Solution configuration setup

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 4 minutes to read
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    Summary of Solution configuration setup

    Solution configuration enables CPQ administrators to manage multiple blueprints within a single configuration environment. This feature, which is off by default and must be enabled via a ServiceNow Support case, allows for the creation of configurable product actions with defined blueprints and data field mappings that facilitate data transfer between configurations.

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    This environment-level feature empowers administrators to independently deploy and update blueprints, segment configuration components logically, and reuse blueprints across multiple solutions, reducing duplication and maintenance overhead. End users benefit from a seamless experience navigating multiple configurations without relaunching CPQ, with capabilities such as cloning valid set-based child configurations, adding blank nodes, or removing nodes via the navigation sidebar.

    Key Features

    • Configurable Product Actions: New product actions that include blueprint definitions and field mappings for data exchange between configurations, with advanced actions requiring defined product IDs and blueprint fields outside scripts.
    • Independent Blueprint Deployment: Each blueprint can be deployed and updated independently, supporting granular control and reducing conflicts among teams.
    • Blueprint Reusability: Blueprints can be reused across multiple solutions or as standalone configurable products, minimizing duplication.
    • End User Experience: Users launch a root configurable product and add child configurations automatically via triggered rules; solution navigation displays all configurable products within the solution.
    • Node Cloning: Enables duplication of valid configuration nodes, including their field values, to streamline creating new configurations. Cloned nodes are fully independent from originals.
    • Field Mapping: Defines how data fields pass values between configurations on child creation or field changes. Mappings occur one level deep and must match field types.
    • Layout and BOM: Each solution component uses its blueprint layout; the root product’s layout controls the overall style. The bill of materials (BOM) shows items from the current and child configurations, with a full solution BOM accessible from the root.
    • Additional Configuration Options: Sets and product pickers facilitate handling large configuration volumes and lightly configurable products with customizable fields and bulk actions.

    Common Issues

    • Configurable product or blueprint not found, not deployed, or changed unexpectedly.
    • Field mapping errors due to type mismatches or unsupported fields like entire sets or product pickers.

    Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    Enabling solution configuration allows CPQ administrators to modularize and manage complex configurations more efficiently, improving collaboration and reducing errors. End users can navigate and manage complex product solutions without restarting their configuration sessions, enhancing productivity and user experience. The node cloning feature reduces repetitive data entry, saving time when creating similar configurations.

    Overall, this setup supports scalable, maintainable, and user-friendly product configuration processes aligned with enterprise needs.

    Solution configuration lets CPQ admins manage multiple blueprints in a single configuration. Configurable product actions include a blueprint definition and can pass data between configurations via defined fields.

    Solution configuration is an environment level feature that is off by default. To have it enabled in an environment, log a case with CPQ Support by using the ServiceNow Support portal. For step-by-step instructions, see Create a case on Now Support for CPQ (Logik.ai) Customers.

    Configurable product actions are a new type of product action that can be added to rules. They are similar to standard product actions, but have a blueprint defined and can include field mapping to pass data between configurations. Advanced configurable product actions require that the product ID and the blueprint fields are defined outside of the script.

    Benefits

    • For administrators:
      • Independent deployment: Each blueprint can be deployed independently, which allows for finer granularity when making changes or updates to a blueprint.
      • Separation of concerns: Administrators can segment out logical components from a configuration and allow different groups to work on blueprints without conflicting.
      • Blueprint reusability: Blueprints can be reused both as part of a solution, multiple solutions, or as an independently configurable product. This leads to less duplication when a blueprint is needed for multiple contexts and less overhead for maintenance.
    • For end users:
      • End users can seamlessly work through multiple configurations without needing to re-launch CPQ each time.
      • You can clone the child configuration if it is a set-based configuration. The original node in a set must be in the valid state. Cloned nodes are independent of the original edits to a cloned node do not affect the source node.
      • You can also add a blank node or remove node from the navigation sidebar.

    The end user experience

    • Launching a solution: Users launch the configurable product that they want to start from, just as they do normally. Whichever configurable product is launched becomes the root product for the solution.
    • Adding configurable products: When any of the defined rules that have a configurable product action are triggered, a new child configuration is created if a valid configurable product with a deployed blueprint is found.
    • When additional configurable products are added to the configuration, solution navigation becomes available and shows a list of the current configurable products, including the root configurable product.
    • Changing the condition of a configurable product action rule to false removes the configuration and configurable product, just as in a normal product action. This also removes changes to fields, products, nested children, or other items.
    • Viewing the bill of materials: When a configuration becomes a solution, the default product list component is hidden and replaced by the View Full Solution button in all configurations. In a solution, View Full Solution displays the entire solution BOM. Additional product lists added as tiers reflect only the currently selected configurable product and any of the child configurations below it.

    Potential errors with configurable product actions

    Errors related to configurable product actions may include the following:

    • The configurable product is not found
    • The configurable product does not have a blueprint associated with it
    • The configurable product does not have a deployed blueprint
    • The blueprint does not exist
    • The blueprint is not deployed
    • The blueprint has changed

    Field mapping

    Field mapping defines which fields have data passed to or from them. Field mapping happens on creation of a child configuration or when a mapped source field is changed. Fields are only mapped a single level, to continue the mapping define the mapped fields on each blueprint. Fields can only be mapped to the same type of field: text to text, number to number, and so on.

    Entire sets and product pickers cannot be mapped.

    Node cloning for solution configurations

    Node cloning lets you duplicate an existing, valid solution configuration node to use as the starting point for a new node. When you clone a node, both the fields and their values are copied — so you don't have to re-enter configuration data for each new node from scratch.

    Cloned nodes are fully independent of the original. Changes you make to a cloned node don't affect the source node, and changes to the source node don't affect the clone.

    Cloning is available from the solution configuration in a set using the navigation sidebar. A node must be in a valid state before you can clone it — this prevents incomplete configurations from being duplicated. When you clone a node that has a dependent set, a corresponding child node is created as part of the cloning operation.

    Layout

    Each solution component displays its own layout from the layouts associated with the current blueprint.

    When in a solution, the header, background style, buttons and product list display comes from the solution root layout that is defined in the root blueprint.

    The solution navigation sidebar automatically appears when additional configurable products are added during a configuration.

    Bill of materials (BOM)

    The bill of materials shows the items from the currently viewed configuration and any child configurations below. The entire solution BOM can be viewed at the solution root.

    The BOM hierarchy is still defined via the parent product and the unique identifier fields in product actions. It is independent of the solution hierarchy, and one does not necessarily reflect the other. A child configuration may add top level items to the bill of materials.

    Other options

    • Sets make it easy to handle large numbers of rows with potentially different configurations. They support cloning rows, while set repeater layout options provide visual similarity.
    • Product pickers work well with lightly configurable products and can be customized with additional fields and bulk actions.
    • Depending on the downstream system, making multiple independent configurations may provide more flexibility than a single solution configuration.