What does ServiceNow count in Integration Hub transactions?

[luanantun]

What exactly is considered billable usage in ServiceNow IntegrationHub, and how are IntegrationHub transactions calculated?

There seems to be some uncertainty and differing interpretations around what actually counts as an IntegrationHub (IH) transaction. Could you please clarify in detail which types of executions are charged?

Specifically, I would like to understand whether only synchronous outbound REST calls executed within the same ServiceNow transaction during a Flow, Subflow, or Workflow execution are counted, and how this differs from asynchronous executions (such as async Business Rules, scheduled jobs, or background scripts).

[Itallo Brandão · Accepted solution]

Hi Luan,

This is one of the most common questions regarding licensing, and the confusion usually comes from mixing up "Platform Outbound Calls" with "IntegrationHub Transactions."

Here is the breakdown of how ServiceNow calculates billable IntegrationHub (IH) transactions:

1. The Core Definition

An Integration Hub transaction is counted every time a Flow/Subflow executes an Action that contains an Integration Step.

• Integration Steps include: REST, SOAP, PowerShell, SSH, JDBC, OpenAPI, and any Action from an Out-of-the-Box Spoke (e.g., Microsoft Teams, Jira, AD).

2. Does "Async" vs. "Sync" matter?

No. This is a common misconception.

• Whether your Flow runs in the foreground (Synchronous) or background (Asynchronous/Scheduled), if it executes an Integration Step, it counts.

• Example: If a Scheduled Flow runs nightly and updates 1,000 users in Active Directory using the AD Spoke, that is 1,000 transactions, even though it is asynchronous.

3. The "Loop" Trap

Counting is based on executions, not "Flows triggers."

• If a single Flow triggers once but contains a "For Each" loop that executes a REST Action 50 times, that counts as 50 IH transactions.

4. What does NOT count? (The "Code" Distinction)

This is likely where your uncertainty comes from.

• Scripted outbound calls: If you write a Business Rule or Script Include that uses the traditional sn_ws.RESTMessageV2() API directly (bypassing Flow Designer/Integration Hub actions), this generally does not count against your IntegrationHub transaction cap. It is considered standard platform traffic.

• Internal Actions: Actions that only do logic (e.g., "Look up Record," "Ask for Approval," "Log") do not count. Only actions that "leave" the instance count.

Summary Table:

Execution Type	Uses Integration Hub Spoke/Step?	Billable Transaction?
Flow Designer (Sync)	Yes (e.g., REST Step)	YES
Flow Designer (Async)	Yes (e.g., AD Spoke)	YES
Flow with Loop (10x)	Yes	YES (10 Transactions)
Script (Business Rule)	No (Uses RESTMessageV2)	NO* (Standard Platform)

Recommendation:

To see exactly what is being counted in your instance, navigate to the IntegrationHub Usage Dashboard (IntegrationHub > Dashboard). It shows the breakdown by Spoke and Requestor.

Note: Licensing terms can vary by contract version. Always verify your specific contract details with your ServiceNow Account Executive.

If this response helps clarify the confusion, please mark it as Accepted Solution.

This helps the community grow and assists others in finding valid answers faster.

Best regards,

Brandão.

[luanantun]

thank you very much for such a detailed explanation

[luanantun]

@Itallo Brandão But let me ask you: I have a scoped application that calls a Script Include from another scope, which makes an sn_ws.RESTMessageV2() API call. This call is being counted in ua_ih_usage. Does calling it across scopes make it billable?