceNow comes down to their intended use and the way they interact with records in the system:

Record Producer

A type of catalog item specifically designed to create records in tables outside of the standard Request table (sc_request).
Typically used for creating records in task-based tables like incident, problem, change, or even custom tables.
When a user submits a record producer, it bypasses the request fulfillment process (i.e., no sc_request, sc_task, or sc_req_item records are created). Instead, it directly creates a record in the target table.
Ideal for scenarios where you want users to submit a request or create a record without a structured approval or fulfillment process.

Example Use Case: A "Report an Issue" record producer that creates an Incident record directly in the incident table.

Catalog Item

A standard Service Catalog offering used in request fulfillment.
When a catalog item is ordered, it generates:
- A Request (sc_request)
- One or more Requested Items (sc_req_item)
- One or more Catalog Tasks (sc_task)
These items typically involve workflow automation, approvals, and fulfillment processes before completion.
Commonly used for ordering hardware, software, access requests, or any structured service request.

Example Use Case: A "New Laptop Request" catalog item that triggers an approval workflow and fulfillment tasks before delivering the laptop.

Key Differences

Feature Record Producer Catalog Item

Purpose	Creates records in any table	Initiates a structured request fulfillment process
Creates Request (sc_request)?	❌ No	✅ Yes
Creates Requested Items (sc_req_item)?	❌ No	✅ Yes
Creates Tasks (sc_task)?	❌ No	✅ Often (if workflow is attached)
Approval Workflow	❌ Typically not used	✅ Can have approvals
Use Case	Direct record creation (e.g., submitting an issue)	Structured service request (e.g., ordering a laptop)

Please mark as Correct Answer and Helpful, if applicable.
Thank You!

Florin Benciu

SST Romania.

Re: Difference between Catalog item and record producer.

hrshrohit30 — Wed, 15 Oct 2025 09:51:21 GMT

Yes we can attach a workflow to record producer