---
sourceDocument: Zurich API Reference
sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/zurich/api-reference

 Release :

    - zurich

ft:locale :

    - en-US

ft:publication_title :

    - Zurich API Reference

ft:clusterId :

    - crapiref

bundleId :

    - crapiref

workflow :

    - Creator


---

# Retrieving journal entries

# Retrieve journal entries using direct web services {#ariaid-title1}

* Release version: Zurich
* 
* Updated July 31, 2025
* 
* ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 1 minute to read

To get the contents of a journal field, make a second soap request against the
sys_journal_field table to pull the appropriate journal records back for the record in
question.

The URL for the WSDL would be in the following format.

    https://instance-name.service-now.com/sys_journal_field.do?WSDL

To retrieve the journal entries, you will first need to query the incident for its sys_id
value, and then supply it as the <kbd class="ph userinput">element_id</kbd> value in a
getRecords call. To specify records only for the
comments field, specify the value <kbd class="ph userinput">comments</kbd> for
the element field. For example, a SOAP request would look like the
following:

    <soapenv:Envelope xmlns:soapenv= "http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/" xmlns:sys= "http://www.service-now.com/sys_journal_field" ><soapenv:Header /><soapenv:Body><sys:getRecords><element>comments</element><element_id>9d385017c611228701d22104cc95c371</element_id></sys:getRecords></soapenv:Body></soapenv:Envelope>

**Related concepts**   

* [Use forms to limit or extend the query response](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/kBFlTCs2ots4lzgoa855Jw "On occasion, there is a need to limit the number of field values that a SOAP query returns.")
* [Return the display value for reference variables](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/Jqj5~HfB3Jq1tEprZ_txuQ "When you query a record using a get or getRecords function, the instance returns all fields associated with that record. The fields are often reference fields that contain a sys_id for a record on another table.")
* [Clear values from a target instance](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/eq_YbQ6O0umX_BMlxDH~8w "You can pass an empty value through a SOAP parameter to clear the respective value in the target instance.")
* [Retrieve choice fields using direct web services](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/qo~BtgDcJy~tLGTyOUp7WA "To retrieve or set choice fields, use the choice Value, not the Label.")
* [Persist an HTTP session across all SOAP calls](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/eDTxpNC6k6WNNcuLkKTsvg "In circumstances when a SOAP client makes many calls in a short amount of time, you may want to re-use a single HTTP session for all SOAP calls.")  
**Related reference**   

* [SOAP direct web service API functions](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/KGfbflI3qkRC_WFEkQNRPQ "The standard SOAP API is a set of small, globally defined functions that can be performed on a targeted resource.")