---
sourceDocument: Australia Workflow Data Fabric
sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/australia/integrate-applications

 Release :

    - australia

ft:locale :

    - en-US

ft:publication_title :

    - Australia Workflow Data Fabric

ft:clusterId :

    - crint

bundleId :

    - crint

workflow :

    - Creator


---

# ETL Definition quick start guide

# ETL Definition quick start guide {#ariaid-title1}

Release version: Australia  
Updated March 12, 2026  
![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 3 minutes to read  
Learn how to set up and use an ETL definition to import data into ServiceNow tables.

## Before you begin

Role required: admin  
For this quick start guide, we're going to import data in the following JSON file to ServiceNow target tables. This JSON file contains hierarchical data for a school, classes, students and subjects. Save the following content to a JSON file.


    [{ 
       "name": "schoolA", 
       "classes": [ 
       { 
        "name": "classA", 
        "students": [ 
        {"name": "studentA", "subjects": [{"name": "subjectA", "marks": 80}, 
         {"name": "subjectB", "marks": 90},{"name": "subjectC", "marks": 100}]}, 
        {"name": "studentB", "subjects": [{"name": "subjectA", "marks": 75}, 
         {"name": "subjectB", "marks": 85}, {"name": "subjectC", "marks": 95}]}
       ] 
      },{ 
       "name": "classB", 
       "students": [ 
       {"name": "studentC", "subjects": [{"name": "subjectA", "marks": 60}, 
        {"name": "subjectB", "marks": 70}, {"name": "subjectC", "marks": 80}]}, 
       {"name": "studentD", "subjects": [{"name": "subjectA", "marks": 55}, 
        {"name": "subjectB", "marks": 65}, {"name": "subjectC", "marks": 75}]} 
       ] 
      } 
     ] 
    }]

## Procedure

1. Create a data source and load data.
   1. Create a data source with a Format of JSON, and the Path for each row as <kbd class="ph userinput">//</kbd>.
   2. Check the Data in single column option.
   3. Save the data source.
   4. Attach the above JSON file to the data source.
   5. Select Load All Records to load records to the import set table.  
   6. Open the import set row created.  
      The record should be saved to a single JSON column.
   {#etl-definition-quick-start__substeps_zvb_kcy_2hc}
2. Create the target table structure to import data.
   1. In this example, we have a school with multiple classes, each class has multiple students, and each student has multiple subjects.
   2. Create a table structure to reflect these relationships.
   3. `School -> name : string`.
   4. `Class -> name : string , school : reference to school`.
   5. `Student -> name : string, class : reference to class`.
   6. `Subject -> name : string, mark : integer, student : reference to student`.
   {#etl-definition-quick-start__substeps_zmx_ydy_2hc}
3. Create an ETL Definition to map the JSON record data to target tables.
   1. Go to System Import SetsETL Definition.
   2. Select New.
   3. Enter a name and save the record.  
   {#etl-definition-quick-start__substeps_zsx_w5y_2hc}
4. Create entities.
   1. Under the ETL Entities tab, select New.
   2. Set the Name as <kbd class="ph userinput">Import Set</kbd> and save.
   3. Add import set entity fields for all the leaf values of the JSON.  
      The field/path is the path from the root of the JSON and we mark arrays with \[\*\].
   4. Go to ETL Definition and under ETL Entities, select New.
   5. Set the Name as <kbd class="ph userinput">School</kbd>.
   6. Set the Table as the school table created in step 2.
   7. Set the Path as <kbd class="ph userinput">school</kbd>.
   8. Save the Entity.
   9. Select Generate fields under Related Links.  
      This should generate the Name field. Set the Coalesce to true.
   10. Go to ETL Definition and under ETL Entities, select New.
   11. Set the Table as the class table created in step 2.
   12. Set the Path as <kbd class="ph userinput">class[*]</kbd>.  
       Using \[\*\] makes it an entity with multiple rows.
   13. Select Generate fields under Related Links.
   14. Since School in the ETL Entity fields is a reference field, modify the Field/Path to <kbd class="ph userinput">school.name</kbd> and set Coalesce to true for the Name field because name is unique.  
   15. Add Entities to Student and Subject as well.  
       For Subject, set Coalesce to true for both the Name and Student fields.
   {#etl-definition-quick-start__substeps_jkh_mvy_2hc}
5. Add RTE Entity Mappings.
   1. Go to RTE Entity Mappings and select New.
   2. Set the Name to <kbd class="ph userinput">Import Set to school</kbd>.
   3. Set the Source Entity to Import Set.
   4. Set the Target Entity to School.
   5. Keep the Order as 100.
   6. Under RTE Field Mappings, select New.
   7. For the Source Field, select School name.  
      You can only select the Entity fields from the source entity.
   8. For the Target Field, select Name.  
      You can only select the Entity fields from the target entity.
   9. Go to ETL Definition and under RTE Entity Mappings select New.
   10. Set the Name to <kbd class="ph userinput">Import set to class</kbd>.
   11. Select Source Entity to Import Set.
   12. Select Target Entity to Class.
   13. Set Order to 200.
   14. Add the RTE Field Mappings to map Name and School name.  
       The school Target Field should map to the School name of the import set. The system does the school look up using this value and sets the correct school reference.
   15. Add mappings for Student and Subject as well.  
   {#etl-definition-quick-start__substeps_qsx_ydz_2hc}
6. Create a Robust Import Set Transformer record and run the import.
   1. Go to the Data source created in step 1.
   2. Select the Robust Transformer tab and select New.
   3. Set a Name.
   4. Set the Transformer definition to the ETL Definition we created earlier.
   5. Set Verbose.  
      Selecting Verbose is not required, but enables you to debug the configuration. Switch this off before moving to production because it can negatively impact the performance.
   6. Select Submit.  
   7. Select Load All Records.
   8. Select Run Robust Transform.
   9. Select Transform.
   10. Go to the import set.
   11. Select the Import Set Rows tab and open the import set row record.
   12. If the configuration works correctly, it should show the import set row record with all the records inserted.  
   {#etl-definition-quick-start__substeps_myv_r2z_2hc}

*[\>]: and then