Configuring work order templates

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Configuring Work Order Templates

    Work order templates streamline the creation of work orders by automatically generating tasks and part requirements for common activities like password resets and memory upgrades. To utilize these templates, the Field Service Management plugin must be activated, along with the Template Management for Field Service plugin for advanced configurations.

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    Key Features

    • Template Management: Enables dynamic configuration of work order templates, incorporating source and attribute mapping.
    • Role-Based Access: Only users with the wmadmin or modelmanager role can create, edit, or delete work order templates and task templates.
    • Contextual Search: Enhances work order management by linking relevant knowledge articles to tasks, improving technician efficiency.
    • Customizable Forms: Allows the addition of contextual search results fields to both Work Order and Work Order Task forms for enhanced usability.
    • Knowledge Articles: Optional articles can be added to templates for guidance on installation, maintenance, or checklists.
    • Work Order SLAs: Manage Service Level Agreements directly from the work order forms to ensure timely compliance.

    Key Outcomes

    By configuring work order templates, ServiceNow customers can achieve consistent and efficient work order processing, ensuring that field service technicians have the necessary information and resources at their fingertips. This leads to improved service delivery and increased operational efficiency.

    Work order templates allow you to quickly create well-defined work orders.

    These templates automatically create tasks and part requirements on work orders for common activities, such as password reset or memory upgrades. Work order templates and work order task templates are added to the product catalog when the Field Service Management plugin is activated.

    You can enable the advanced configurations for work order templates by activating the Template Management for Field Service plugin (com.snc.fsm_template_management). Activation of this plugin adds the source table mapping, attribute mapping, work order task templates, and work order templates to the product catalog that helps configure the template to work dynamically. For more information, see Configuring Template Management for Field Service.

    Users with the wm_admin or model_manager role can create, edit, and delete work order templates and work order task templates.

    When you create a template, you can use knowledge articles for a work order or work order tasks. You can then add Contextual Search to the knowledge article. Contextual Search helps you to create, or work on, a task with relevant knowledge articles based on the content of the task.
    • Define Search Fields: Specify the criteria to be used to search across your desired content sources.
    • Work Order Form: Add the contextual search results field to the Work Order form. Configure the form and add the Contextual Search Results field to your desired location on the form.
    • Work Order Task Form: Add the contextual search field to the Work Order Task form. Configure the form and add the Contextual Search Results field to your desired location on the form.
    • Article Attachment field: Set the field where the knowledge article will be attached. Configure the glide.knowman.attach.fields property to include work_notes field.

    Configuration overview

    The steps for setting up work order templates are:

    1. Create a work order template

      Use work order templates populate work orders with repeatable information. For example, templates can populate an Assignment group, during the template creation process. This ensures consistent information is included across all related records.

    2. (Optional) Create a knowledge article for a work order template

      Help Field Service technicians stay consistent when completing the same types of work orders. For example, a knowledge article can be installation guides, maintenance procedures, or checklists.

    3. (Optional) Manage a work order SLA

      Use work order SLAs help ensure SLAs are met in time. Work order SLAs can be viewed or managed from the work order or work order task form so they're easy to access.