Editing maps in Unified Map

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 4 minutes to read
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    Summary of Editing maps in Unified Map

    The Unified Map editor in ServiceNow allows you to visually manage Configuration Items (CIs) and their relationships within the CMDB. You can add existing CIs to a map, modify or delete CI relationships, and temporarily remove (hide) CIs from the map without deleting their records from the CMDB. This editing capability helps you maintain and understand CI connections effectively while preserving data integrity.

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    Key Features

    • Map Editing Controls: Use the context menu, Attributes icon, Add CI icon, and Manage relationship icon to select, add, or modify CIs and their relationships.
    • Adding CIs: Only CIs that exist in the CMDB can be added. Newly added CIs must have a connection path to the home node to be saved to the map.
    • Removing (Hiding) CIs: You can only remove CIs added during the current editing session before saving; CIs initially on the map cannot be removed. Removing a CI deletes its relationship records but not the CI record itself.
    • Editing Connections: You can add, modify, or delete relationships between CIs. Deleting a connection removes it from the map and, upon saving, from the CMDB relationship table.
    • Island Branches: When CIs lose all connection paths to the home node, they become isolated "island branches" and are hidden on save, though their records remain in the CMDB.
    • Role Requirements: You must have either the sncmdbadmin or sncmdbeditor role to use the map editor.
    • Editing Session Management: The map editor highlights the active editing state, allows undoing unsaved changes with a reset icon, and requires exiting to use timeline and map controls.

    Important Considerations and Limitations

    • Deleting connections may cause orphaned CIs, triggering warnings and potentially invalid CMDB states.
    • The map editor does not support editing mapped application services, adding or deleting CI records themselves, or managing endpoint/reference connections.
    • You cannot remove CIs that have reference or endpoint connections or update applicative flow relationship types.

    Practical Impact for ServiceNow Customers

    With the Unified Map editor, you can efficiently manage CI relationships visually without risking accidental deletion of CI records. This ensures CMDB integrity while enabling precise updates to relationships and map views. Understanding limitations helps prevent unsupported actions that could lead to inconsistent CMDB states. The editor’s role-based access and session controls provide secure, controlled editing workflows, making it easier to maintain an accurate and useful CMDB topology.

    While you work in the map editor, you can add a CI to the map and remove (hide) a CI from the map. Removing a CI node from a map deletes the records of the CI relationships, but does not delete the CI record from the CMDB. You can also add, modify, and delete CI relationships in the CMDB.

    Actions you can take in the map editor

    You can perform the following actions in the map editor:
    • Select and hold (or right-click) a CI, relationship, or anywhere in the map to open a context menu.
    • Select the Attributes icon to manage CIs and relationships.
    • Select the Add CI icon to add an existing CI and its existing relationships to the map.
    • Select a relationship or CI and then select the Manage relationship icon to add, update, or delete relationships.
    • You can remove (hide) a CI from the map only if you added it during the current editing session and have not yet saved the map. You can't remove a CI that was on the map when you started the editing session. Select Remove for a CI to delete the CMDB records for all relationships to and from the CI. The CI is removed from the map, but the CI record isn’t deleted from the CMDB. For more information, see Delete a connection using the map editor

    Working in the map editor

    • You must have either the sn_cmdb_admin or sn_cmdb_editor role to use the map editor.
    • Before editing a map, prepare it to optimize your experience. Use filters and levels to display the minimum set of CIs to work on. Minimizing the map makes it easier to understand and control the effects of changes that you make.
    • To edit a map, select the edit map icon . A thick blue outline on the map indicates that the map editor is active.
    • While you work in the map editor, no changes are made to the CMDB until you select Save.
    • During an editing session, related items and associate badges are not shown on the map.
    • At any time, select the reset icon to undo all unsaved changes.
    • End an editing session by selecting Exit. You must exit the editor to access the timeline and controls (search, filter, zoom, and so on).

    Adding a CI to or removing a CI from the map

    • You can view an existing CI on the map to enable you to create, modify, or delete its connections.
    • You can add only CIs that have existing records in the CMDB.
    • If you try add a CI that already has a connection to another CI on the map, the map re-centers and the CI is highlighted. In some cases, due to filter settings, the CI isn't displayed.
    • An added CI appears on the map but its CMDB record isn't changed unless you change the CI connections and save the changes. After you add a CI, it can be saved to the map only if it has a path (direct or indirect) to the home node.
    • You can remove (hide) a CI from the map only if you added it during the current editing session and have not yet saved the map. You can't remove a CI that was on the map when you started the editing session. When you remove (hide) a CI from the map, the record of the CI in the CMDB is not deleted. In contrast, connection records for a removed CI are affected as described in Deleting a connection.
    • When you delete all connections between one CI and another CI so that no connection path remains to the home node, the isolated CI and all of its downstream connections are considered an island branch. When you save, changes that you made to downstream connections are saved and the island branch CI is removed from the map (hidden). The CI record is not, however, removed from the CMDB.

    Creating or modifying a connection (relationship or reference) between CIs

    Use the map editor to add a connection between two CIs or to modify an existing connection.

    To learn more, see CI relationships in the CMDB.

    Deleting a connection

    Warning:
    Deleting a connection might result in an invalid CMDB state. Attempting to save a map that includes an orphan CI generates a warning.

    Connections that are not editable are dimmed and view-only.

    • When you delete a connection, the connection is removed from the map (hidden). The relationship is deleted from the [cmdb_ci_rel] table only when you save your changes.

    • When you delete all connections between one CI and another CI so that no connection path remains to the home node, the isolated CI and all of its downstream connections are considered an island branch. When you save, changes that you made to downstream connections are saved and the island branch CI is removed from the map (hidden). The CI record is not, however, removed from the CMDB.
    • When you delete all connections to and from a CI and save the change, the following actions occur:
      • The records of all relationships — both upstream to and downstream from — the CI are deleted from the CMDB [cmdb_ci_rel] table.
      • The CI is removed from the map (hidden).
      • The record of the CI in the CMDB is not deleted.

    Limitations

    The map editor does not support the following actions:
    • Editing mapped application services (service instances).
    • Deleting a CI record from or adding a CI record to the CMDB.
    • Attempting to save a map that includes an orphan CI generates a warning.
    • Adding endpoint CIs to or removing endpoint CIs from the map.
    • Deleting reference or endpoint connections or removing from the map a CI that has reference or endpoint connections.
    • Updating the applicative flow relationship type (connection between endpoint CIs).