ServiceNow AI Platform glossary

Learn about the terms and concepts related to the ServiceNow AI Platform.

A

Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.

Access

A tab in the Catalog editor used to select which users or groups can access a Catalog Item.

Access Control List (ACL)

A group of Access Control rules applied to a resource.

Access Control rule

Controls the data that users can access and the access operations, such as create or update, that are allowed. Access Control rules require users to pass a set of requirements to gain access to particular data.

Accordion

Gives users the ability to reveal and hide relevant sections of content in collapsible categories.

Note:

This component is only available for use in code and will not appear in UI Builder.

account hierarchy

An account hierarchy represents the legal entity structure of the accounts and their relationships, the account's customers, assets, and service entitlements.

account

A customer or organization record in ServiceNow Sales CRM.

Accounts Payable

The process of managing and paying invoices from suppliers.

Action Designer

The Flow Designer environment for creating and editing actions. Use Action Designer to add actions to a flow.

action

A reusable operation used in Flow Designer flows or subflows.

action item parameter

Enables users to enter values for fields when invoking action items in mobile applications. Most action items use user-supplied values rather than hard-coded values to set field values at runtime.

action item

Defines a database operation allowed on a table's records in mobile application screens. Action items can be used to create, update, or delete a record.

action (mobile)

Encapsulates action items into buttons on mobile screens.

Action name

Defines a name to use when referencing a UI Action in scripts.

action parameter mapping

Maps action item parameters to UI parameters. UI parameters prompt users to enter values. Action parameter mappings map user-entered values to parameters in action items.

action step

An action step, or step, is a single reusable operation within an action. Action steps require subject matter expertise with application tables, fields, and business logic. Application developers or IT generalists add action steps to actions in the Action Designer design environment.

action

Actions in UI Builder are specifically activity on a page or within a page component. Events and event handlers are used to add actions. For example, add a button component to a page and then add an event handler to apply an action for the button, such as opening a web page.

action.setRedirectURL()

A method used to specify the page to open after a UI Action executes.

action.setReturnURL()

A method used to specify the page to open when users click the back button on a redirect page after a UI Action executes.

activate

Enable a flow to cause the flow to execute in the runtime environment when trigger conditions are met.

activities

Reusable set of instructions that are designed for an automation on the Design surface of RPA Desktop Design Studio.

activity

Activities in a playbook complete automated tasks, such as obtaining approvals, assigning records, and sending emails.

Activity Stream Compose

Component that enables agents to create new journal entries for the Activity Stream.

Activity Stream

Component that shows the list of changes made to a record, including journal entries, emails, and attachments.

activity

Workflow blocks that perform different tasks, such as obtaining approvals, sending email, running scripts, testing conditions, and setting field values on records.

admin

A user with the admin (administrator) role in ServiceNow has permission to perform almost all functions. The term "admin" usually includes both the global admin and the admin for a given application. For example, both the admin and catalog_admin roles have rights to administer the service catalog.

Agent assist

Component that provides agents with automatic search results with possible solutions relevant to the open record.

Agent chat

Component that provides a way for agents to chat with customers. Agents can send and receive messages, documents, and image files.

agent-intiated

A chat that the agent starts.

Agent workspace

The interface where APO agents view and manage their assigned work items.

Agent workspace

A suite of tools that provides agents, case managers, help desk professionals, and managers quick access to what they need to help answer customer questions and resolve customer problems.This is the unified interface where accounts payable teams manage their day-to-day operations.

agentic AI

Agentic AI refers to artificial intelligence systems that possess autonomy, enabling them to function independently and make decisions without continuous human oversight. These systems can perceive their environment, reason, learn from experience, and execute tasks to achieve specific goals. In ServiceNow AI Platform, agentic AI is powered by AI agents, agentic workflows, and Voice/Web agents.

agentic conversation

Agentic conversation refers to interactions between humans and AI systems where the AI exhibits autonomous behavior, making decisions and taking actions to achieve specific goals. In an agentic conversation, the AI agent can understand the context, reason, and respond accordingly, often without requiring explicit human direction. You can enable it in Virtual Agent, Now Assist panel, Voice/Web agents, and enhance it through Knowledge Graph, RAG, and Open Prompts.

agentic system

An agentic system is a type of software or AI that perceives its environment, makes decisions that are based on that perception, and takes actions to achieve specific goals, often with minimal human intervention. An agentic system can learn, adapt, and operate independently to solve problems or perform tasks.

agentic workflow

An agentic workflow is a structured sequence of tasks executed by one or more AI agents with minimal human intervention to fulfill a business objective. You can create and manage these workflows in AI Agent Studio by using triggers, tools, and evaluation plans, and deploy across ITSM, HR, and CSM use cases.

agents

An agent, in the context of AI, refers to a software entity that can perceive its environment, make decisions, and take actions to achieve specific goals. Agents can be simple or complex, ranging from basic reactive systems to sophisticated entities that learn and adapt over time. They are often used to automate tasks, interact with users, or manage complex processes.

AI agents

Applications offered by an expanding partner ecosystem that integrate autonomous systems into the ServiceNow AI Platform. These systems can gather data, make decisions, and execute tasks independently.

AI agents

AI agents are autonomous digital workers that use LLMs, tools, and workflows to complete tasks across ITSM, HR, and CSM on behalf of users. They can reason, plan, and act independently or collaboratively. You can create and manage them using AI Agent Studio and orchestrate them in AI Agent Orchestrator. These agents are embedded in Now Assist panels, Virtual Agent, and custom workflows.

The AI agent is a virtual worker that performs specific tasks leveraging tools from the ServiceNow AI Platform such as workflow, skill, script, knowledge base, etc.

AI compliance

AI compliance refers to the adherence to regulatory requirements, standards, and guidelines governing the development, deployment, and use of artificial intelligence systems. It involves ensuring that AI systems are designed and implemented in a way that meets legal, ethical, and organizational standards. This includes addressing issues related to data privacy, bias, transparency, and accountability. You can manage it through audit trails, model life cycle management, and data masking by using AI Control Tower in ServiceNow AI Platform.

AI Control Tower

AI Control Tower is a centralized governance hub for managing AI models, agents, and compliance across the ServiceNow AI Platform. It provides visibility into model usage, performance, risk and compliance, and is integrated with Now Assist Admin console.

AI governance

AI governance refers to the set of policies, procedures, and standards that guide the development, deployment, and use of AI systems within an organization. It ensures that AI systems are aligned with organizational values, comply with regulatory requirements, and are used in a responsible and transparent manner. In ServiceNow AI Platform, you can manage AI governance through AI Control Tower, AI Trust Guard, and role-based access in Now Assist Admin console.

AI steward

An AI steward within ServiceNow AI Platform is a governance role responsible for overseeing the life cycle of AI assets, including models, data sets, and prompts. You can use AI stewards in AI Control Tower to coordinate governance activities between legal, security, compliance, and innovation teams for the responsible deployment of AI agents, skills, and models across the platform.

alert

Custom notifications that are sent to a user or a group. These notifications are generated for robots, schedules, process jobs, and other RPA Hub related tables.

AMB channel

The Asynchronous Message Bus (AMB) channel is utilized to notify unattended robots, when a change is made to bot processes in RPA Hub. Consequently, all the robots subscribed to the designated channel receive a notification. For example, when Start Process is initiated from RPA Hub, a message is sent to the selected robot via an AMB channel, then the robot receives the message to start the automation process.

Analytics Hub

The user interface for assessing, comparing, and predicting the performance of Performance Analytics indicators over time. Analytics Hub displays data for a single indicator.

ancillary software

Integrations and other add-ons that connect third-party services to the ServiceNow AI Platform, as well as features that enhance ServiceNow offerings.

API Explorer

See REST API Explorer.

API (Application Programming Interface)

A set of rules that allows different software entities to communicate with each other.

app shell

App shells are the static elements of a web experience (for example, the header, footer, and menu navigation) that stays with the end user as they navigate throughout the experience. App shells are primarily used and supported in Workspace and Portal experiences.

Application template

Provides predefined data, experience, logic and automation, and security to support a certain use case. For example, the Travel Request template provides application content for submitting and approving employee travel requests.

For more information on the available templates, see Available templates.

applet launcher

A page of related applets that a user accesses from the mobile navigation bar.

applet

Users access mobile application data through mini applications called applets.

applet parameters

Provide values to data item parameters at runtime. Applet parameter values are typically entered by users but can be hard-coded.

Application

Any deployed program, module, or group of programs that is designed to provide specific functionality on a computer infrastructure. Defines behavior and has specific functionality associated with it. Applications are typically discoverable functionality, like Apache Web Server.

Application Explorer

The navigation pane on the left side of the Studio screen that displays a list of application files.

application file

Configuration records that enable developers to extend application functionality. Application developers create application files when they add configuration records for application logic such as business rules, workflows, and script includes.

Application menu

A grouping of modules as they appear in the Application Navigator (UI16) or All menu (Next Experience). Users may refer to an Application menu as simply an application.

Application Navigator

The navigation pane on the left side of the ServiceNow screen in UI16 that displays a searchable list of applications and modules, user favorites, and recently visited pages.

application picker

Enables application developers to view and select the application where their changes apply. The application picker is available from the Developer pane of the System menu.

application properties

Configurable application parameters to change an application's behavior. Typically, only application administrators can read and write application properties. Application properties are records in the sys_properties table.

application repository

See ServiceNow application repository.

application scope

A unique namespace and a set of permissions to access application files and data. Admins can specify the data that is accessible to other applications from the application record or from each table record.

Service instance

A set of interconnected applications and hosts that are configured to offer a service. A service instance (formerly, an application service) is a logical representation of a deployed system or an application stack. Using service instances, you can view maps and change history for services. For example, the Event Management application can monitor service performance and identify health issues for service instances.

application

A standalone piece of code that implements a collection of features on the ServiceNow AI Platform. You can procure apps from the ServiceNow Store to install on an instance.

app

application

A packaged set of configuration records that provides a business solution. Developers use the ServiceNow AI Platform to build and manage custom applications.

Approval workflow

The sequence of steps required to approve an invoice.

Approval workflow

A predefined sequence of automated or manual steps that a contract must go through to receive necessary approvals before execution.

assert type

The Assert type field specifies the conditions that must be met for an Automated Test Framework test to pass. Test designers can use assertions to specify whether the results of an operation are expected or unexpected. For example, if you wanted to verify that a record cannot be updated, you would add a Record Insert test step and set the Assert type field to Record was not inserted. The test would pass when the record insert failed.

Asset

An item whose financial value is tracked. Many assets are CIs and vice versa, but that is not always the case. Assets have a life cycle with financial considerations, for example, Microsoft 365.

assignment groups

Predefined groups of users responsible for different levels of incident management, such as Network Coordinators, L1 Network Engineering, L2 Network Engineering, and L3 Network Engineering.

Assignment rules

Guidelines that determine how work items are assigned.

assignment workbench

A feature, part of case routing, that uses configurable criteria, such as skills and availability, to evaluate the agents in a selected group and provide an overall ranking of how well they can handle certain cases. Managers can view these results and click one button to assign a task.

asynchronous chat

This feature in Engagement Messenger empowers support agents and end users to engage in conversations at their own pace, without the constraint of being online simultaneously. Through notifications, the user is notified about the new messages received.

Asynchronous Integration

A type of integration where the systems involved communicate without waiting for an immediate response.

Attachment Framework

A set of REST APIs that enable uploading or downloading attachments to or from a ServiceNow instance. This helps in publishing and downloading automation packages that are built in RPA Desktop Design Studio to the ServiceNow instance (RPA Hub) that run on attended or unattended robots.

Attachments

Component that appears in the contextual sidebar and enables agents to add, preview, download, or remove attachments from a related record.

Attended Robot

Software agent that is installed on a Windows machine and executes attended automations.

audit trail

A record of all changes made to a contract.

auto responder

Automated system that replies to customer inquiries without human intervention.

automated breakdown

Automated breakdowns are based on a breakdown source, which is a set of records from a table. The breakdown maps these records, known as breakdown elements, with fields on tables that indicators collect scores from. Scores collected from mapped tables can then be grouped and filtered based on the values in the mapped fields and the breakdown elements.

automated indicator

An automated indicator uses an indicator source as its data set. The indicator source specifies a table or database view, conditions for filtering records from that source, and the frequency at which you expect to display the data. The indicator applies an aggregator and optional conditions to this data. The indicator also specifies a data collection job and any breakdowns to apply.

Related concepts

• indicator (KPI)
• database view

Automated Test Framework (ATF)

Enables you to create and run automated tests to confirm that your instance works after making a change. Examine failed test results to identify the changes that caused the failure and the changes that you should review.

automated workflows

Step-by-step digital processes that make legal work faster and reduce manual effort.

automation

Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is a software technology that makes it easy to build, deploy, and manage robots that emulate human actions interacting with digital systems and software.

automation task

See scheduled job.

automation

Tasks or requests moving through a workflow without manual intervention.

Advanced work assignment for Accounts Payable Operations

An application that automatically assigns work items to agents based on their availability, capacity, and skills to resolve invoice cases within Accounts Payable Operations.

Advanced Work Assignment for Supplier Lifecycle Operations

An application that automatically assigns supplier cases to agents based on availability and capacity, ensuring efficient case handling within Supplier Lifecycle Operations.

B

Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.

BAPI

base class

A table that is extended but does not extend any other tables.

binding

See data binding.

board view

A traditional layout of viewing a playbook, which shows each activity as a card in the navigation panel. When you select an activity, for example a task, its editable details appear in the canvas for you to work with them.

bot process configuration

A record that contains the bot process settings. The bot process configuration record is mapped to a bot process record in RPA Hub. It is a one to one mapping.

bot process

A predefined sequence of actions that a robot follows to accomplish a specific task or achieve a particular goal in RPA Hub. You can assign and schedule a package that will be executed by the software agent. You can add other details that pertain to the bot process, such as business applications, credential groups, process robot credentials, process parameters, attended users, or groups.

bot response

The type of response that the virtual agent (bot) gives to the customer. For example: a card response displays information from a record with rich content such as a video or image.

branch

A source control term for work in progress on an application that is separate from the released application code.

breakdown element

The values for a breakdown. For example, the Priority breakdown may have the elements Critical, High, and Low.

Related concepts

• breakdown

breakdown mapping

A breakdown mapping specifies the relationships between breakdowns and indicator sources. A breakdown mapping references either a field on the indicator source or a script that queries the indicator source.

breakdown source

A set of records from a table or database view that constitute the unique values, or breakdown elements, of a breakdown source. Can be a bucket group. Multiple breakdowns can use the same breakdown source.

Related concepts

• breakdown
• breakdown element
• bucket group

breakdown

A grouping or a filter of indicator scores that is based on a qualitative attribute such as Priority, Category, or Assignment Group.

Related concepts

• breakdown element
• indicator (KPI)

breakpoint

Pauses script execution in the JavaScript Debugger to allow examining variables and their values during runtime.

breakpoint

Option in RPA Desktop Design Studio that you set to stop or pause the automation execution for debugging purposes.

bucket group

Gathers continuous data into discrete groups when there is no table field that can serve as breakdown elements. For example, a bucket group might take differences between timestamps and divide them up into hourly periods.

built on ServiceNow solutions

Apps and integrations that help you customize the ServiceNow AI Platform for specific and industry and market needs. Apps and integrations built on ServiceNow solutions have passed the ServiceNow Partner Solutions Center of Excellence process. This process verifies alignment with ServiceNow quality standards related to software development life cycle and business outcomes.

built with ServiceNow offerings

Services, dashboards, and implementation guides offered by ServiceNow partners and customized for your organization's needs. Offerings built with ServiceNow have passed the ServiceNow Partner Acceleration process to verify alignment with ServiceNow quality standards related to software development life cycle and business outcomes.

business location

The business location enables you to model internal and external organizational structures to support customers and provide agents the right level of visibility into customer data.

business rule

Server-side logic or JavaScript configured to run when a record is inserted, updated, or deleted, has occurred. In the case of a query, the business rule should run before the database operation so that the data returned to users is appropriate to their system privileges (user roles). A typical business rule might execute after a user updates an incident or escalates the priority of a change request.

C

Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.

callback

Users can request an immediate callback or schedule a voice or video callback from an agent during a chat on Virtual Agent or Engagement Messenger. Additionally, users can easily reschedule or cancel their callback requests.

candidate case

A case created by a customer service agent to flag an issue that may be a wider problem impacting multiple customers. An agent can create a major case candidate by promoting an existing customer service case with a reported issue, or creating a major case candidate directly.

candidate

candidate score

canvas

The work area for creating a topic flow in Virtual Agent Designer.

canvas

The work area for creating workflows in the Workflow Editor.

case routing

A feature that uses matching rules and assignment rules to identify cases with specific case attributes and route them to the best-equipped customer service agent. Part of Engagement Messenger.

case synchronization

A major issue management system property that allows for user-specified fields from the major case to be synchronized with each of the associated child cases.

case task

Tasks created for additional work that needs to be completed as part of resolving a customer service case, stored in the Case Task [sn_customerservice_task] table. Frequently assigned to users such as middle or back office agents.

case

A record that is used to track and manage a specific customer issue, request, or incident. It is commonly used in resolving issues through customer support and helpdesk systems.

catalog client scripts

Scripts for adding dynamic effects and validation to service catalog forms. These scripts apply to service catalog items or variable sets. (Standard client scripts use tables.)

catalog

A collection of items that represent all the items a requestor can ask for.

Catalog

A catalog (sometimes called a request catalog or service request catalog) is a set of business and technical products, services, service commitment options, and offerings that users can order on a self-service basis. You can manage a catalog to present your available products and services to users as catalog items. Catalogs (such as the Human Resources [HR] service catalog) help manage services that a user can access. Catalogs contain catalog items and are the starting point for accessing available services.

Catalog item

A catalog item is an item or a service that you can request from the catalog. A service (for example, the employee onboarding catalog) can offer multiple catalog items. Catalog items are listed on the service portal and are available to the users who need them (either through subscription or job responsibility). Each catalog item is linked to one service offering.

Catalog Item

A form that describes a good or service a user can order in the service catalog.

Catalog Management

The process of managing product and service information in a structured way.

catalog

A section of the service catalog where users can order items and services.

catalog UI policy

Controls to specify which fields are visible when viewing catalog items, catalog tasks, and requested item tasks.

category

A bucket to organize catalog items.

centralized database

A single repository where all potential conflict disclosures and legal records are stored for easy monitoring.

chart

A visual representation of data in a report or on a form.

child case

A case that is linked to and is a part of a parent case, inheriting its context and contributing to its resolution or management.

child case

A case that is linked to and is a part of a parent case, inheriting its context and contributing to its resolution or management.

child case

Cases that are associated with a major case, created one-to-one for each business account (B2B) or consumer (B2C) impacted by the major case issue. It contains customer-specific information for each customer affected by the major case issue.

citation

Small, interactable number next to AI-generated content in the Now Assist panel that cites the source of the information.

class (script)

Some script types, such as script Includes and installation exits, create or extend JavaScript classes and can be instantiated in other script types.

class (table)

A table that extends or is extended by another table.

classification

In Document Intelligence, the process of categorizing documents and document pages based on their type.

clause library

A centralized repository within ServiceNow where standard contract clauses and their approved variations are stored for easy access and consistent usage.

clause management

The process of creating, storing, and managing standard contract clauses and their variations to ensure consistency and compliance.

clause mapping

Mapping clauses to field groups and expected responses, which helps in automating the contract review process.

client script

Client-side JavaScript that interact with components and client state parameters on a page. Client scripts are mapped to events as event handlers in UI Builder.

client script

Client-side JavaScript that runs in a browser. ServiceNow supports the following script types:

client state parameter

Page variables that are defined for a page to store a piece of data (a client state) only for that page. For example, create three client state parameters to store the input needed to create a record and specify when to refresh the list. Page variables can be updated using client scripts and events to make a page dynamic.

client test runner

A browser tab that runs client-side test steps in Automated Test Framework. Client test runners require a browser tab to function. If no client test runner is available when you run a test, you are prompted to open one. Testers can manually start a client test runner or select an existing client test runner. Test designers can schedule starting client test runners when they schedule running a test suite.

Contract Lifecycle Management (CLM)

The end-to-end process of managing contracts from initiation through execution, performance monitoring, and renewal or termination.

Cloud Contact Center

A cloud-based customer service solution that handles inbound and outbound communications.

coalesce

The method by which import sets may update existing records in a destination production table rather than simply inserting new records. When coalescence is configured for a field, the import set application attempts to match the source value to the current target value on a production table for updating. If the source value does not match, a record is created.

collaboration descriptor

Level of collaborative access assigned to a developer. The collaboration descriptor that someone is assigned determines if they can assign, manage, and monitor delegated development permissions. For example, people who are Owners of an app can do more than people with the Editor collaboration type.

collision

A collision occurs when data being imported into a ServiceNow table conflicts with a record already in the target table.

commit

Sales opportunities that representatives are confident will close in the current forecast period.

component id

Used to reference a component when adding a script or binding data to the component. A component ID is automatically created (based on the component label) when you add a component to a page, but the component ID can be edited.

component library

Reusable building blocks for creating custom components.

component playground

An interactive tool, on the ServiceNow Developer Site, for configuring library components

component preset

Presets apply predefined configuration values and event mappings to components. Presets apply prebuilt configurations to component properties and events handlers. Presets are only available for certain components.

component properties

Available in the Configuration panel and used to configure a component. Each component has unique properties. Component properties are specified within each tab on the Configuration panel: Config, Style, and Event. Some components have presets available. Use the component presets to set component properties automatically.

component

Reusable blocks that are used for designing automations and to abstract functionality in RPA Desktop Design Studio.

component (UI Builder)

Components are used in the UI Builder to build pages. Components have an interface that an end user can view and interact with. Components can talk to each other through events and properties. Commonly used components include Heading, Image, List, Form, and Button.

conditional breakpoint

Pauses script execution in the JavaScript Debugger when a condition script evaluates to true to allow examining variables and their values during runtime.

confidence score

A numerical value assigned to a recommendation by Document Intelligence indicating its certainty about the extracted information. The higher the score, the more reliable the recommendation.

Configurable Cards

Option to add a custom card to the Engagement Messenger homescreen. Using Configurable Cards, admins can display the following custom features as a card:

• Portal pages or catalog items
• Links to external website
• Data from any table

configuration item (CI)

A physical entity, such as a computer or router; a logical entity, such as an instance of a database; or a conceptual entity, such as a requisition service. CIs can be managed and tracked through Configuration Management and stored in the Configuration Management database (CMDB).

conflict

A conflict occurs when a single application file is updated by multiple developers concurrently.

connection attribute

A connection-specific variable to pass values to IntegrationHub steps.

connection and credential alias

connection & credential alias

A pointer to a connection definition and credential record to use in IntegrationHub steps.

connector

Connector that connects to various data sources and tools to create automation in RPA Desktop Design Studio.

Console Debugger

Console window that allows expression evaluation in real time when paused at a breakpoint. Evaluation happens in the scope, context, and thread in which execution is paused.

container

Divides a Service Portal page into sections. A container can contain between one and six columns of widgets.

content controls

Dynamic placeholders within Microsoft Word documents that integrate with ServiceNow for inserting and updating contract content.

content item

A record that provides information in the service catalog.

content

Resources and components that provide low-code solutions to enhance the functionality and user experience of the ServiceNow AI Platform. Content might include data visualization dashboards and interactive UI components.

context menu

Controls for a list or form specific to the selected table or record.

context

See workflow context.

Contextual sidebar

A column of content that relates to the main content of the page. For example, you can include the agent assist component to show possible solutions for a case in view. Components are stacked vertically as tabs.

contract analysis

A Now Assist skill used to analyze contract documents for clause deviations, ensuring compliance with standard clauses and identifying potential risks

contract dashboard

A visual interface that provides an overview of contract statuses, key metrics, and performance indicators.

contract management

The process of creating, managing, and executing legal sales contracts from completed quotes.

contract repository

A secure, centralized storage within ServiceNow where all contract documents and related information are stored, providing easy retrieval and management.

contract templates

Predefined templates that are used to expedite the contract creation process and maintain consistency across agreements. These templates include placeholders for clauses, fields, dynamic tables, and signature blocks, which are automatically updated based on the information in a contract request.

contract workspace

A centralized interface within ServiceNow where contract-related activities are tracked and managed.

contract

A contract contains customer-specific information like the tenure of the contract, contract line details, and the net and covered products. A contract also holds the after-sales service information that the customers are eligible to receive.

contributing indicator

An indicator that is used in the formula of a formula indicator. A contributing indicator can be an automated or a formula indicator.

control

An operation used in Virtual Agent topic flows.

controller

A type of data resource that includes data and event logic and enables component presets. Controllers are added automatically when using a page template. There are two types of controllers:

• Data controllers contain data resources and can be manually added to a page
• UI controllers are added to pages when using page templates and can't be added manually. Creating controllers isn't supported currently.

conversation

An instance of a topic flow created when a user initiates a session with Virtual Agent.

conversational integration

A chat with a virtual agent that engages the customer in a friendly way that simulates a normal human conversation. This conversation takes place in a 3^rd party application such as Facebook or Google messenger.

core action

An action in ServiceNow that is available to any flow that cannot be viewed or edited from the Action Designer design environment.

Craft.io integration for Supplier Lifecycle Operations

Provides integration with Craft.io, a supplier intelligence platform, to enhance supplier data management and decision-making within Supplier Lifecycle Operations.

credential

A record that stores the details needed to authenticate to an external platform.

cross-origin resource sharing rules (CORS)

Control which domains can access specific REST API endpoints in ServiceNow.

cross-scope privilege

Specifies whether access is allowed to cross-scope resources. Cross-scope resources are application files which exist in different application scopes.

current update set

An update set that has been selected using the Update Set Picker. User customizations will be added to the user's current update set.

custom application

Any scoped application a developer creates on the ServiceNow AI Platform.

custom fields

custom skill

A user-defined AI capability tailored to meet specific business needs. It is created and trained using relevant data and prompts.

customer access management

Customer access management supports multiple related parties in handling cases, sold products, and install bases by providing them with varying levels of access. For more information about Customer Access Management, see Configuring customer access management.

customer data model

Structured framework used to store and manage customer-related data for businesses and consumers.

customer satisfaction (CSAT)

A metric that measures the satisfaction of customers with the service provided, often used to evaluate the performance of support teams.

customer

A customer is an account or a contact. In business-to-business (B2B) scenarios, a customer is typically an account. While in business-to-consumer (B2C) scenarios, a customer is typically a consumer.

customizable record

A record that is tracked by update sets.

customization

A change to a customizable record.

D

Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.

dashboard

A canvas for organizing and sharing data visually. Dashboards contain data visualizations, filters, and other visual elements. Users can share dashboards with other users, groups, or roles to create a shared view of data.

data binding

The process of associating data with a UI element that displays the information.

data broker

See data resource.

data capture

The process of collecting and digitizing invoice data.

data collector, data collection job

A scheduled job that collects data from one or more indicator sources to produce indicator scores.

data item parameters

Data item parameters create variables that work with applet UI parameters to allow users to dynamically filter the data sent to an applet.

data item

Filtered sets of data from a table. Data items determine the information that is available to an applet.

data lookup definition

A control to automatically change field values based on data lookup rules.

data lookup

A platform feature that sets one or more field values when certain conditions are met.

data model

The table structure an application uses and the relationships between the application tables.

data pill picker

An interface to select a data pill related to a test, flow, action, subflow, topic flow, or related table.

data pill

A visual representation of a variable in Automated Test Framework, Flow Designer, and Virtual Agent.

data policy

Enforces data consistency by setting mandatory and read-only states for fields. Data policies can apply rules to all data entered into ServiceNow, including data brought in through import sets, web services, data entered through the mobile UI, or any process that inserts or updates data. Data policies can also act like UI policies.

data resource instance

A configured implementation of a data resource within an application.

data resource

A dynamic, reusable way of defining what data to fetch for a page's components.

data security

Measures to protect sensitive information within the system.

data snapshots

An alternative architecture for indicators. This architecture uses a change data capture (CDC) process, which captures data changes from configurable tables that are optimized for generating scores and time series at run-time. Data snapshots avoid the need for breakdown matrices, allowing unlimited breakdowns.

data source

A data source can be from a file or a Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) connection. Used to create an import set so that data can be processed, if necessary, prior to being mapped and imported into a target table. Data sources support the following remote file retrieval methods: FTP, FTPS (Auth SSL, Auth TLS, Implicit SSL, Implicit TLS), HTTP, HTTPS, SCP. They can be a file or a Java Database Connectivity (JDBC) connection.

data stream action

IntegrationHub action for interacting with REST or SOAP web services that return responses larger than 10 MB or return paginated responses.

Data Synchronization

The process of ensuring that data in two or more locations is updated consistently.

Data

Information that is stored in your application. For example, employee phone numbers or office locations. You configure application data using tables.

database view

A database view defines table joins for reporting purposes.

For example, a database view can join the Incident table to the Metric Definition table. This view can be used for an indicator source.

decision table

A table used to determine which subflow to generate at certain escalation points based on predefined conditions.

Decision Tree Builder

A no-code visual tool, which provides a diagrammatic canvas for configuring nodes and their paths in a troubleshooting process.

decision tree

A guided flow to troubleshoot an issue and provide a solution. A decision tree is a multi-step process that includes a series of questions, answers, and a guidance for users to follow.

declarative actions

Declarative actions add custom functionality to your workspace forms, fields, lists, and related lists without writing custom scripts or learning APIs. Declarative actions include form actions, list actions, related list actions, and field decorators.

declarative action event mapping

A scriptless way to use events to add custom functionality to forms, fields lists, and other components.

delegated development

A collaborative process that enables developers to invite other people into apps so they can co-create and develop the app together.

delegated development

Allows designated users without a system admin role to develop or deploy applications on the ServiceNow AI Platform.

deployment

The process of an app moving from a non-production instance like development or QA through to production. Production is the instance that your customers see, or your “live” instance.

Deployment request

Ticket to track the review of submitted applications. From the deployment request form, a reviewer can deploy the application to different environments, accept or reject an application, and send feedback to a developer.

Desktop In Desktop

Option in Attended Robot where you can work simultaneously while the robot runs an automation in the background. You can create multiple sessions on your machine.

Destination

A tab in the Catalog editor used to specify the table that will store the data captured in a Catalog Item.

Details

A tab in the Catalog editor used to configure the Basic info and Item details for a Catalog Item.

developer pane

Group of settings in the System menu (gear icon in the ServiceNow banner) through which developers configure their system setting preferences.

diagram view

A visually intuitive diagram that shows you the order that activities occur in the playbook. When you select an activity, such as the trigger or a decision, a modal pops up where you can edit its details.

dialog

See modal.

dictionary override

A declaration in a dictionary record for an extended table that overrides the dictionary entry inherited from the parent table.

dictionary

A table, sys_dictionary, that describes the tables and fields in an instance. It stores field data types, character limits, default values, dependencies, and other attributes.

digital forensics

The process of collecting and analyzing electronic data for legal investigations, such as emails or files, to uncover important information.

digital transformation

Replacing old, slow ways of working with digital tools to make legal work faster and easier.

Document Intelligence

ServiceNow® AI-powered tool for extracting data from invoices.

document class

A field used to apply a category or label to a document and to pages within a document in Document Intelligence.

For example, for an identity document use case, the classes might be passport, driver’s license, birth certificate, and the like.

document task

A document processing activity in Document Intelligence. It includes the information that you want to extract from the document or documents.

domain hierarchy

The relationship structure between domains in a domain-separated instance. The hierarchy is created by the parent-child relationships between domains. Members of a domain see only data contained within their domain or the child domains that are lower in the domain hierarchy.

domain scope

Sets the domains a user can access in a domain-separated environment.

domain separation

A process to separate data, processes, and administrative tasks into logical groupings called domains. Admins can then control the information available to each domain, including which users can see and access the data. Typically used only in Multiple Service Provider (MSP) organizations.

Related topics

domain

A unique section of a single instance used to separate data, processes, and UI elements while still sharing global properties and global processes across the entire instance.

dot-walking

Describes the structure of a variable that contains one or more reference fields, separated by a dot for each table involved.

dynamic behavior

A form for a catalog item can use dynamic behavior to automatically update based on how users answer a question. For example, if a user says they don't want lunch for an event they're attending, you can make a Meal preference field disappear.

Note:

Dynamic behaviors are also called Catalog UI Policies.

dynamic translation

A feature in Now Assist that translates user input to English and then translates the AI-generated responses back to the user's preferred language.

E

Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.

e-signature

A legally binding electronic method for signing contracts, with integrations available for providers such as DocuSign and Adobe Sign.

ECC (External Communication Channel) Queue

A database table that is normally queried, updated, and inserted into by external systems such as the MID Server used for Discovery. The ECC Queue is the normal connection point between ServiceNow and external systems. Records saved to the Queue [ecc_queue] table are in the form of messages from external systems.

EDI (Electronic Data Interchange)

The electronic interchange of business information using a standardized format.

full email composer

The Email Composer component associated with a record that enables an agent to compose emails and communicate with customers within a separate workspace tab.

mini email composer

The Email Composer (mini) component that enables agents to compose emails and communicate with customers within the record page instead of a separate workspace tab.

email template

Reusable subject line and message body content for email notifications.

Embedded Help qualifier

Determines the query parameter values to use when determining which Embedded Help page to display.

Embedded Help

A ServiceNow AI Platform feature that enables developers to add context-sensitive help to their applications. Users can choose whether to view the help.

embedded list

A related list on a form that acts like a field instead of as a related list.

employee center

A portal for submitting contract requests.

Engagement Messenger

Engagement Messenger is a messenger-like pop-up that can be embedded on any third-party web application to interact with ServiceNow® features, such as Case Management, Knowledge, Virtual Agent, Live Agent chat, and AI Search. It enables customers to use self-service to find the information or services that they need from third-party web applications that are outside of the ServiceNow environment.

entitlement

Rights a customer has to receive services based on their contract.

entitlement

A configuration mechanism in Service Exchange that determines which remote content, such as catalog items, record producers, remote tasks definitions, a consumer instance is allowed to access.

Related topics

entity

entity view action mapper

Also known as EVAM. Standardizes the format for displaying data in cards and lists.

Environment

Instance that you use for the developing, testing, or launching an application. To set up App Engine Studio, you must define environments in each of the instances that you're using as environments.

ERP application

ERP model

ERP module

Enterprise resource planning systems

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems used for managing business processes.

ERP system

ERP table

escalation

The process of moving an incident to a higher level of support for faster resolution. PSEW includes predefined stages of escalation: Triage, L1 investigation, L2 investigation, L3 investigation, and Resolution. To learn more, see .

EVAM Datasource

Specifies which data sources (tables) and which records to send to user experience components.

EVAM View Config Action Assignment

Specifies what to do when a user clicks a card in a user experience component.

EVAM View Config Bundle

A collection of EVAM View Configs.

EVAM View Config

Defines which records and table fields are sent by an EVAM Data Resource to a component.

EVAM View Template

Defines the layout of a card and the position of fields and values on the card.

EVAM

See entity view action mapper

event handler

An action performed when an event occurs.

event log

A module that collects information when events are generated. This information includes when the event was generated, the name of the event, the values passed in the event parameters, and when the event was processed.

event mapping

The process of identifying an event handler to run when an event occurs.

event registration

The act of adding an event to the event registry.

event registry

The table of events that ServiceNow processes respond to.

event (UI Builder)

Action a user takes (such as selecting a button) or an occurrence that happens on a page. Most UI Builder components, pages, and data resources have default-associated events. Use event handlers with the events to add additional actions to pages.

event

A configured marker in JavaScript that triggers a notification or script action. Events are generated in business rules or other server-side scripts. Developers can use existing system events or create their own.

Exception management

Handling and resolving issues that arise during Accounts Payable Operations invoice processing.

execution logs

Logs that are captured when an automation is executed by either an attended or an unattended robot. These logs help in understanding the errors and the end-to-end logging of automation execution. For more information, see .

execution plan

Simple, linear automated processes. Execution plans are deprecated. For new processes, use flows (Flow Designer) or workflows.

Experience

A graphical interface users interact with to create workspaces, portals, catalog items, and applications accessible through a ServiceNow native mobile app.

Experience

Graphical interface that your users interact with. For example, you can create a portal where users find information, submit requests, or complete business tasks. For more information on the available application experiences, see Add an application experience.

export definition

Determines the data to include in an export set.

export set

Determines the data to export and the export target to use when exporting data.

export target

Specifies the target file on a MID server to which the export set data will be written.

extend a table

When you create a table based off an existing table. Extending a table means the new table inherits the parent (extended) table's columns, as well as its business logic. Apps built in Creator Studio generally extend the Request Task table.

extension instance

A registered instance of a scripted extension point that links a script include with a scripted extension point. The script include can be called whenever the Scripted Extension Point is invoked.

extension point

Designates where custom script logic can be incorporated into your code so you can integrate customizations and new features without altering the existing code for your application. The returned data or objects must conform to the requirements specified by the application creator.

External Content Connectors

External

External Content Connectors is a ServiceNow® Store application that enables AI Search to index and search content from external repositories like Atlassian Confluence Cloud and Microsoft SharePoint Online. It expands search capabilities to include external content while maintaining original access permissions.

external storage

Third-party cloud storage platforms such as OneDrive or Google Drive that can be integrated with ServiceNow for contract document management.

external user

Users who are external to your organization, such as third parties, contractors, or external agents. External users are not employees of your organization. You can define external users to have availability to access your instance, but without access to all the capabilities allocated to internal users.

extraction

In Document Intelligence, the process of identifying relevant information in a document and using it as a basis for the AI to recommend a field value.

extraction table

F

Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.

Feedback

The feedback is a suggestion or input collected from various sources such as chats, customer meetings, emails, social media, and idea portal. For more information, see Feedback in Strategic Planning.

field

A field in Creator Studio is a column on the app's underlying table. If you're using condition builder, a field is either a column on the table or a question from the form.

field

A single piece of information to extract from a document in Document Intelligence. For example, the date on a document.

Fields are sometimes called keys or attributes.

field group

A group of fields that belong together in Document Intelligence. Field groups are used to extract information from lists and tables.

For example, a group named "item" contains description, quantity, and unit price fields from a purchase order.

field recommendation

A value that is recommended for a field on a record. Field recommendations are auto-filled or shown as messages underneath the fields.

field status indicator

A colored symbol or vertical bar that might appear to the left of form elements. These indicators convey field status, such as mandatory, read-only, or modified. The appearance of field status indicators varies depending on the version of the UI in use.

field value

The final output of the Document Intelligence application. The output contains the values for the specified fields that were extracted for a given document task.

field watcher

Tool for tracking and displaying all actions that the system performs on a selected form field. Administrators can use the field watcher to determine what happens to the field and how the value of the field changes when an event takes place. Administrators can also impersonate non-admin users to debug what happens when those users make changes on an instance.

field

A field contains an individual item of data on a record in a table.

filter navigator

Search field in the Application Navigator (UI16) and All menu (Next Experience) used to filter the list of modules and applications as you type. Can also be used to open forms and lists using shortcuts like incident.do or incident.LIST.

fix script

Server-side JavaScript that runs after a custom application is installed or upgraded. Fix scripts can also be run on demand. Developers include fix scripts in applications to make changes that are necessary for data integrity or application stability.

Flow Designer

A ServiceNow AI Platform feature for automating processes in a single design environment. Flow Designer enables process owners to automate approvals, tasks, notifications, and record operations.

flow execution details

Flow execution details provide runtime information about an action or flow directly from the design environment, such as the current state, actions or steps run, and values produced. Open related records from embedded ServiceNow AI Platform editors or in a new tab.

flow

An automated process consisting of a sequence of actions and a trigger. Flows automate business logic for a particular application or process.

form header

Displays the title of the form and provides several controls.

form layout

The arrangement of fields on a form.

form record presence

Displays the avatars of users viewing the same record.

form template

A pre-defined set of questions arranged on a form provided by Creator Studio.

form

A content page that displays fields and values for a single record from a database table.

formula indicator

Produces a computed indicator score from one or more other indicators. Besides indicator scores, the formula can include calculations such as the gap between an indicator score and the indicator target.

Free-form roadmap

A standalone visual roadmap to start high-level planning of work from different units of the company. Free-form roadmaps provide you with the flexibility of planning and tracking work from different units of your company, such as work across multiple portfolios. For more details, see .

fulfiller

Someone who works on requests. Fulfillers may also approve or deny requests, depending on any approval automation for the app.

function

Functions that define UI elements that determine what a user can do in a ServiceNow mobile application. The three types of functions are:

• Actions: Change data, such as modifying a field value.

• Navigation: Move between screens, such as opening a record from a list.

• Smart buttons: Enable users to take an action on demand, such as making a telephone call.

G

Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.

generative AI

Applications and solutions that incorporate Now Assist, a generative AI experience purpose-built for the ServiceNow AI Platform.

Generative AI Controller

A tool to customize the generative AI experience on the ServiceNow AI Platform, including integrating third-party large language model (LLM) licenses.

generative AI

A technology that uses large language model (LLM) to generate text, summaries, and other content.

Git integration

An integration that enables developers to save and manage multiple versions of an application in a Git source control repository from non-production instances.

glide list

An array of values, often referenced from another table, that are stored in a single field (for example, the Watch List field in the task table).

Glide

An extensible Web 2.0 development platform written in Java that facilitates rapid development of forms-based workflow applications (work orders, trouble ticketing, and project management, for example).

GlideForm (g_form)

GlideForm is the JavaScript class used to customize forms. This class contains the g_form object. GlideForm and the g_form object only run on the client.

GlideRecord class

A JavaScript class used to interact with the ServiceNow database from a script.

GlideScriptable class

A JavaScript class that replaces a Java Packages call.

global UI script

A script available on any form in the system. Administrators can create global UI scripts.

Goal

Objectives that an organization sets for itself to accomplish their organizational plans. Goals are typically qualitative by nature. For more details, see .

GraphQL services

A web query language optimized for client-side development to request the exact data they need. It provides a flexible and efficient way to interact with an API. Graph QL services refer to the APIs that utilize the GraphQL query language to retrieve and manipulate data for bot processes. RPA Desktop Design Studio, Unattended Robot, and Attended Robot applications use GraphQL services from RPA Hub.

group

A set of users who share a common purpose.

guardrail

A mechanism that monitors and evaluates user input and AI-generated response to ensure it is safe and appropriate.

guidance

An action that users can take or information that they can share in Recommended Actions.

Guided Application Creator (GAC)

A wizard-based user interface for creating custom applications on the ServiceNow AI Platform. To modify existing applications, use Studio.

Guided Tour

A pre-scripted demonstration of how to use a custom application. Guided tours contain a series of interactive steps to help users complete tasks with a custom application.

H

Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.

handled event

A page-level, developer-created event that is mapped to component events.

HashCode

Unique, auto-generated alphanumeric value of a published package version.

Heartbeat

Every 30 seconds, the ServiceNow unattended robot that runs on a robot machine posts a collection of heartbeat messages.

hello world

A simple application commonly used as a first development exercise.

hermes kafka

A messaging service used to publish outbound notifications to external systems, particularly for cloud customers. To learn more, see .

High density robot

High density robots leverage the Remote Desktop Services to execute multiple automations simultaneously in separate user sessions on the same Windows Server machine.

I

Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.

import set web service

A web service that transforms incoming data synchronously based on the associated transform maps.

import set

A set of data imported into ServiceNow from an external data source. Imported data is stored in the temporary Import Set table, where a transform map maps inserts or updates the data in existing tables.

inbound email action

A control that specifies how to process email received by a ServiceNow instance.

inbound staging tables

Tables that temporarily store the supplier data that is imported from external systems.

incident

A record that documents a disruption or potential disruption to a service.

indicator score

The value of an indicator for a specific collection period. For automated indicators, this value is calculated in a data collection job. For formula indicators, this value is calculated by performing operations on multiple automated indicators.

indicator source

Defines sets of records from a ServiceNow table or database view that have a common characteristic, for example, that the Priority field value is critical. Indicators use indicator sources to calculate scores. Indicator scores are KPI values. Indicator sources specify a table, filtering conditions, and the frequency for collecting data.

indicator (KPI)

A performance measurement taken at regular intervals of a business service, an activity, or organizational behavior. These performance measurements result in a series of indicator scores over time. Businesses track these scores to measure current conditions and to forecast trends.

innovation lab

Early-stage, experimental projects that ServiceNow teams are developing to introduce new functionalities to the ServiceNow AI Platform. Innovation labs are available on the ServiceNow Store.

install base characteristics

The install base characteristics provide information about the service requirements for timely maintenance services of an install base item.

install base management

The install base management helps track the products and services that are purchased by a customer along with the detailed configuration for each installed item.

installed products

An installed product creates an association between sold products and install base items and provides information about where the sold product instance is deployed.

instance

An individual implementation of ServiceNow. Each instance has a unique address (usually http://<InstanceName>.service-now.com/). Many customers have multiple instances, such as sandbox, development, and production instances.

integration

Connects your instance to other services, licenses, and apps outside the ServiceNow ecosystem to streamline the flow of data within your organization.

Integration

A process by which the ServiceNow platform can be made to work with a third-party application or web service.

Integration Hub

A framework used to interact with third-party platforms in ServiceNow.

intellectual property

Ideas and creations like inventions, designs, or artworks that are legally protected from being copied or used without permission.

interactive features

Responses that the virtual agent (bot) sends to customers which give the customer an option to interact. For example, a time picker gives the customer time slots to choose from when making an appointment.

interactive

A transaction generated by a user as opposed to by a background or system process.

Internal User

Users who are internal to your organization, such as managers, agents, and other employees.

Invoice exception

Issues identified during invoice processing that require resolution.

Invoice ingestion

The process of receiving and entering invoices into the system.

Invoice processing

The end-to-end handling of invoices from receipt to payment.

Invoice processing

The end-to-end handling of invoices from receipt to payment.

item

Something a requestor can ask for, such as new computer equipment or time off work. Each item requires its own form in Creator Studio.

item parameter

See data item parameter.

J

Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.

Java keystore

A repository of security certificates – either authorization certificates or public key certificates – plus corresponding private keys.

Java

The ServiceNow application is written in Java. Java was first release in 1995 and is still widely used today in enterprise-level applications.

JavaScript Debugger

Application for debugging business rules and other synchronous server-side scripts.

JavaScript Log

A tab in the JavaScript Log and Field Watcher application for viewing jslog() and console.log messages written by client-side scripts.

JavaScript

A programming language used by ServiceNow for code that is executed within the browser as well as server-side code. See Rhino.

JS include

Client-side JavaScript that can be associated with a widget and used in the widget client controller.

JSON Web Token (JWT)

A compact and self-contained way to securely transmit information between parties as a JSON object.

K

Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.

keyword

Words or phrases that a user enters to initiate a conversation about a topic. Keywords are not used when Natural Language Understanding (NLU) is enabled for Virtual Agent.

Knowledge Base - CSM

Repository of articles and information that helps agents and customers resolve issues.

Knowledge Graph

The Knowledge Graph organizes structured and unstructured enterprise data into a semantic network that AI agents can query. The ServiceNowKnowledge Graph application enhances the performance of Now AssistVirtual Agent, AI agents, and generative AI skills by leveraging structured and unstructured data from various sources. It provides a customized user experience by creating and managing Knowledge Graph schemas through a user-friendly interface. The application integrates with AI agents and Virtual Agent, offering prebuilt integrations for seamless functionality.

KPI

KPI can be a synonym for indicator, or it can refer to a unique combination of an indicator with specific breakdown elements.

L

Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.

landing page

Page that appears when an agent opens their workspace that provides an overview of new, assigned, and high priority cases in addition to the cases assigned to their groups.

large language model (LLM)

A complex machine-learning model trained on large datasets to generate human-like responses to user input.

legal compliance

Ensuring that an organization's actions and policies follow all applicable laws and regulations.

legal contracts

A tool that helps legal teams manage contracts quickly and safely.

legal counsel center

A special workspace where legal teams can track and manage requests from employees.

legal digital forensics

A tool that assists in managing requests for data discovery during investigations or legal proceedings.

legal investigations

A system that allows employees to report ethical or legal concerns, even anonymously.

legal knowledge management

A system that organizes and stores legal information so teams can quickly find what they need.

legal matter management

A tool that helps legal teams keep track of important legal cases without using spreadsheets.

legal mobile

A mobile application that enables employees and legal professionals to submit, track, and manage legal requests on their mobile devices.

legal operations

The everyday tasks and processes that help a legal team run efficiently.

legal practice apps

Pre-built tools in ServiceNow that help legal teams work faster and more efficiently.

legal request management

A feature that lets employees submit legal help requests online and ensures they reach the right team.

legal requests

Inquiries or demands for legal assistance or information submitted by employees or departments within an organization.

legal service delivery (LSD)

A system in ServiceNow that helps legal teams handle their work more efficiently by using digital tools instead of paperwork.

Lens

A planning perspective, which would be different for planning managers at different levels in an organization. Lenses enable you to create personalized portfolio plans through which you prioritize and align work with high-level initiatives and goals. For more details, see Lens.

Lens structure

A structure for a lens that is made up of entities. Lens entities represent different levels of planning for your company. You can build portfolio plans at one of these levels. The planning item types associated with the bottom entity of a lens represent the type of work that can be planned using portfolio plans. For more details, see .

list control

Settings to specify which features are available on a list, such as the New and Edit buttons.

list layout

The arrangement of columns in a list.

list

A content page that displays zero or more records from a database table. The list has rows and columns. Each row is a record, and each column is a field from the record.

litigation

The process of taking legal action or resolving disputes through the court system.

Location

A tab in the Catalog editor used to assign the catalog and category where a Catalog Item will be located in Service Portal.

Logic and automation

Business automated application processes. You define logic and automation using flows. A flow includes a sequence of actions and a trigger. You can use a flow template or create a flow from scratch.

Automate all the work in your application by adding logic and automation. For example, you can build a flow that sends a notification to the admin when someone makes a request.

Logic and automation

logpoint

Write debugging information to the JavaScript Debugger's Session Log without editing the server-side script being debugged.

M

Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.

macroponent

A core data structure that drives UI Builder pages. Its fields contain JSON data that builds the page.

major case

A case that contains information about an issue that impacts multiple customers, like a system-wide outage. A major case is not associated with any accounts, contacts, or consumers. Any customer-specific information is in the associated child cases. A major case is also called a parent case.

manual breakdown

The process where you manually define the breakdown elements and the indicator scores for each element, rather than using the records from a breakdown source.

manual indicator

An indicator that is not associated with an indicator source. Its scores are not generated automatically by a data collection job. Instead, you populate these indicators by adding scores to the scoresheet manually.

many to many definition

A relationship where multiple records in one table can be related to multiple records in another table. A many-to-many definition describes this relationship and configures an intermediate table to create the relationship.

mapped value

A mapped value refers to a value that has been assigned or transformed based on a predefined mapping or correspondence between two sets of data. It is commonly used in programming, databases, and data processing to associate one value with another.

matching rule

A rule that identifies the cases with specific case attributes that meet the matching rule criteria and routes them to the most suitable customer service agent.

merge

The process to move changes from one branch of a source control repository to another branch of a source control repository.

message

A control to specify the string to display in the user interface for a specific language.

metadata extraction

A Now Assist skill used to extract metadata from signed contracts and add the information to the system, streamlining the data entry process

metric definition

A record used to configure the calculation for a metric.

metric

A measure to evaluate the effectiveness of a process.

Microsoft Word Add-in

A program that integrates with Microsoft Word that enables a user to add content controls for metadata, clauses, signature blocks, and dynamic tables.

MID (Management, Instrumentation, and Discovery) Server

The MID Server is a service that runs on a local network to enable communication between a ServiceNow instance and external applications, data sources, and services on the local network.

middleware

Software that acts as a bridge between different applications or services.

mobile experience

A version of a ServiceNow application created in App Engine Studio that is accessed from the ServiceNow Agent mobile application on supported iOS and Android devices

modal

A user experience window that overlays another content window and takes control of the user experience.

moderator

A user responsible for overseeing community interactions and ensuring compliance with guidelines.

module

Any link in the Application Navigator (UI16) or All menu (Next Experience) that opens a page in the content frame or in a separate tab or window.

MSP ready

A ServiceNow Store listing filter for applications and integrations that have domain separation enabled. Managed Service Providers (MSPs) can procure and manage these applications on behalf of their customers.

multi-turn catalog ordering

A feature in Now Assist that allows users to order catalog items from the service catalog through a conversational interface.

N

Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.

native translation

A feature in Now Assist that uses the LLMs provided by the Now LLM Service to generate responses in the user's preferred language. You can enable and configure it in the Now Assist Admin console.

navigation bar

A widget at the bottom of every mobile app screen that enables users to navigate to applets, settings, and notifications. For custom mobile applications, developers must add an applet launcher tab to the navigation bar.

sourcing event

A collective sourcing activity managing multi-supplier and multi-product negotiations, enabling streamlined tracking, supplier management, and decision-making.

negotiation

Individual discussions with a supplier to track activities like pricing, product requests, or agreement terms.

News Integration for Supplier Lifecycle Operations

An integration that retrieves recent news and relevant articles related to suppliers from preferred news channels. Includes a pre-configured integration with Microsoft Bing News Search API.

Natural Language Understanding for SPO

AI models enhancing the Virtual Agent's ability to understand and respond to user queries naturally.

node

An instance of a Virtual Agent control on the Virtual Agent Designer canvas configured for a topic flow.

non-self-served request

A contract request that requires legal team involvement for drafting, negotiation, or finalization of the contract.

notification

Message sent from a ServiceNow instance to inform a user that something happened.

notify customers

A functionality that allows technical support agents to notify affected customers about network issues and updates.

Now Assist Admin console

A console for administrators to quickly set up, configure, and monitor generative AI features and capabilities offered under Now Assist.

Now Assist Analytics

A dashboard that provides insights into the usage, value, and performance of Now Assist.

Now Assist context menu

A generative AI feature that assists agents in creating and editing emails and chat replies, available in the Next Experience for specific workflows.

Now Assist Guardian

A feature that monitors and evaluates content created with generative AI to protect users from harmful, offensive, or inappropriate content. It can log incidents and prevent such content from being displayed.

Now Assist in Contract Management Pro

A generative AI-powered feature that enhances productivity by suggesting contract clauses, and extracting metadata from a signed contract.

Now Assist panel

A conversational interface to summarize chat, case, or incident or generate resolution notes so that you can get the context of the information more quickly.

Now Assist skill

A predefined capability within Now Assist that uses generative AI to perform tasks such as generating summaries, resolution notes, and so on.

Now Assist for SPO

An application that uses generative AI to summarize procurement-related records and facilitate conversational procurement tasks.

Now Assist

Now Assist refers to generative AI experiences on the ServiceNow AI Platform. With Now Assist, you can improve productivity and efficiency in your organization with better self-service, faster answers and recommended actions, and empower users to search more effectively.

now code editor

A rich-text editor that supports CSS, HTML, JavaScript, XML, and JSON. Use Now Code Editor to change UI configuration, data resource configuration, styles, events, client-side scripts, and server-side scripts in Next Experience UI Builder components.

Now Experience CLI (CLI)

Command line tool for developing custom components using the Now Experience UI Framework.

Now Experience UI Framework

Enables developers to build custom web components to create a modern user interface for application users.

Now LLM Service

A component of the ServiceNow AI Platform that leverages large language models (LLM) to enhance generative AI capabilities. It supports various Now Assist skills, such as chat summarization, case summarization, and resolution notes generation.

now mobile

A mobile app that lets employees and legal teams handle legal tasks on their phones.

O

Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.

obligation management

The process of tracking and managing obligations within ServiceNow to ensure compliance and timely execution.

obligation

Specific commitments or duties outlined in a contract that parties are required to fulfill.

Optical Character Recognition (OCR)

A technology that converts scanned contract documents or PDFs into searchable and editable text within ServiceNow.

odata

In Zero Copy Connector for ERP, create an OData connection to link to SAP via HTTP so data can be extracted for use in remote tables and extraction tables.

OEM solutions

Cloud-based services and solutions that are made available to customers both outside and inside the ServiceNow ecosystem. To request an OEM solution from the ServiceNow Store, contact the partner on the OEM listing.

offensive content detection

A guardrail in Now Assist Guardian that logs and blocks offensive, harmful, or inappropriate content.

offline mode

Allows ServiceNow Agent mobile application users to access application records from a local cache when no Internet connection is available.

omnichannel experience

omni-channel support

System that allows customers to interact through multiple channels (email, chat, phone) seamlessly.

open message bus

A message-bus agnostic framework that supports publishing notifications to any open message bus, suitable for both cloud and on-premise customers.

operation

operations account 360

A view within the Service Operations Workspace that provides a comprehensive overview of a customer's or partner's account, including key contacts, products, services, and performance metrics. To learn more, see .

Orchestrator

The AI agent orchestrator is a specialized agent that plans, coordinates, and manages the execution of tasks across multiple AI agents. It holds short-term memory, tracks goals, and ensures agents collaborate effectively. This component is central to Agentic AI architecture and is configured in AI Agent Studio. The orchestrator conducts the planning and leads a team of AI agents to address a given agentic workflow.

order guide

A Service Catalog item that steps a user through the process of ordering multiple related catalog items as a single request.

order

An order is a confirmed request for the delivery of goods and services at specified terms. Alternatively, it's a quotation that is accepted by a customer.

outbound staging tables

Tables that store the supplier data before it is exported to external systems. These tables are updated automatically when the corresponding primary tables are updated.

outsourced service provider

) Third-party organization contracted to deliver specific services or manage certain operations on behalf of another company.

own-paper request

A contract request initiated and managed by the requester where the contract document is created using templates and clauses that have already been verified and approved by the internal contract team, reducing dependency on legal teams and accelerating processing.

P

Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.

package

A package refers to a set of workflows, scripts, configurations, and dependencies that are designed to automate specific tasks or processes. These packages can be published or imported onto the RPA platforms to quickly deploy automation solutions.

Packages are used to encapsulate functionalities, libraries, or applications, making it simpler for developers or RPA administrators to deploy software components.

package version

Package version that is a number that identifies the set of components uploaded in a package.

After a package is created, the RPA developer publishes an automation from RPA Desktop Design Studio. This process results in a new package version.

page collection

Group of pages that can be reused in experiences within tabs or modals.

page

Collection of column layouts, columns, and components. Create or customize multiple UI Builder pages for workspace and portal experiences.

parent case

A case that contains multiple related child cases. This hierarchical case structure is useful for managing complex scenarios that involve multiple stages and processes.

parent case

A case that contains multiple related child cases. This hierarchical case structure is useful for managing complex scenarios that involve multiple stages and processes.

parent case

A case that contains information about a specific issue that impacts multiple customers, like a system-wide outage. It is not associated with any accounts, contacts, or consumers; customer-specific information resides in the associated child cases. Parent cases are also called major cases.

beta apps

Early-stage, experimental projects that ServiceNow partners are developing to introduce new functionalities to the ServiceNow AI Platform. Partners might invite you to try an app or integration that's in beta. Beta apps can only be installed in hosted non-production instances.

performance analytics for SPO

Dashboards and metrics to evaluate spend, efficiency, and team performance in Sourcing and Procurement Operations.

personal developer instance (PDI)

A free, fully featured ServiceNow instance available to Developer Program members that provides a sandbox environment for them to develop applications or improve their skills on the ServiceNow AI Platform.

pipeline

Early-stage opportunities with uncertain closure.

Planning item

Type of work item that different planning organizations use. For example, enterprise-level planning can use Initiatives as planning items, whereas project-level planning can use Projects as planning items. Other examples of planning items are demands or scrum epics.

platform

The complete set of the ServiceNow software services.

playbook

A set of automated activities that occur based on a trigger. For example, sending an email when a request is approved. Think of playbooks as pre-programmed workflows that kick in after a form is submitted. They are like if/then statements: If this happens, then that will happen.

playbooks for SPO

Pre-built workflows and templates for automating common procurement tasks.

plug and play

Applications and integrations that can be used without additional customization or setup after installation.

plugin

An extension to an existing platform that is activated to add functionality to the platform. Many plugins can be activated by the administrator but some require assistance from ServiceNow Customer Support. Plugins cannot be uninstalled.

popover

A page overlay that enables users to continue using the rest of the page. Popovers can be configured just like UI Builder pages with text, components, images, fields, and menu items.

port

Part of the component, categorized into Data ports and Control ports in RPA Desktop Design Studio.

Portal Banner widget

This widget showcases announcements, highlights new products or features, and communicates important information on the portal page.

Portal Browse Taxonomy widget

This widget displays hierarchical taxonomy topics, providing users with a seamless navigation experience to access knowledge articles and catalog items through the widget navigation pane.

Portal Catalog Quick Links widget

This widget displays catalog items based on specific filter criteria. It enables admins to add an image, icon, name, and description on each card.

Portal FAQ widget

This widget displays a curated list of frequently asked questions (FAQs) from a selected knowledge table on the portal. This feature empowers users to find answers to their queries without having to reach out to customer support or navigate through multiple knowledge article pages. Additionally, this widget provides the flexibility to filter the FAQs using options available in the main navigation.

portal page

See Service Portal page.

portal

See Service Portal.

Portfolio plan

A custom plan per planning manager that is built using a lens. Portfolio plans enable planning managers to define goals, set targets for these goals, and then roadmap the work to ensure alignment between goals and the planned work. For more details, see Portfolio plans.

post case review

A document written after the case has been closed captures details about a resolved case, including a summary of the issue, affected assets, root cause, resolution, and any preventive measures.

Predicate Builder

Component that enables you to visually assemble condition statements with a series of contextually-generated fields.

preview script usage

A related link in a REST Message record that generates a server-side JavaScript code stub to invoke the API.

Prioritization

Prioritization helps review all the new and existing work for a portfolio plan, representing its backlog. Using the data points, portfolio managers can stack-rank the items and decide which items are to be prioritized over the others. For more details, see .

proactive case

A case automatically generated to proactively notify and address impacted customers before they report an issue.

Related topics

process job

Execution of a bot process by a robot in RPA Hub.

process parameter

Variable that is used within a bot process in RPA Hub.

process plan

The information necessary to execute a flow such as the sequence of published actions or subflows, the input values for each subflow or action, the action steps to run for each action, and the data provided by the trigger or subflow output.

processor

HTTP endpoints available to perform arbitrary scripting actions.

Procurement Buyer Dashboard

A visualization tool showing individual buyer performance over a specified period.

procurement case

A record used to track and manage procurement-related queries or issues.

Procurement Team Performance Dashboard

A dashboard that provides visual insights into team performance on procurement-related tasks.

Procurement Strategy & Ops Dashboard

A dashboard that shows the year-to-date total spend, spend categorization, total savings, negotiation outcomes, spend by category and supplier, and active blanket purchase orders.

procurement task

A specific action or step that contributes to the completion of a procurement case.

Procurement

The process of finding, acquiring, and buying goods, services, or works from an external source.

Product idea

A product idea is an improvement or solution created from gathered feedback.These product ideas are assessed for impact, prioritized, and developed to improve the user experience. For more information, see Product idea.

product offer

A product offer represents entities that can be ordered from the catalog. An offer includes pricing information and add-on services like warranties, service contracts, maintenance contracts, or entitlements.

product

A collection of apps that coordinate to add features and capabilities to a ServiceNow AI Platform instance. Products can be obtained through the ServiceNow Store.

project

Structure that organizes component files.

prompt injection detection

A security feature in Now Assist Guardian that identifies and prevents malicious inputs from being used to manipulate AI-generated responses.

proxy contact

The proxy contacts are employees within a company who are not fulfillers or do not have other CSM-specific roles. This role enables employees to create cases for customer accounts and contacts, and also allows them to be proxy case contacts on behalf of customers.

publish (application)

The act of posting an application to the organization's application repository so that it can be installed on other instances in the organization.

publish

The act of making an action or subflow available to flows.

publish

The act of making a topic available for Virtual Agent conversations.

publish

The act of making a workflow active for all users on an instance.

pull request

A pull request indicates that the committed changes on a development branch are ready for review. A pull request begins the process to merge a branch.

Purchase order

A document issued by a buyer to a seller, detailing the items or services to be purchased.

purchase order

A binding contract between a buyer and supplier that outlines item details, quantities, prices, discounts, payment terms, delivery dates, and other conditions.

purchase requisition

A request sent by a requester to procure specific goods or services, requiring approval.

Q

Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.

Q&A genius result

Q&A Genius Results in Now Assist provide users with concise, actionable answers generated from relevant knowledge articles and other sources. These results are displayed as actionable cards, each including a link to the source knowledge article for further reference.

qualifier

See Embedded Help qualifier.

Qualitative target

Qualitative targets are typically non-measurable but can be tracked whether the target has been achieved (i.e. Yes/No). For more details, see Qualitative targets.

Quantitative target

A target created for a goal and is a numbers-based, countable, and measurable. For more details, see .

Questions

A tab in the Catalog editor used to add questions to a Catalog Item. Questions in a Catalog Item capture information from users that is needed to fulfill a request. Questions are grouped into types and subtypes that configure how users should answer the questions.

queue

Repository that can hold a number of work items in RPA Hub. Work items can store multiple types of data, such as transaction information, customer details, or information from a document.

Queues are used in automations to distribute transactional data or the workload among different robots.

quick start test

A ServiceNow-provided test or test suite installed with the demo data of an application that can be used as templates to build your own tests and test suites.

quote

A formal offer for products or services with specific prices and payment terms.

R

Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.

RPA bot generation skill

Now Assist for RPA Hub skill that uses generative AI for creating automations, activities, and extending automation logic.

Document Intelligence

An AI solution that enables any organization to automate and accelerate the process of extracting data from documents. That data can easily be integrated into larger automation workflows to save time and resources.

range

A data interval that is used in bar and pie charts.

Receipt

A document acknowledging that a specified amount of money, goods, or services has been received.

recommendation

A bit of text found on a document. The recommendation includes details about its location in the document, such as the page of a document and the specific location on that page.

The recommendations that the AI provides are sorted based on how likely the AI believes a given recommendation to be the correct value for the current field.

record

A task or request that needs to be acted on. All rows in that table for an app are individual records. Records have different states depending on what actions have been taken.

Record List

Component bundle that contains the components necessary to display a list of Glide records, including the header, list, and pagination.

record producer

A catalog item that allows end users to create records from the Service Catalog.

record summarization

A feature of Now Assist for SPO that provides a concise overview, actions completed, and next steps for procurement records.

record watch

A listener for a widget to receive notifications for changes made to records in user interfaces other than Service Portal. Uses the spUtil.recordWatch() method.

reference-based question

A question on a form that retrieves its possible answers from the table that you define.

reference key

A value that is used to identify a field, other than sys_id, as the unique identifier for a reference field. The value of the reference key field, instead of the sys_id, is stored in the database for that reference field.

related case

A case that is associated with another case due to shared characteristics, dependencies, or interactions.

related case

A case that is associated with another case due to shared characteristics, dependencies, or interactions.

related links

UI actions at the bottom of a list or form to run a script on one or more records.

related list

A group of records from a single table at the bottom of a form that have a relationship with the record on the form.

relationship

A connection between two tables in a database based on a reference field or a scripted query.

release notes

The information about what's included in each new version of the deployed app. Release notes help administrators to track what the changes are between app versions.

remote table

repeater

In UI Builder, a repeater is a component that acts as a basic loop that repeats the data you provide in multiple components. Repeaters use an array or an array of objects. Repeaters bind values to a data array property. For example, [{"task": "A"},{"task": "B"}], repeats the content inside it two times.

report

A representation of data to organize, summarize, and present data to convey information in a meaningful way.

reporting and dashboards

A feature that shows reports and charts to help teams track their work.

repository configuration

The configuration information used to connect an application to a source control repository.

repository

See ServiceNow application repository.

repository

A collection of application files and metadata that includes changes over time and commit details.

requester

A consumer or a customer contact who interacts with a virtual agent or live agent through a chat.

requestor

Someone requesting something, like a piece of equipment or permission to do something, such as take time off work.

resource generator

A configuration that provides resources such as a knowledge article, a set of cases, or a field value that you can use in providing recommendations in Recommended Actions.

REST API Explorer

A ServiceNow tool that uses information from your instance to provide a list of endpoints, methods, and variables that you can use to build and send REST requests. After you build the request, the REST API Explorer provides code samples in multiple programming languages that you can use to initiate the request, and detailed request and response information.

REST message

A record that stores details on how to interact with an external web service through REST.

restricted caller access (RCA)

The Restricted Caller Access (RCA) feature enables an administrator to define cross-scope access to an application or application resource and allow or deny access requests.

Retrieval Augmented Generation

Retrieval Augmented Generation is a generative AI technique that enhances large language model (LLM) outputs by retrieving relevant enterprise content, such as knowledge articles or records and using it as context to generate more accurate and actionable responses. Within ServiceNow, RAG is implemented in products like Now Assist for Search, where it powers Genius Results cards by combining AI Search with generative responses. It is also configurable in AI Agent Studio, allowing admins to define RAG based tools that retrieve external or internal data to support autonomous or supervised AI agent workflows.

Return

The process of sending back goods to the supplier due to various reasons such as defects or incorrect orders.

Rhino

An open-source implementation of JavaScriptwritten entirely in Java. It is typically embedded into Java applications to provide scripting to end users.

ribbon

Ribbons provide contextual information about the record displayed in the form, allowing users to quickly scan relevant information about the record.

RICE

A framework to prioritize and evaluate items by scoring each criterion. It helps teams assess and compare items based on four key criteria: Reach, Impact, Confidence, and Effort. For more details, see .

Risk assessments integration for Supplier Lifecycle Operations

Provides an integration with Third-party Risk Management to conduct risk assessments during supplier onboarding or reassessment of existing suppliers.

Roadmap milestones

Roadmap milestones created at the roadmap level can help with tracking launch dates or key events during that roadmap's timeline. Roadmap milestone is a date signaling an event or deadline that the roadmap manager wants the users to be aware of. For more details, see Roadmap milestones.

Roadmap

A layout of the plans for upcoming projects or initiatives while aligning them with the business objectives. Each roadmap is a high-level block of work, prioritized by different planning personas such as enterprise project managers, portfolio managers, project managers, or others. For more details, see .

robot file

The automation file that is created when you use RPA Desktop Design Studio for designing an automation workflow. This robot file contains the automation logic for the robot to execute.

robot

A software agent that runs a bot process (automation). Robots are designed to interact with software applications, data sources, and user interfaces like a human operator would, but in a more efficient, accurate, and consistent manner.

role

A category assigned to a group or user to grant access to specific privileges in Service Exchange.

Related topics

RPA Desktop Design Studio

Windows native application that is used by RPA developers to design or configure automation workflows.

RPA plugin

Software component that adds a specific feature for an interaction with third-party applications such as Microsoft Office 365, Google Chrome, Windows, and so on.

RPA plugins app (RPA plugin bundle)

The Robotic Process Automation (RPA) Plugin Bundle is the application responsible for building automations. The RPA Plugin Bundle contains metadata of Windows library files that are consumed by RPA Desktop Design Studio, Unattended Robot, and Attended Robot applications. These plugins extend the capability of the RPA product. For instance, RPA Chrome Plugin enables RPA application to automate tasks on the Google Chrome browser. Similarly, the RPA Excel plugin enables the RPA applications to interact with Excel files and many more. Along with Integration Hub, RPA Plugins Bundle is part of Workflow Data Fabric for a complete integration and automation solution for ServiceNow.

S

Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.

Source-to-Pay Workspace

A workspace that centralizes the management of suppliers, from sourcing to payment, enhancing productivity and collaboration.

Source-to-Pay Workspace

A workspace that centralizes the management of suppliers, from sourcing to payment, enhancing productivity and collaboration.

Source-to-Pay (S2P)

A process that encompasses all activities from sourcing goods and services to paying suppliers.

SAP ECC

An enterprise resource planning software developed by SAP SE, used for business process management.

SAP S/4HANA

A next-generation enterprise resource planning suite from SAP, designed to run on the SAP HANA database.

schedule

A schedule that is associated to an unattended bot process to enable users to execute jobs in a planned manner at regular intervals. More than one schedule can be associated with one bot process.

scheduled data export

A schedule that is specified for running export sets. A single export can be scheduled or regular intervals can be scheduled with support for including only delta records.

scheduled data import

A schedule that is specified for importing data from data sources. Transform maps are applied to the imported data before writing the data to the target table.

scheduled email of report

The frequency at which reports are run and the results sent as PDF files by email to recipients.

scheduled job

A record that performs a task that is based on a schedule. Scheduled jobs can generate and distribute reports, generate records from templates, or run a script.

scheduled script execution

A record that executes a server-side script that is based on a schedule.

scope

A scope. See application scope.

Supplier Collaboration Portal

A web-based interface that provides a unified portal experience for supplier contacts. This interface enables self-service, direct collaboration, and management of supplier-related tasks and information.

screen UI policy

The client-side logic that controls which fields are visible or mandatory on mobile app screens.

script action

The server-side JavaScript that is executed when a particular event is generated.

Script Debugger

The tool for debugging server-side JavaScript through the use of breakpoints.

script include

The reusable, server-side JavaScript that executes on request. Each script include defines either an object class or a function.

script tree

A collapsible pane on the side of a script field that can be used to insert fields, methods, and properties into a script.

scripted REST API

An API that enables the definition of service endpoints, query parameters, and headers for a scripted web service, as well as scripts to manage the request and response. Scripted REST APIs are listed in the Scripted REST APIs [sys_ws_definition] table.

scripted web service

A web service that developers use to create their own APIs on the ServiceNow AI Platform.

Scripts - Background

A module for executing server-side JavaScript on demand. Developers can specify the scope to use when executing the code.

security

A way to limit who can use your application with roles and access controls.

self-served contract request

A contract request that is initiated and managed by the requester. The contract document is created by using templates and clauses that have already been verified and approved by the internal contract team. The self-served contract request reduces the dependency on legal teams and accelerates processing.

self-service portal

An online platform where employees can independently access services and information, such as submitting legal requests.

server script

A JavaScript script that is processed by the server.

service contract

An agreement between a service provider and a customer outlining the terms of service. It includes details about the install base and work plans.

Service Creator

An application that enables a department to offer custom services through the Service Catalog. For example, an HR department can offer tuition reimbursement for further education. Each published service has an associated record producer catalog item. Users who are designated as a manager or editor can create and design catalog items. End users can request services by ordering the catalog item.

service level agreement (SLA) definition

A definition that specifies the timings, conditions, workflows, and other details that are required for creating and managing task service level agreements (SLAs). It enables you to use an SLA system for your organization's tasks.

service level agreement (SLA)

An agreement that specifies the time period that a service must be provided within. SLA definitions are configured to include the necessary information to create and manage SLAs for customer service cases.

Service Model Foundation

A foundational data model framework that customers can use to create structured and flexible data models to represent their business needs.

service operations workspace

A dedicated workspace within ServiceNow where technical support agents can manage and resolve incidents, view affected accounts, and communicate with customers.

Service Portal page

A page that houses the containers, rows, and columns, which then contain widgets. By designing the layout of the page and the widgets within it, developers construct the desired user experience. Pages are reusable across portals.

Service Portal

A ServiceNow user interface (UI), built by using the Service Portal framework, that provides an alternative user experience to the standard UI. It enables users to interact with the underlying ServiceNow AI Platform by using a minimum number of clicks from any device: desktop, tablet, or smartphone.

ServiceNow application repository

The location for customers to publish their custom applications. Published applications can be installed on any of the customer's corporate instances.

ServiceNow AI Platform[var.now-plat]

The main system that supports the tools that help businesses run smoothly.

ServiceNow Store

A marketplace where users can find and install applications, plugins, and enhancements for ServiceNow, including contract management extensions.

ServiceNow Studio

An Integrated Development Environment (IDE)-like interface for application developers to create, review, and update application files in one centralized location from a tabbed environment.

session debug

A process for debugging messages in the user interface. When enabled, session debugging is active during the user session or until disabled. Activate using the System Diagnostics application.

session log

A tab in the JavaScript Debugger for viewing transactions and other session-related information. Developers can select which data to view.

Settings tab

A tab in the Catalog editor used to configure the behavior of a catalog item. Creators can adjust the Portal settings to customize the checkout area of a catalog item.

Shopping Hub Mobile

A mobile application version of the Shopping Hub, integrated with the Now Mobile app.

Share

A section of developer.servicenow.com where Developer Program members can upload or download applications, scripts, or other application artifacts for free.

shared parameter

A global variable or configurable item that is stored in one place. These variables are used across bot processes.

Shopping Hub catalog

A curated list of goods and services available for employees to order through Shopping Hub.

Shopping Hub

An e-commerce-style interface for employees to submit self-service requests for goods and services, integrated with the organization's procurement processes.

skill

A pre-built automation and plug-and-play integration for your complex business processes.

Supplier Lifecycle Operations

A framework that enables Supplier Lifecycle Operations to exchange supplier data with third-party ERP systems.

slushbucket

A two-column interface for choosing multiple selections from an available pool of items.

snapshot

A list of table records (sys_ids) that are collected at the time that the indicator scores for those records are collected.

SOAP message

A record that stores details on how to interact with an external web service through SOAP.

source control

The management of code and changes to the code of an application.

Sourcing and Purchasing Automation

A workflow and automation for sourcing requests, negotiations, and purchase requisitions.

sourcing request

A request that is created when an item that the shopper intends to buy needs to be sourced due to the lack of an active contractual price.

special handling notes

The notes that are created with the Special Handling Notes application. These notes bring important information about individual records to the user's attention. They can be assigned a status, priority, and expiration date. Special handling notes can be displayed on an embedded list or a related list on a record form or in a pop-up window that appears when a user accesses a form.

spoke

A scoped application with Flow Designer content that is dedicated to a particular application or record type.

Supplier Relationship and Performance Management

The Supplier Relationship and Performance Management (com.snc.sn_slm_perf) application that enables you to establish clear expectations and criteria for measuring supplier performance, monitoring and assessing their performance against those criteria, providing feedback and recognition, and implementing corrective actions and improvement plans when needed.

stash

A change to an application that is saved locally without committing to a source control repository. Developers can stash work, work on a different branch, and then reapply the changes captured in the stash later.

state

The properties and property values for a custom component.

step configuration

A specific test action that the Automated Test Framework can run. Step configurations do not contain any runtime test data and can be run only when test designers add them as part of a test step. Each step configuration is a record in the Test Step Config [sys_atf_step_config] table, which specifies the input variables used to run the step configuration and the output variables available to other step configurations.

step result

A record in the Step Result [sys_atf_test_result_step] table that specifies the status of the test step, a summary of the output, and a complete log of the output generated by the test step. Use step results to identify the failures and functionality that need review.

step variable

The step-specific input and output values. Use step variables to specify a particular test step target or to pass information to other test steps.

step

See action step.

strategic priority

The objectives of your organizational plans. Strategic priorities help you to achieve your goals over a designated time period.

Studio

See ServiceNow Studio.

style sheet

A CSS record that can be added to any Service Portal page or component to overwrite the theme.

style

A control to specify the appearance of a particular field.

subflow

An automated process that consists of a sequence of reusable actions and specific data inputs that allow the process to be started from a flow, subflow, or script. Subflows automate generic business logic that can be applied to multiple applications or processes.

supplier document configuration

The supplier document configurations that detail when and how documents should be managed and notified.

supplier document management

The functionality that enables you to manage supplier-related documents, including creating and running a supplier document configuration that is required to upload the prerequisite documents.

supplier integration framework

A framework that enables Supplier Lifecycle Operations to exchange supplier data with third-party ERP systems.

Supplier Relationship and Performance Management

The Supplier Relationship and Performance Management (com.snc.sn_slm_perf) application that enables you to establish clear expectations and criteria for measuring supplier performance, monitor and assess their performance against those criteria, provide feedback and recognition, and implement corrective actions and improvement plans when needed.

supplier case

A case that is opened in the Source-to-Pay Workspace to address supplier-related issues that arise during different phases of the supplier lifecycle, from onboarding to offboarding.

supplier contact

The person who allows individuals from the supplier side to access the Supplier Collaboration Portal, manages tasks, and interacts with the buying organization.

supplier fulfiller

The person who is responsible for fulfilling tasks and cases that are related to suppliers, ensuring compliance with service level agreements and operational standards.

Supplier Lifecycle Management

The end-to-end process of managing a supplier's performance and relationship with the organization.

supplier management

The process of managing relationships and transactions with suppliers.

supplier manager

The person who is responsible for managing supplier relationships, overseeing supplier onboarding, tracking cases and tasks, and conducting supplier risk assessments.

supplier offboarding

The process of discontinuing a business relationship with a supplier. Tasks include deleting the supplier primary data, settling accounts, and deactivating the access to your systems.

supplier onboarding

The process of registering, qualifying, and activating suppliers to do business with the organization.

supplier owner

The person who is responsible for the ownership and management of specific suppliers, including the ability to update supplier information and manage related cases and tasks.

Supplier Portal

An online platform where suppliers can interact with the buying organization.

supplier

A person, business, or an enterprise that provides raw materials, goods, or services to another organization.

supplier task

A task that is created in the Source-to-Pay Workspace and assigned to the contacts of the internal users or suppliers so that they can take action and complete that task.

synchronous integration

A type of integration where the systems involved communicate in real-time.

sys_id

A unique 32-character Globally Unique Identifier (GUID) that identifies each record in ServiceNow. The same sys_id value is never generated twice, which helps to ensure that every record created in every table in every instance of ServiceNow in the world has a unique identifying value.

system of record

system property category

The application properties that are grouped into sections on a page.

system property

See application property.

T

Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.

3CLogic

A ServiceNow partner that provides native voice and SMS capabilities to complement ServiceNow’s digital channels.

table column

A set of data values, all of a single type, in a table. Columns define the data in a table.

table row

A single structured data item in a table. Rows, also known as records, are used to populate the data into a table.

table transform map

See transform map.

table

The related data held in a table format within a database. A table is made up of columns and rows.

tag

A fixed set of committed application files from a source control repository.

Target breakdowns

The breakdowns of a target. The target value of the main target is divided into smaller periods (for example, Monthly) to focus on that specific breakdown target to easily achieve the main target. For more details, see Target breakdowns.

target

The file on a MID Server where exported data will be written.

target

The table that is defined in a transform map to receive the imported records.

Target source

A configuration for a target to auto-update the actual value of the target, so that the progress of the target and its goal are auto-updated. Any table or a combination of tables (for example, benefit plans, cost plans, surveys, incidents, and PA indicators) on the ServiceNow AI Platform® can be configured as a target source. For more details, see .

Target

A measure for a goal. A target can be qualitative or quantitative. For details, see .

target table

The table where apps created in Creator Studio store their requests. Admininstrators can change the table that an app saves its data to. For more information, see .

target

The future hoped-for indicator scores that represent goals that your organization wants to achieve. A target can be global or can be personal to one user.

technical dashboard

A UI Builder page that is available from the dashboard library. The page is created in the dashboard editor but is populated in UI Builder. Unlike other dashboards, it supports manual data sources and a full range of UIB components.

template

The preconfigured, low-code application models that provide a structured starting point and can be customized to meet specific business needs.

template

The predefined values to populate a form with the record data.

test

A logical grouping of related automated test steps that verify some functionality or feature. Each test is a record in the Test [sys_atf_test] table. Test designers typically create a test to verify one feature or a group of related features.

test result

The output that is generated when a test or test suite is run. Each test result is a record in the Test Result [sys_atf_test_result] table that specifies the duration of the test run, the status of the test, and screenshots where available. Use test results to identify failing or non-running tests. Use the test logs to see more information about test results. By default, the system deletes test and test suite results 30 days after creation unless you enable the option to retain the test result indefinitely.

test step

The combination of a step configuration with the runtime test data that is necessary to run a step. The test step always specifies the order in which it runs in the test. Test steps have their own related list of step results. Each test step is a record in the Test Step [sys_atf_step] table that specifies a test action, the step configuration, and an execution order. Test designers add test steps to tests to verify functionality.

test suite

A collection of tests that run in a specific order. Test designers typically create a test suite to test an application or a group of related features. Test designers can schedule test suite executions and initiate any required client test runners.

theme

The CSS that is defined in the CSS variables field in the Themes table [sp_theme] sets the appearance of a portal and portal widgets.

third-party application

An external software system that can be integrated with ServiceNow to extend its capabilities.

third-party contract request

A contract request that requires the legal team to draft, negotiate, or finalize the contract.

threshold

The user-defined top or bottom limit of the normal range of scores for an indicator. You can set up an alert to let you know when a threshold is breached and how. For example, you can set up an alert to let you know when a score reaches an all-time high or low.

TMF 621 rest API

A standard API that is used to create incident records from external systems, enabling integration with network management systems. To learn more, see Trouble Ticket Open API.

tolerance rules

A limit that is set on invoices to determine acceptable variances before they require further review.

topic flow

The topic component that describes the possible paths that a user's conversation with Virtual Agent can take.

topic properties

The configuration values for a property that identify the name and description for the topic, who can interact with a topic, and when the topic should run.

topic

A blueprint that defines the dialog between Virtual Agent and a user to accomplish a goal. A topic has topic properties and a topic flow.

tracked customizations

The table customizations that are recorded in the update sets.

transaction quota

The defined condition at which to cancel a transaction. The system cancels any transaction that matches the conditions of a transaction quota rule.

transaction

Any foreground process that is requested by the user (URL request).

transform map

A set of field maps that determine the relationships between the fields in an import set and the fields in an existing ServiceNow table, such as Incident [incident] or User [sys_user]. After creating a transform map, you can reuse it to map the data from another import set to the same table.

trigger

The event that makes an automated playbook begin running. For example, submitting a request automatically assigns it to a manager.

trigger

The record, date, or application conditions that are met to initiate the execution of a flow.

trouble ticket notification

A feature that sends notifications to third-party systems about incidents or cases created in ServiceNow, either reactively or proactively. To learn more, see .

U

Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.

UI Action Visibility

A related list on UI action forms that is used to restrict the view of UI actions using include and exclude rules. If no rules are configured for a UI action, the UI action appears in all form views.

UI action

An interactive component on a form or list that performs a specific action. UI actions include the buttons, links, and context menu items on forms and lists.

UI Builder (UIB)

A WYSIWYG web user interface builder. UI Builder enables developers to build new pages or customize existing pages for Agent Workspace and portals using Now Experience UI Framework components.

UI formatter

A form element that is used to display information that is not a field in the record. You add formatters to a form by configuring the form.

UI macro

A discrete scripted component that administrators can add to the user interface. UI macros are typically controls that provide inputs or information that is not provided by existing field types.

UI page

A collection of custom HTML and script content that displays UI components. Creating UI pages requires a knowledge of HTML or Jelly. You can also create simple AngularJS applications using UI pages.

UI policy

A rule that dynamically changes the behavior of information on a form and controls the custom process flows for tasks. For example, you can use UI policies to make a field on a form read-only, make a field mandatory, or hide other fields. Basic UI policies do not require any scripting. For more advanced actions, use the Run scripts option.

UI script

A reusable client-side JavaScript script that changes the behavior of UI components. Administrators can run UI scripts from client scripts, from other client-side script objects, or from HTML code in UI pages.

Unattended Robot

A software agent that is installed on a Windows machine and executes unattended automations.

unstructured document

A document that mainly contains free-form textual information and does not conform to a specific format or structure.

update set batch

A group of update sets related by the Parent field. An update set batch is used to move multiple related update sets between instances.

update set picker

A choice list in the instance header bar that enables the user to select an update set used to store their customizations.

update set

A collection of customizations made to a customer instance that can be transferred to another instance. When an instance is customized, the change is added automatically to the current update set. You can have only one current update set per user at a time.

update source

A ServiceNow instance that the current instance can retrieve update sets from.

use case

A use case is a set of configurations used to define the structure of a type of document that you want to process. It’s made up of the use case record and its related fields, field groups, integrations, flows, and all the related machine learning (ML) models. The use case also includes the mode for how the extraction should occur.

user input control

The format of the response choice given to the user, for example, “Static Choice” where a user chooses from a predefined list.

V

Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.

validation script

A client script that validates field values as users enter them. When a field value fails validation, the script produces an error and prevents users from saving the record.

variable set

A modular collection of variables that can be reused across multiple remote record producers to ensure consistency in data collection.

variant

The version of a UI Builder page with access controlled by role or condition. Create variants of pages to target experiences for different audiences. For example, create a home page for agents and a variant for managers at the same URL. Alternatively, create a page variant that users see under different conditions.

version number

A number assigned to the app that increases with each subsequent time it's deployed.

view

A definition of a table join for reporting purposes.

view

An alternate layout for presentation of a record's data. Different user profiles use different views to see data from the same record.

view

A JSX function that describes what a component looks like when rendered.

view rule

A view rule overrides a functionality to force a specified view to be used. For example, when a user switches form or list views, the selected view is saved as a user preference so the user sees the same view by default when the form or list opens.

virtual agent

An AI-driven assistant for handling common requests and inquiries.

Virtual Agent

An AI-powered conversational chatbot that helps shoppers quickly find and purchase products from vendors via the Shopping Hub application, accessible through Employee Center.

virtual agent

A conversational bot platform that provides user assistance through conversations in a messaging interface.

Virtual Agent

An AI-powered conversational chatbot that provides instant resolution to common requests, increases customer satisfaction, and keeps agents focused on more important issues.

W

Glossary terms are grouped alphabetically.

web service

Allows diverse applications to communicate with each other. ServiceNow supports both inbound (provider) and outbound (consumer) web services.

webhook

An HTTP-based callback function that allows lightweight, event-driven communication between two application programming interfaces (APIs).

wet signature

A traditional handwritten signature on a physical contract document, sometimes required for compliance or regulatory purposes.

widget dependency

Links JavaScript and CSS files to widgets to create dependencies between widgets and third-party libraries, external style sheets, and angular modules.

widget editor

The application for editing Service Portal widget components.

widget instance options

These options enable admins to modify the data, presentation, and behavior of the widget. Each instance of the widget can be configured to look and behave differently.

widget option schema

Defines the user-configurable fields for a Service Portal widget, for example, how many records a list widget displays.

widget options

Developer-settable parameters that enable each Service Portal widget instance to be uniquely configured.

widget

A Performance Analytics widget determines how data is presented on dashboards. Configure widgets to view, set up, edit, and manage properties for dashboards and visualization types: time series, scores, lists, and breakdowns.

widget

A Service Portal widget is an interactive component in the Service Portal user interface. You can define what a widget does using HTML templates, CSS, client scripts, server scripts, and JavaScript dependencies. From an AngularJS standpoint, widgets are a superset of an Angular directive.

Work item queue

A storage area for work items waiting to be assigned to agents.

work item

Store multiple types of data, such as transaction information, customer details, or information from a document.

work plan

Detailed plan outlining the tasks and activities required to complete a specific job. It includes timelines, resources, and responsibilities.

workflow context

A workflow's runtime environment. The runtime environment, once launched, is unaffected by workflow version changes.

workflow editor

The interface used to visually define a workflow.

workflow schedule

A record that configures a workflow to run on a schedule.

workflow studio

A tool used to create and modify workflows, including subflows for different assignment groups and levels of escalation.

workflow version

A record that stores the workflow configuration when published or checked out. Only one published workflow version can be active at a time. Only one checked out workflow version can exist at a time.

workflow

Defined sequence of steps automating processes in Sales Customer Relationship Management.

workspace

Suite of tools in a single focused work area that enables a user to efficiently complete an entire job.

WSGF

A framework to sequence items for maximum benefit, particularly useful where frequent re-prioritization is a driver of economic value. This score is based on the relative cost of delay and relative job duration, business value, time criticality, risk reduction, and job size. For more details, see .