External ID support in Sales CRM Pricing API

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated April 27, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read
    • Summarize
    Summarized using AI
    This content was generated using new OpenAI-powered functionality. Results are provided on an as is basis and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete.

    Summary of External ID support in Sales CRM Pricing API

    The Sales CRM Pricing API now supports the use of external IDs in pricing requests, allowing ServiceNow customers to use their own custom identifiers or codes for reference fields instead of the standard ServiceNow sysid. This enables integration and pricing calls originating from external CRM or ERP systems with different identifier schemes, improving interoperability and flexibility.

    Show full answer Show less

    Key Features

    • External ID Usage: Customers can use external codes for key reference fields such as product offerings, unit of measure, price list, cost book, characteristics, pricing adjustment type, and account.
    • Request Flexibility: Pricing requests can include external IDs, sysids, or a combination of both. A request flag ("useexternalcode:true") activates external ID support.
    • Context Variable Configuration: Administrators define context variables that map external identifiers to internal ServiceNow reference table columns prior to submitting pricing requests.
    • Account Resolution: External account identifiers are resolved using context variables before pricing execution, with internal sysids used internally but external IDs retained in responses.
    • Transparent Pricing Execution: Pricing logic operates solely on resolved sysids, making the process agnostic to whether identifiers were external codes or sysids.
    • Error Handling: The system validates reference identifiers and reports errors at the line-item level for missing or invalid external IDs, missing context variable mappings, or absent sysids.

    What Customers Can Expect

    • Improved integration with external systems by using native identifiers during pricing requests.
    • Seamless mapping of external IDs to ServiceNow internal references via configurable context variables.
    • Clear error messages to help troubleshoot identifier resolution issues.
    • Pricing responses that reflect the identifiers provided in the request, ensuring consistency for external systems.
    • Support for REST API pricing requests only; UI-based pricing flows remain unaffected.

    Next Steps for ServiceNow Customers

    To leverage external ID support, administrators must configure context variables mapping external codes to ServiceNow reference fields before submitting pricing requests. Ensure the request flag "useexternalcode:true" is set when including external identifiers in API calls. Validate that all external IDs correspond to configured context variables to avoid request failures.

    The Sales CRM Pricing API supports external IDs in pricing requests. You can use your own custom identifiers or codes for selected reference fields instead of a ServiceNow sys_id.

    For example, a pricing call can originate from other CRM or ERP systems that may have different identifiers for certain objects. You can map these unique identifiers to ServiceNow reference fields using an external ID, code, or other custom field. A pricing call can then be made using these unique identifiers available on the external system.

    You can use external codes for the following reference fields (objects), including but not limited to:
    • Product offering
    • Top-level product offering
    • Unit of measure
    • Price list
    • Cost book
    • Characteristics and characteristic options
    • Pricing adjustment type
    • Account
    Note:
    External IDs apply to REST API pricing requests and do not affect UI‑based flows. Pricing execution can use internal system IDs, external IDs, or a combination of both IDs in pricing requests. For more information on the pricing API, see Sales CRM Pricing API.

    How external IDs work in pricing requests

    External IDs map to reference fields in ServiceNow reference tables. As an admin, before submitting a pricing request, create the context variables that define the reference fields for external IDs or codes that map to a column in a specified reference table. For more information, see Configure context variables for external IDs.

    Processing of a pricing request with external IDs involves the following phases:
    Request intake
    The caller sends a Pricing REST API request that can include:
    • External IDs or codes
    • sys_ids
    • A combination of both external IDs and sys_ids

    In your request, you set a request flag ("use_external_code:true") that enables external ID support.

    Resolution
    For each configured reference field, the system attempts to resolve the external value to an internal sys_id.
    • Resolution is driven by context variable configuration.
    • If resolution fails and no sys_id is provided, the request fails.
    Account resolution using external identifiers
    Accounts are resolved using context variables rather than request payload fields.
    • External account identifiers are resolved before pricing execution.
    • Resolved account sys_ids are used internally for pricing execution.
    • Original external identifiers are retained for response construction.
    Pricing execution
    All downstream pricing logic runs only on resolved sys_ids. Pricing logic is unaware of whether the original value was an external code or a sys_id.
    Response construction
    The response reflects the identifiers provided in the request (external codes or sys_ids). Resolved sys_ids are not exposed to the caller.
    Error handling
    The system validates all reference identifiers during request processing. Common errors include the following scenarios:
    • External identifier does not exist in the reference table.
    • External code usage is enabled but no context variable mapping exists for an enabled field.
    • Neither a sys_id nor external code is provided.
    • Identifier value is not valid.

    Errors are reported at the line level and identify the failed line item. Error messages may vary depending on the configuration and validation context.

    If errors occur, verify the following items:
    • Context variable mappings
    • External identifier values
    • Request flag usage

    Context variable configuration and mapping

    As an admin, before submitting a REST API pricing request that uses external IDs, create the context variables that map to columns in selected ServiceNow reference tables. For more information, see Configure context variables for external IDs.