OAuth 2.0 credentials

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated August 11, 2026
  • 3 minutes to read
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    Summary of OAuth 2.0 credentials

    OAuth 2.0 credentials in ServiceNow enable secure access to user accounts on HTTP services by obtaining OAuth tokens. These credentials are configured in a dedicated form where you define key parameters to establish authentication with OAuth servers, either cloud-based or on-premise.

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    Key Features

    • Name and Active Status: Assign a unique, descriptive name to each credential and specify if it is active.
    • OAuth Entity Profile: Defines the grant type and scope(s) for the OAuth token request. Supported grant types include Client Credentials, Authorization Code, and Resource Owner Password Credentials.
    • Connect to Auth Server via MID Server: Enables routing OAuth token requests through a MID Server, facilitating connectivity to OAuth servers behind firewalls or in cloud environments. This option appears only for specific grant types.
    • Applies To: Determines whether the credential is applicable to all MID Servers or specific ones. Selected MID Servers must be properly configured and validated, with REST or ALL capabilities and status Up.
    • Order: Sets the sequence in which credentials are tried during authentication attempts, helping manage login retries and security lockouts.
    • Credential Alias: Allows tying an alias to the OAuth 2.0 credential for easier reference.
    • Integration Type: Specifies if the OAuth token is system-wide or user-specific (Personal). System integration supports SAML and JWT authentication mechanisms, while Personal integration requires the MID Server user to have the oauthadmin role and supports Authorization Code and Resource Owner Password Credentials grant types.

    Practical Considerations for ServiceNow Customers

    • Ensure MID Servers selected for OAuth token requests have validated communication with the OAuth provider’s token URL and meet capability and status requirements.
    • Use the Personal integration type to access user-specific information, and configure flows to run as the session user to utilize user-related tokens.
    • Configure the order of credentials to optimize login attempts and prevent security lockouts due to multiple failed authentications.
    • Properly set and maintain OAuth Entity Profiles to match the grant types supported by your third-party OAuth provider.

    OAuth 2.0 credentials enable ServiceNow to obtain access to user accounts on an HTTP service.

    These fields are available in the Credentials form for OAuth 2.0.
    Table 1. OAuth 2.0 credentials form
    Field Input value
    Name Enter a unique and descriptive name for this credential. For example, you might call it OAuth2 credential.
    Active Specify whether this credential is active.
    OAuth Entity Profile An OAuth profile is a combination of a grant type and at least one scope.
    Connect to Auth Server via MID Server Connects your ServiceNow instance to an on-premise OAuth server that resides behind a firewall through a MID Server. It can also connect your ServiceNow instance to a cloud-based OAuth server through a MID server. When this option is enabled, the request for an OAuth token is sent through the MID Server.
    Important:
    • The option appears when the value in the Grant type field in the OAuth Entity Profile is set to eitherClient Credentials, Authorization Code, or Resource Owner Password Credentials. To learn how to set an OAuth entity profile for a third-party OAuth provider, see Connect to a third-party OAuth provider.
    • If you select the Connect to Auth Server via MID Server checkbox, you must identify the required MID Server or MID Servers from the Applies to list.
    • MID Server user needs the oauth_admin role to Set up OAuth integration via MID Server.
    Applies to

    Specify if the credential record is applicable for all MID Servers, or a specific MID Server. If specific, add the MID servers as necessary.

    Important:

    Ensure that you are aware of these considerations if you have selected the Connect to Auth Server via MID Server check box.
    Order

    Order (sequence) in which Discovery tries this credential as it attempts to log on to devices. The smaller the number, the higher in the list this credential appears. Establish credential order when using large numbers of credentials or when security locks out users after three failed login attempts. If all the credentials have the same order number (or none), the instance tries the credentials in a random order.
    Credential alias Specify the credential alias that you want to tie to the OAuth 2.0 credential.
    Integration Type Indicates the integration type for the credential. Invoke an API of a third-party with an OAuth request that generates an OAuth token that is system or user specific. Following are the integration types:
    • System: Pull the token information based on the requester profile. The System integration type supports the following authentication mechanisms:
      1. Security Assertion Markup Language (SAML)
      2. JSON Web Token (JWT)
    • Personal: Pull the token information that is user-specific. The MID Server user must have the oauth_admin role. The Personal and System integration types support the following grant types:
      1. Authorization Code
      2. Resource Owner Password Credentials

    If this Personal is selected on the OAuth Requestor Profile page, an additional flag called as Personal is displayed.

    Note:
    • Any information that is related to a user can only be accessed with user-specific OAuth tokens with the Integration Type as Personal.
    • To use the session user-related token, you have to select the Run As filed in the Flow properties as User who initiates session.