---
sourceDocument: Australia Platform security
sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/platform-security

 Release :

    - australia

ft:locale :

    - en-US

ft:publication_title :

    - Australia Platform security

ft:clusterId :

    - psec

bundleId :

    - psec

workflow :

    - Platform


---

# Adaptive authentication

# Adaptive authentication {#ariaid-title1}

* Release version: Australia
* 
* Updated March 12, 2026
* 
* ![](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/portal-asset/ico-clock) 2 minutes to read

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## Summary of Adaptive Authentication

The Adaptive Authentication framework enables contextual authentication controls, allowing access to your ServiceNow instance based on specific criteria like IP address, user role, and user group.
This framework enhances security by evaluating authentication requests through policies that either allow or deny access based on defined conditions.
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## Key Features

* **Authentication Policies:** These evaluate requests and determine access based on conditions. For instance, an Allow Access Policy can restrict logins to trusted IP addresses associated with specific user roles.
* **Authentication Policy Contexts:** Policies are enforced during different stages of the login process: pre-authentication (before login screen) and post-authentication (after credential entry).
* **Filter Criteria:** Inputs like user role and IP range are used to verify authentication request requirements.
* **Authentication Properties:** Control the activation of adaptive authentication, enable debugging, and manage user messaging for blocked access.
* **REST API Access Policies:** Restrict access to inbound ServiceNow REST APIs using the adaptive authentication framework.
* **Domain Separation Support:** Adaptive authentication policies can be applied to domain-separated instances, affecting access at the domain level.
* **Adaptive Authentication Events:** Track events related to adaptive authentication for better monitoring and management.

## Key Outcomes

By implementing adaptive authentication, ServiceNow customers can ensure that only authorized users gain access to their instance, thereby enhancing security and minimizing unauthorized access. Custom messages can also be configured to improve user experience in the event of login failures.  
Use the Adaptive authentication policy framework to enforce contextual authentication
controls to the right users at the right time. Adaptive authentication uses authentication
policies to evaluate authentication requests and then either deny or allow access to your instance
based on the specified policy conditions.

Use adaptive authentication policies and contexts to restrict the access to your instance for users and APIs based on criteria like IP address, user role, and user group. You can configure the built-in authentication policies
according to your security requirements.

For example, an administrator can configure the Allow Access Policy to allow logins from users only within a trusted range of IP addresses and who are members of a specific role. When assigned to the
Post-authentication context, the access policy denies access from untrusted IP addresses.

To set a custom message in the language of your instance you need to add key, value pair in <kbd class="ph userinput">sys_ui_message.list</kbd> and update the <kbd class="ph userinput">sys_ui_message</kbd> record. When you login with an incorrect
password, the custom message in the preferred language is displayed.

## Adaptive authentication components {#adaptive-authentication__section_yfj_2fz_qpb}

Authentication policies

:   Authentication policies evaluate authentication requests based on the specified policy conditions and either allow or deny access depending on the output of policy conditions evaluation. For example, access is allowed
    only if all the policy conditions specified in Allow Access Policy evaluate to true.

    Authentication policies use information provided by filter criteria to compare against the policy's conditions to determine whether to grant access to the instance. For example, a filter criteria provides a user's IP
    address, and a policy condition determines whether this address is within the specific range before granting access. Learn more about authentication policies in [Authentication policies](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/wBAoFkQH4BOi6OfAkfJfZQ "Authentication policies evaluate authentication requests based on the specified policy conditions and either allow or deny access depending on the output of policy conditions evaluation. For example, access is allowed only if all the policy conditions specified in Allow Access Policy evaluate to true.").

Authentication policy contexts
:   Authentication policy contexts define how and when policies are enforced during the login process. The pre-authentication context executes before the user is shown a login screen. The post-authentication context executes
    after the user enters their credentials. To use a policy, it must be assigned to a policy context. For details on these contexts, see [Authentication policy contexts](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/0NUvigqMNrjQzghg~OU2ZA "Use authentication policy contexts to determine how and when your instance enforces authentication policies.").

Filter Criteria
:   Filter criteria (also called policy inputs) are used as inputs for policy conditions. Policy conditions use these inputs to verify and meet the requirements of authentication requests. These inputs provide information
    like user role, IP range, and identity provider. For more detail on filter criteria, see [Filter criteria](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/77vVqS1Bi0~JkUSjokHtZQ "Filter criteria (also called policy inputs) are used as inputs for policy conditions to verify and meet the requirements of an authentication request.").

Authentication properties
:   Use authentication properties to control whether adaptive authentication is active on your instance. You can also use properties to enabled debugging, and define the messaging users see when access is blocked. For details
    on these properties, see [Configure adaptive authentication properties](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/P_Qd9sd_0JZbD9LJXdNmKw "After activating adaptive authentication, configure adaptive authentication properties according to your security requirements.").

## REST API access policies {#adaptive-authentication__section_qgj_fwy_v4b}

You can use the filter criteria of adaptive authentication framework to restrict access to inbound ServiceNow REST APIs. For more information, see [REST API access policies](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/OYxiD5iSu4x1xeZ2kDjdOQ "REST API access policies allow you to restrict access to inbound REST APIs based on the authentication type and the specified filter criteria of the access policy.").

## Domain separation and adaptive authentication {#adaptive-authentication__section_yxq_vrt_qpb}

Adaptive authentication is supported on domain separated instances on the authentication policy condition level. Policy conditions affect the domain in the records Domain \[sys_domain\] field. Policy
conditions in the global domain affect all domains.

## Adaptive Authentication Events {#adaptive-authentication__section_mrc_byj_zbc}

You can use the adaptive authentication events table to know about the events that have occurred specific to the adaptive authentication feature. For more information, see [Adaptive authentication events](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/zYak_LrmmSomqx9SRGlVAQ "You can use the adaptive authentication events table to know about the events.").