API reference

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 3 minutes to read
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    Summary of API Reference

    The ServiceNow API Reference provides a comprehensive guide to using APIs on the ServiceNow AI Platform. It enables customers to customize functionality, enhance features, and integrate with various applications across different interfaces, including web, mobile, and server environments.

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    Key Features

    • Client Control: Manage how the AI Platform displays and functions in web browsers.
    • Next Experience: Tailor the AI Platform within the Next Experience UI Framework.
    • Mobile SDK: Create custom mobile experiences and leverage native mobile capabilities for Android and iOS apps.
    • Server APIs: Modify existing applications or build new ones using server-side JavaScript APIs.
    • REST APIs: Access and update data using REST, including options for custom REST APIs.
    • UI Builder: Develop client scripts that respond to various user interactions and lifecycle events.

    Key Outcomes

    Utilizing these APIs allows ServiceNow customers to:

    • Enhance user experiences by customizing forms and client-side interactions.
    • Integrate external applications using authentication protocols and push notifications.
    • Access and manipulate data efficiently with server-side operations.
    • Create tailored mobile applications that leverage ServiceNow's capabilities.

    By effectively using these APIs, customers can significantly improve their ServiceNow implementations and meet specific business requirements.

    Use ServiceNow APIs to change functionality and add features on the ServiceNow AI Platform.

    Client

    Use client-side JavaScript APIs to control how the ServiceNow AI Platform functions and displays within the web browser. Client-side APIs provide common functionality that you can add to your instance by calling the APIs from client-side scripts such as client scripts and UI policy scripts.

    Common use cases:
    • Use the GlideAjax API to call server-side code from a client script.
    • Use the GlideForm API to customize forms.

    Client mobile

    Cabrillo JS is a client-side JavaScript API for accessing capabilities inside ServiceNow AI Platform native mobile applications. Cabrillo JS provides methods to use native device capabilities, native mobile UI, and other ServiceNow AI Platform mobile functionality.

    Mobile SDK

    Use the ServiceNow Mobile SDK to leverage the functionality and resources of the ServiceNow AI Platform within your standalone mobile Android and iOS applications.

    Using the Mobile SDK, you can perform the following within your applications:

    • Access data on your ServiceNow instance through its public REST APIs or custom scripted REST APIs that you develop.
    • Embed and enable Virtual Agent within your application interface.
    • Gather and track custom analytics events for analysis.
    • Attach documents (attachments) to a record within your ServiceNow instance.
    • Load web pages hosted on your ServiceNow instance in a native web view or Cabrillo.
    • Provide simple authentication flows using JSON Web Tokens for third-party applications to authenticate users.
    • Send push notifications.

    Server

    Use server-side JavaScript APIs to change the functionality of existing applications or to build new applications. Server-side APIs provide common functionality that you can add to your instance by calling the APIs from server-side scripts such as business rules and script includes. Scoped APIs are intended for use with scoped applications, and global APIs are intended for use with applications in the global scope. New applications are typically scoped. Applications in the global scope are typically legacy applications.

    Common use cases:
    • Use the GlideRecord or GlideQuery APIs to perform create, read, update, and delete operations on record data from server-side scripts.
    • Use the GlideSystem API to access information about the instance or the current user session and to write informational or error messages.
    • Use FlowAPI methods to trigger flows, subflows, and actions from server-side scripts.

    REST

    Use REST APIs to access and update data on the ServiceNow AI Platform. You can discover these APIs from within your instance by using the REST API Explorer. If you don't find an API that meets your needs, you can create custom REST APIs using the Scripted REST API feature. ServiceNow REST APIs support Basic Authentication and OAuth 2.0 to authenticate requests.

    Common use cases:
    • Use the Attachment API to upload and query file attachments.
    • Use the Email API to send and receive email messages.
    • Use the Table API to create, read, update, and delete records in a table.

    UI Builder

    Use UI Builder APIs when developing client scripts in the UI Builder. Client scripts are executed in response to something happening on a page, such as:
    • User interaction events/actions, such as a button click.
    • Lifecycle events, such as a data broker execution started.