--- sourceDocument: Zurich ServiceNow AI Platform Administration sourceDocumentLink: https://www.servicenow.com/docs/r/zurich/platform-administration Release : - zurich ft:locale : - en-US ft:publication_title : - Zurich ServiceNow AI Platform Administration ft:clusterId : - platadm bundleId : - platadm workflow : - Platform --- # User record # The User record {#ariaid-title1} Release version: Zurich Updated July 31, 2025 ![](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 The User record User records in ServiceNow create a link between individuals and your ServiceNow instance. These records include essential details such as user name, password, contact information, location, and job title. All user records are stored in theUsers \[sysuser\]table, which serves as the foundation for managing user access and personalization within the platform. Show full answer Show less ## Key Features * **Roles:** Roles define access to application features and modules. It is recommended to simplify user administration by assigning roles to groups and then assigning users to those groups. * **Groups:** Groups are collections of users with a shared purpose. Assigning users to groups automatically grants them the roles associated with those groups, streamlining permission management. * **Delegates:** Users can be assigned as delegates, enabling them to act with the same permissions as the delegator user, which facilitates workload sharing and access control. * **Skills:** Skill management associates users with their training and expertise areas, supporting effective resource allocation and task assignment. * **Subscriptions:** Administrators control user access to purchased subscriptions via subscription management, ensuring appropriate licensing and feature availability. * **User Preferences:** Users can personalize their interface and notification settings. These preferences are linked to user accounts and can be administered centrally. * **System and Guest Users:** Automated processes use system or guest users to update certain fields on user records, such as login times and failed login attempts. Auditing can be enabled to track these changes for compliance and troubleshooting. ## Key Outcomes Understanding and managing user records effectively enables ServiceNow customers to control access, streamline user administration, personalize user experiences, and maintain security and compliance through audit tracking. Leveraging groups and roles reduces administrative overhead, while features like delegation and skill management enhance operational flexibility. Learn about user records and their use within the ServiceNow AI Platform. ## User account records {#user__section_ifn_gpz_5sb} User records establish a relationship between an individual and your ServiceNow instance. User records consist of a user name, a password, and information relating to the individual, such as contact information, location, and job title. Figure 1. User record User records are stored in the Users \[sys_user\] table. ## Related records {#user__section_u5p_gsg_vsb} User records are associated with records on several other tables to control permissions, preferences, and other features. Roles : Roles control access to features and capabilities in applications and modules. For more information on roles, see [Managing roles](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/6r4LSBiQYmzGhe1xhBdPRA "Administrators can create and configure roles that grant specific permissions, which govern what users and groups with that role can do."). Note: When possible, simplify user administration by assigning roles to groups. Create groups that contain all the roles necessary for specific personas, and then assign users to those groups. Groups : A group is a set of users who share a common purpose. Users assigned to groups are automatically assigned to all roles associated with that group. For more details, see [Creating groups](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/u8NQQgYmJxEg1LGWjpO0oA "Admins can add users to one or more groups.") and [Managing roles](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/6r4LSBiQYmzGhe1xhBdPRA "Administrators can create and configure roles that grant specific permissions, which govern what users and groups with that role can do."). Delegates : In addition to role and group assignments, users can be assigned as delegates, giving them permission to act with the same permissions as a delegator user. See [Delegating roles](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/0p5Yuo2YzQj1cTaRZqdZiw "Administrators can grant users the ability to assign roles within groups. However, these users can only assign roles that they already have.") for more information on delegation. Skills : Use skill management to associate users with their areas of training and expertise. For more information on skill management, see [Skill Management](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=skills-management&version=zurich&pubname=zurich-servicenow-platform&ft:locale=en-US). Subscriptions : Administrators use subscriptions to control which users have access to purchased subscriptions on their instances. Details on subscription management can be found at [Subscription Management](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/lSHq7ephLCMrPgP042xDaQ "Subscription Management enables you to proactively manage your subscriptions and monitor subscription usage on your instances."). User preferences : User accounts are also connected with user preferences. Users can save personalized preferences to configure many UI features, as well as preferences regarding the notifications they receive. Details on administering user preferences are found at [User preferences](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=c_UserPreferences&version=zurich&pubname=zurich-platform-user-interface&ft:locale=en-US). ## System and guest users {#user__system-guest-users} Some automated processes use the system or guest user to apply and track changes to records. As a result, some records may show that they were last updated by system or guest. For example, when a user logs in for the first time in a day, some fields on that user's record are updated by the system user, such as Last login and Last login time. If a user has a failed login attempt or is locked out, some fields on that user's record are updated by the guest user, such as Failed Login Attempts or Locked Out. If a record was last updated by the system or by guest users, identify the fields that were updated by enabling auditing for the table and viewing the audit history set. For more information, see [Configuring auditing for a table](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=t_EnableAuditingForATable&version=zurich&pubname=zurich-platform-security&ft:locale=en-US) and [Knowing about History sets](https://www.servicenow.com/docs/access?context=c_HistorySets&version=zurich&pubname=zurich-platform-security&ft:locale=en-US).