Data sources for data visualizations

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Data sources for data visualizations

    In ServiceNow, each workspace data visualization is linked to a specific data source. These data sources define where and how the data is collected, structured, and analyzed to create meaningful visual insights. Understanding the different types of data sources available helps you select the right one for your visualization needs and ensures accurate and actionable reporting.

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    Key Data Sources

    • Table (Base system): Represents collections of database records with rows as records and columns as fields. Commonly used for direct data access and filtering by fields when configuring visualizations.
    • Indicator (Base system): Also known as Key Performance Indicators (KPIs), these track changes over time using aggregations and conditions, enabling trend analysis and forecasting. Indicators support breakdowns (qualitative filters such as priority or category) to refine insights.
    • Usage Insights (Activated by default but requires an additional application): Provides usage analytics for web applications, Virtual Agent, mobile, and Service Portal. Helps visualize metrics and interactions to enhance user experience. Requires the Usage Insights in PAR Integration app from the ServiceNow Store.
    • MetricBase (Subscription required): Stores and analyzes time-series data sampled at regular intervals, suited for IoT and machine-generated data. Enables graphing and automation through Flow Designer triggers. Activation requires ServiceNow personnel.
    • Workflow Data Fabric (Base system): Offers browsing and connection to external data sources through data fabric tables, which appear alongside other tables for visualization. Facilitates integration of external data into ServiceNow visualizations.
    • Health Log Analytics (Subscription required): Focuses on proactive IT issue prevention by enabling log triage and raw data analysis to identify root causes. Visualization creation and editing are done exclusively in UI Builder, not in the standard Platform Analytics tools.

    Practical Implications for ServiceNow Customers

    ServiceNow customers can leverage these diverse data sources to tailor their visualizations according to their operational and analytical requirements. Base system sources like Tables and Indicators offer foundational data access and trend analysis. For enhanced user experience insights, Usage Insights is available with an additional app. For specialized needs such as IoT or log analytics, MetricBase and Health Log Analytics provide advanced capabilities but require subscriptions and activation by ServiceNow.

    Understanding these sources ensures you select the appropriate data foundation for your visualizations, enabling more accurate monitoring, forecasting, and decision-making across your ServiceNow environment.

    Each workspace data visualization references a specific data source.

    Data source Available in Description
    Table Base system A Table data source is a collection of database records that together constitute the current state of your data. The rows of the table correspond to records and the columns correspond to fields. You often choose both table and field, or you group data by fields, when you configure a data visualization. Configured report sources appear in the Predefined conditions list when you choose to filter table data.
    Indicator Base system An indicator, also called a key performance indicator (KPI), is a record of the changes to your table data over a period of time. You use indicators to determine trends and forecast the future. Indicators apply an aggregation and conditions to the data. For example, the indicator Number of open incidents applies the Count aggregation to the Incident table, resulting in a number of incidents. It also applies the conditions that the State of the incidents must not be Closed or Canceled, and the Active field must be True.

    Indicators often have breakdowns applied. A breakdown is a qualitative property for filtering the indicator scores. For example, for incident data, the priority, category, and assignment group for the incident are all commonly applied breakdowns.

    For more information, see Performance Analytics indicators.
    Usage Insights Activated by default. However, to include Usage Insights data sources in your visualizations, you need the Usage Insights in PAR Integration application from the ServiceNow® Store. The ServiceNow® Usage Insights application provides dashboard views for monitoring usage analytics of your web applications as well as Virtual Agent, ServiceNow mobile, and Service Portal applications. Visualize metrics and interactions to better understand the user experience, and create more intuitive journeys for your users.

    For more general information about Usage Insights, see User Experience Analytics. For more information specific to data visualizations, see User Experience Analytics data sources for data visualizations.
    MetricBase Requires a separate subscription and must be activated by ServiceNow personnel. The MetricBase application stores time-series data, which is data that is sampled at regular intervals. You can graph the stored data or use it with triggers to execute Flow Designer flows. MetricBase helps developers working with IoT-based applications that monitor or act on large amounts of machine-generated data. For more information, see MetricBase.
    Workflow Data Fabric Base system Workflow Data Fabric Hub provides a view where you can browse data sources, establish connections, and create data fabric tables that provide access to data from external sources. Workflow Data Fabric tables are found in the same list as other tables when you create a visualization. For more information, see Workflow Data Fabric.
    Health Log Analytics Requires a separate subscription and must be activated by ServiceNow personnel.

    The Health Log Analytics application helps prevent IT issues before your users are affected. It helps you identify the root cause of an issue by enabling you to triage related logs and analyze the raw data. For more information, see Health Log Analytics.

    Note:
    You can create and edit data visualizations for Health Log Analytics only in the UI Builder, not in the Platform Analytics Visualization Designer or in dashboards.