Configuring service definitions

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Configuring service definitions

    ServiceNow enables system administrators to configure service definitions that represent the services offered to customers to support products. These definitions establish connections between products, case types, playbooks, catalog items, and other features, helping customers request appropriate services and agents to manage cases effectively.

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    Key Features

    • Create service definitions: Define the services provided to support specific products.
    • Associate products with services: Link products to their relevant service definitions.
    • Associate case types: Define the case resolution processes linked to each service.
    • Associate playbooks: Attach step-by-step guidance for resolving cases, including configuring playbook record generator views for case creation.
    • Configure access criteria: Set user criteria (e.g., roles, assignment groups) and customer criteria (e.g., location, customer level) to restrict service availability appropriately.
    • Set default field values: Configure default values for fields in service-related records to streamline case creation.
    • Configure catalog items: Enable end users to request services through service portal catalog items and record producers.
    • Associate related services: Build parent-child relationships between service definitions for complex service structures.
    • Link service organizations: Associate organizations that offer the configured services.
    • Manage service definition categories: Create and assign categories to organize service definitions logically.
    • Update Case interceptor: Add new case types to the Case interceptor so agents can select them when creating customer service cases.

    Practical Benefits for ServiceNow Customers

    By configuring service definitions, administrators can clearly define and organize the services available to customers, ensuring accurate service requests and streamlined case management. Restricting service access via user and customer criteria helps maintain security and relevance. Associating playbooks and case types guides agents through consistent resolution processes. Additionally, catalog item configuration enhances customer self-service capabilities through the service portal.

    Create service definitions for the types of services required to support your products. Associate different features such as case types, playbooks, and record producers with service definitions so that customers can request the services they need and agents can create cases of the right type to support those services.

    System administrators can use the service definitions feature to define the services that are offered to customers and connect those services to products, case types, playbooks, and catalog items.
    Table 1. Service definition configuration tasks
    Task Description
    Create a service definition Create a definition for a service that's offered to support a product.
    Associate a product with a service definition Configure the relationship between a product and service.
    Associate a case type with a service definition A case type defines the case resolution process for a service definition.
    Associate a playbook with a service definition A playbook provides step-by-step guidance for resolving a specific type of case. Defining a playbook record generator view enables case creation for a requested service.
    Configure user criteria for a service definition Configure user criteria for a service definition that restricts access to the service. Associate user-specific criteria such as role, assignment group, or specific user with a service definition to determine which users can access and use that service to create a case.
    Configure customer criteria for a service definition Configure customer criteria for a service definition that restricts access to the service. Associate customer-specific criteria such as location, customer level, or verified status with a service definition to determine which customers are eligible for that service.
    Configure default field values for a service definition Configure default values for fields in a service definition's target table. When a record is created for this table, the system uses these values to auto populate record fields.
    Configure catalog items for a service definition End users can select a catalog item from the service portal and use the record producer to create the service request.
    Configure related services for a service definition Associate one or more related services with a service definition to create parent-child relationships between service definitions. For example, you can create service definitions for case tasks and associate them with a service definition for a case type.
    Associate service organizations with a service After creating a service definition, you can associate service organizations offering service with a service organization.
    Create a service definition category Create a category for service definitions. You can use these categories to create logical groupings of service definitions.
    Associate service definitions with a category Add service definitions to a category. A category can have one or more associated service definitions and a service definition can belong to multiple categories.
    Add a case type to the Case interceptor In the Core UI, the Case interceptor lists the types of customer service cases that an agent can create. If you create a case type and you want that case type to appear in the Case interceptor, you need to add it to the Case interceptor configuration.