Spotlight interactive analysis

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Spotlight interactive analysis

    Spotlight interactive analysis provides detailed insights into the key results of a Spotlight job within ServiceNow. It is accessed from a Spotlight Group record, enabling users to analyze records exceeding defined thresholds. This feature requires thepaspotlightoradminrole and depends on the existence of a Spotlight database view created for each Spotlight group.

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    Access and Requirements

    • Access via the Spotlight Group record by clicking the Launch Interactive Analysis link.
    • Requires paspotlight or admin roles; itil role is needed to view detailed table values.
    • Spotlight database views must be present; if missing, users with appropriate roles can generate them.
    • Using interactive analysis with tables other than incident requires a fully enabled Performance Analytics subscription.
    • Domain separation limits visibility to records within the user's domain.

    Key Features

    • Displays the number of Spotlight records and corresponding fact table records exceeding thresholds.
    • Identifies unassigned fact table records exceeding thresholds, indicated by missing Assigned To values.
    • Uses a database view joining Spotlight and fact table records, enabling creation of reports and dashboards.
    • Supports interactive filters based on common task attributes such as Priority, Opened date, Age, Assignment Group, and State for enhanced data exploration.
    • Filters must be created on the relevant Spotlight database view, requiring the admin role.
    • Reports and dashboards leveraging these views are available through Analytics and Reporting Spotlight Solutions.

    Sharing and Security

    • Interactive analysis can be shared via URL from the Filter Info panel.
    • Recipients must have the paspotlightviewer role to access shared analyses.

    Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    This feature empowers ServiceNow customers to:

    • Quickly identify and analyze records exceeding Spotlight thresholds for improved operational oversight.
    • Create customized reports and dashboards based on detailed Spotlight data to support decision-making.
    • Apply filters interactively to focus on relevant subsets of data such as priority or assignment group.
    • Maintain data security and access control through role-based permissions and domain separation.

    Spotlight interactive analysis shows the key results of a Spotlight job. Access the analysis from a Spotlight Group record.

    To open the Spotlight interactive analysis, open the Spotlight Group record for the group of interest and click the Launch Interactive Analysis related link. The pa_spotlight or admin role is necessary.
    Note:
    Interactive analysis uses the Spotlight database view. Spotlight creates the database view for each Spotlight group when you create the group. If the database view is missing, a warning appears. If you have the pa_spotlight or admin roles, a link also appears for generating a database view. For more information, see Spotlight database views.

    Using interactive analysis with any table other than incident requires fully enabled, subscription version of Performance Analytics. See Activating your Performance Analytics subscription.

    Interactive Analysis contains the following information:
    • The number of Spotlight records. This value is also the number of corresponding fact table records that exceeded the Spotlight Group threshold.
    • The number of unassigned facts table records that exceeded the Spotlight threshold. These records have no value in the Assigned To column.
    • The database view that joins the Spotlight table with the facts table of the main indicator. Each row of this view shows the columns from a Spotlight record and the corresponding facts table record.
      Note:
      • If a user cannot see the values in this table, ensure that they have the itil role.
      • If domain separation is enabled, a user can only see Spotlights records for corresponding fact table records that are included in their domains.
      • You can create reports by using this database view as a data source. You can include these reports in dashboards. Each of the Analytics and Reporting Spotlight Solutions includes such a dashboard and reports.

      For more information, see Spotlight database views.

    You can apply interactive filters to the analysis. The following filters are available, for facts tables with the matching columns:
    • The Priority of the facts table record (tasks only)
    • When the record was Opened
    • The Age of the record
    • The Assignment Group (tasks only)
    • The State that the record is in
    For information about adding or removing any of these filters, see Add a filter to Interactive Analysis and Remove a filter from Interactive Analysis.
    Note:
    If you create an interactive filter for a Spotlight interactive analysis, the filter must be created on top of the relevant Spotlight database view. The admin role is necessary to access the database view. If you do not have this role, contact your system administrator.

    To share the interactive analysis, share the URL from the Filter Info. The user with whom you share the interactive analysis must have the pa_spotlight_viewer role. For more information about the Filter Info, see Interactive Analysis information panel.