Getting started with the Automated Test Framework

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 3 minutes to read
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    Summary of Getting started with the Automated Test Framework

    The Automated Test Framework (ATF) in ServiceNow is designed to help you create, run, and manage automated tests to validate your instance configurations and applications. This guide introduces you to the framework's capabilities, starting with basic test creation and progressing to more advanced features. ATF supports comprehensive testing scenarios, enabling you to efficiently verify functionality and maintain quality across your ServiceNow environment.

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    Key Features

    • Test Step Configuration Categories: ATF offers a variety of pre-built test step categories to cover diverse testing needs:
      • Service Catalog in Service Portal: End-to-end testing of catalog items, record producers, order guides, including variable and price validation, navigation, and ordering processes.
      • Application Navigator: Validates the presence and navigation of application menus and modules in the left navigation bar.
      • Custom UI: Allows simple user action simulations like setting component values, clicking, and validating text and component states without scripting.
      • Form Testing: Enables testing of forms by opening records, setting and validating field values and states, interacting with UI actions, and submitting forms.
      • Service Catalog: Similar to Service Portal catalog testing but focused on the standard Service Catalog interface.
      • Forms in Service Portal: Tests forms within the Service Portal, including field interactions and UI actions.
      • REST: Supports creating and sending inbound REST requests, verifying responses, and testing REST endpoints for CRUD operations.
      • Server: Facilitates complex operations such as unit testing JavaScript using Jasmine, testing business rules, script includes, and manipulating test data.
    • Output Variables: Many test steps produce output variables that can be reused as inputs in subsequent steps. This enables chained operations such as creating a record and then accessing it as a different user within the same test.
    • Custom Test Step Configurations: You can define custom server-side test steps with inputs and outputs to extend the framework’s capabilities. However, custom steps cannot run in the browser.
    • Data Preservation: ATF automatically tracks test-generated data and ensures it is deleted or rolled back after tests complete, preserving instance integrity.
    • Test Suites: Tests can be grouped into suites that run in a specified order. Suites can be nested, scheduled, and managed to orchestrate complex testing workflows.
    • Domain Separation Support: ATF supports domain separation, allowing you to test data and operations within logical domains and control access accordingly.

    Practical Application for ServiceNow Customers

    As a ServiceNow customer, ATF enables you to automate testing processes, reducing manual effort and increasing reliability of your instance configurations. Starting with simple tests like creating a user record helps build confidence before advancing to complex scenarios involving REST APIs, catalog orders, or server-side scripts. The framework’s built-in data cleanup ensures tests do not pollute your environment. Using test suites and scheduling facilitates continuous testing and integration efforts.

    By leveraging ATF, you can efficiently validate functionality after updates, customizations, or integrations, ensuring your ServiceNow instance operates as expected and meets business requirements.

    If you are new to the Automated Test Framework, read this overview to learn what the framework can do. Next, follow the tutorial to create and run a test that uses the most basic of ATF features. After you feel comfortable with the basics, explore more advanced features provided by the ATF.

    ATF features provide flexibility in how you test your instance.

    Test step configuration categories

    Category Description
    Service Catalog in Service Portal Perform end-to-end testing for a catalog item in the Service Portal.
    • Open a record producer, catalog item, or order guide.
    • Set variable values and catalog item quantity.
    • Validate variable values, states, price, and items included in an order guide.
    • Navigate in an order guide.
    • Open and toggle catalog items in an order guide.
    • Add an item or an order guide to a shopping cart.
    • Order a catalog item or an order guide.
    • Submit a record producer.
    Application Navigator Create tests to check navigation features.
    • Verify that application menus are listed in the left navigation bar.
    • Verify that application modules are listed in the left navigation bar.
    • Navigate to a module as if a user clicked the module in the left navigation bar.
    Custom UI Create simple tests that mimic user actions with no scripting.
    • Set component values.
    • Assert that specified text is or is not on a page.
    • Validate component values.
    • Click components.
    • Validate the states of components (read-only or not read-only).
    Form Create tests of forms.
    • Open a new form or an existing record.
    • Set field values.
    • Validate field values or field states (such as mandatory, not mandatory, read only, not read only, visible, and not visible).
    • Validate whether a UI action is visible.
    • Click a button on a modal page.
    • Click a UI action.
    • Submit a form.
    Service Catalog Perform end-to-end testing for a catalog item.
    • Open a catalog item or a record producer.
    • Search for a catalog item.
    • Set variable values and catalog item quantity.
    • Validate variable values, states, and price.
    • Add an item to a shopping cart.
    • Order a catalog item.
    • Submit a record producer.
    Forms in Service Portal Create tests of forms in the Service Portal.
    • Open a form.
    • Set field values.
    • Validate field values or field states (such as mandatory, not mandatory, read only, not read only, visible, and not visible).
    • Validate whether a UI action is visible.
    • Click a UI action.
    • Submit a form.
    REST Create and send an Inbound REST request and verify the response.
    • Test any REST endpoint on the instance.
    • Use a REST request to create records, as well as retrieve, update, or delete records created in a previous test step or that already existed on the instance.
    • Verify the response status code, response headers, response time, and response payload.
    Server Perform more complex operations, including the following:
    • Perform unit tests using JavaScript, including tests using the Jasmine test framework.
    • Test business rules, script includes, and other scripts.
    • Create tests that operate on data that you define.

    Output variables

    Many test steps return output variables whose values you can use as inputs to a later step. For example, you can use output variables to accomplish the following tasks:
    • Perform a server-side assert on a record that you previously inserted.
    • Create a record as one user, and then reopen its form as a different user.

    Custom test step configurations

    In addition to the steps built into the Automated Test Framework, you can create custom test step configurations. These custom steps can take input variables and return output variables that you define.
    Note:
    You can only define custom test steps that run on the server. The Automated Test Framework does not support creating custom step configurations that run on the browser.

    Data preservation

    The Automated Test Framework automatically tracks and deletes any data created by running tests, and automatically rolls back changes after testing.

    Test suites

    Test suites enable you to execute a batch of tests in a specified order. In addition, test suites can be hierarchical, with suites nested within other suites. You can associate test suites with schedules that determine when the system runs the test suites.