Exporting hierarchy process via JSON

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 10, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read

    • Learn how to migrate models and templates between ServiceNow instances by exporting them with all their dependencies as a single JSON file, preserving system ID continuity between source and target.

    Exporting hierarchy via JSON overview

    The Export Hierarchy action produces a JSON file containing the selected record and its complete hierarchy, including the dependent reference data the records require. The JSON file can then be imported on a target ServiceNow instance to recreate the hierarchy with system ID continuity preserved between source and target.

    Components in JSON file

    A JSON export packages the selected model or template along with everything it depends on:

    • The selected record and its child records: for example, when exporting an equipment model, all child records related to that model are included
    • Dependent reference data: any records the model or template references, such as manufacturer details, product information, model classifications, and currency or pricing data
    • Inventory templates and their referenced models, when exporting a template, the models the template depends on are included automatically

    The dependent reference data is included because the models and templates can't function on the target instance without their references intact. For example, an exported equipment model for a Cisco router includes the Cisco manufacturer record so that the imported model on the target instance keeps its manufacturer link.

    Roles required for Export Hierarchy

    The role required for JSON export depends on what's being exported:

    Table 1. Permitted roles and their corresponding actions
    Action Roles permitted Result
    Export a model and its hierarchy sn_ni_core.inventory_admin or sn_ni_core.telco_inventory_catalog_manage The exported JSON contains models, child records, referenced records and related records
    Export an inventory template and its hierarchy (including its referenced models) sn_ni_core.inventory_admin or sn_ni_core.inventory_template_manager The exported JSON contains the templates, the model it references and the related recorde of both.

    Inventory admin can perform either action. Catalog Manager can export models. Template Manager can export templates and the models those templates reference.

    How Export Hierarchy via JSON works

    The JSON export process operates as a single-stage interaction. When the user initiates Export Hierarchy from a model or template record, the system identifies the selected record together with all its related and referenced records, and packages them into a single JSON file. The JSON file is generated as an attachment on the Export request record. Once the export status shows Completed, the user downloads the JSON file from the right sidebar.

    The downloaded JSON file is then transferred to the target instance and loaded using the JSON import feature in the Network Inventory Workspace. Importing the JSON on the target instance recreates the model or template along with its complete hierarchy of related and referenced records, preserving system ID continuity between the source and target.

    This is why JSON export is the recommended path for cross-instance migration: the file contains everything needed for the records to function on the target instance, not just the records themselves.

    To learn the step-by-step procedure for exporting a model or template hierarchy as JSON, see Import models and templates in JSON format.