---
sourceDocument: Brazil ServiceNow AI Platform Administration
sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/platform-administration

 Release :

    - brazil

ft:locale :

    - en-US

ft:publication_title :

    - Brazil ServiceNow AI Platform Administration

ft:clusterId :

    - platadm

bundleId :

    - platadm

workflow :

    - Platform


---

# Journal field type

# Journal field type {#ariaid-title1}

Release version: Brazil  
Updated September 10, 2026  
![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 2 minutes to read
Summarize  
![AI sparkle icon](https://servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ai-sparkle-icon) 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 Journal field type

The Journal field type in ServiceNow comprises three variants---journal,journalinput, andjournallist---each designed to handle and display record-related comments and notes differently.
These fields are commonly used for tracking updates, comments, and work notes within records.
Show full answer Show less  

## Journal Field Types and Their Use

* **journal:** Allows user input, stores it, and displays all combined inputs below the input box. Entries from these fields appear in the activity stream on forms and list views, providing visibility across the record lifecycle.
* **journalinput:** Allows and stores input but does not display combined previous inputs. These entries are only visible within the individual record and do not appear in activity streams or list views, making them suitable for private or less prominent notes.
* **journallist:** Does not accept input directly but displays combined contents from one or more other journal fields it depends on. It merges entries chronologically and displays them in a separate block outside the activity stream, useful for consolidated views of multiple journal entries.

## Controlling Journal Entries in Notifications

Administrators can manage how many journal entries are included in email notifications using the **glide.email.journal.lines** system property. The property controls the count of journal entries, such as additional comments or work notes, included in notification emails. Setting this property to **-1** includes all journal entries, while the default value is typically **3**. This helps balance notification detail with email length.

## Working with Journal Fields in Scripts

To process journal entries programmatically, you can extract all entries into an array by retrieving the journal field content as a string and splitting it by double line breaks. This enables iteration over each journal entry for customized processing.

    var notes = current.worknotes.getJournalEntry(-1);var na = notes.split("\n\n");for (var i = 0; i < na.length; i++) gs.print(na[i]);

Note that the **setValue()** method is not supported for journal fields. Instead, you assign values directly to the journal field property in a GlideRecord object before updating. For example, adding a work note to multiple high-priority incidents can be done by setting the journal field value as a string and calling **update()**.

    var gr = new GlideRecord('incident');gr.addQuery('priority', 1);var gc = gr.addQuery('state', 1);gc.addOrCondition('state', 2);gr.query();while(gr.next()) { gs.print(gr.number); gr.worknotes = "This is a high-priority incident. Please prioritize."; gr.update();}

There are three types of journal field: journal, journal_list, and
journal_input.  
{#c_JournalFields__table_cgb_nt1_dr__entry__2}

| Journal field types | Description |
|-|-|
| journal | Allow and store input, and display the combined inputs below the input box. Journal fields display in the activity stream in the form and in the list view. |
| journal_input | Allow and store input, but do not display the combined inputs. Journal input fields only display with the record they are associated with, so they do not display in the activity stream on the list view. |
| journal_list | Do not allow or store input; they merely display the contents of other Journal fields upon which the journal_list field is dependent. If a journal_list field is dependent on more than one Journal field, it will chronologically interweave those fields' inputs. The journal_list field does not display content within the activity stream, but rather in a separate block. |
[Table 1. Journal field types]

{#c_JournalFields__table_cgb_nt1_dr} Figure 1. Journal fields on a form

The example image contains the three available journal field types. The first is a journal
field, with its inputs displayed below the field. The second is a journal input field, which
does not show its previous inputs. The third is Journal list field, which is configured to show
the input from the journal input field above it.

## Restricting journal entries sent in a notification {#c_JournalFields__section_rw2_ztt_w1b}

Administrators can control the number of journal entries notifications include with the
following system property.  
{#c_JournalFields__table_wj5_yw1_dr__entry__3}

| Property | Label | Description |
|-|-|-|
| glide.email.journal.lines | Number of journal entries (Additional comments, Work notes, etc.) included in email notifications (-1 means all). | Specifies the number of entries from a journal field (such as Additional comments and Work notes) included in email notifications. A value of -1 includes all journal entries. * Type: integer * Default value: 3 * Location: System Properties \> Email {#c_JournalFields__ul_ekw_cx1_dr} |
[ ]

{#c_JournalFields__table_wj5_yw1_dr}

## Code for getting the contents of a journal field into an array {#c_JournalFields__section_n1c_n5t_w1b}

To put the contents of a journal field into an array so that you can iterate through each
entry, you can use the code in this page.  

    var notes = current.work_notes.getJournalEntry(-1);
    //gets all journal entries as a string where each entry is delimited by '\n\n'
    var na = notes.split("\n\n");

    //stores each entry into an array of strings
     for (var i = 0; i < na.length; i++)                 
      gs.print(na[i]);

## Journal field script values {#c_JournalFields__section_az5_45t_w1b}

The setValue() method is not supported for journal fields. Instead, assign
values in script as in the following example.  

    var now_GR = new GlideRecord('incident');
     
    //query priority 1 incidents in the state of either 'new' or 'active'.
    gr.addQuery('priority', 1);
    var gc = gr.addQuery('state', 1);
    gc.addOrCondition('state', 2);
    gr.query();
     
    while(gr.next())
    {
     
    //print a list of the incident numbers updated
    gs.print(gr.number);
     
    //add an entry to the 'work notes' journal field for each incident
    gr.work_notes = "This is a high-priority incident. Please prioritize.";
    gr.update();
    }