What is a UI Action
A UI Action in ServiceNow is a button, link, or menu item that performs a specific action
when clicked. It can trigger scripts that run either on the client side (browser), server side, or
both.
UI Actions are commonly used to:
• Update records (for example, Close Incident, Approve Change)
• Redirect to another page or record
• Call a Script Include
• Perform background logic such as sending notifications or updating fields
In short, a UI Action is a customizable control that adds functionality to forms and lists in
ServiceNow.
Execution Flow
There are two main script types that can run within a UI Action.
1. Client-side script – Runs in the user’s browser. Used for UI interactions such as
showing confirmations or making GlideAjax calls.
2. Server-side script – Runs on the server. Used for data operations such as
GlideRecord updates or redirects.
A UI Action can have either one of these or both. If both are used, the client script typically
calls the server script using the gsftSubmit() function.
Execution Order
When both client and server scripts exist in a UI Action:
1. The client script executes first.
2. gsftSubmit() submits the form.
3. The server script runs.
4. The form reloads with updated data.
