Certification templates

  • Release version: Zurich
  • Updated July 31, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Certification Templates

    Certification templates in ServiceNow define the expected attributes, relationships, and reference field values of records for auditing purposes. They allow users to conduct audits on specific records based on selected filters and set conditions that indicate the target state of those records.

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    Key Features

    • Audit Types: Each certification template is assigned an Audit type based on its originating application, influencing the available tables and conditions.
    • Role-Based Access: Users with the certificationadmin role can create, update, and delete templates, while users with the certification role can only view template versions.
    • Condition Builders: Different audit types offer various condition builders, including:
      • Compliance: Audits on any ServiceNow records with conditions for attributes and related lists.
      • Architecture Compliance: Specific to Configuration Items (CIs), focusing on physical attributes and related lists.
      • Desired State: Conditions for CIs, including attributes, CI relationships, user relationships, and group relationships.
    • Templates List: The default Templates list shows only active versions, while all versions can be accessed by adjusting the filter settings.

    Key Outcomes

    By utilizing certification templates, ServiceNow customers can effectively manage and audit their records, ensuring compliance and maintaining desired states for their configurations. This functionality enhances the ability to monitor and correct discrepancies in service management processes.

    Certification templates can define attributes, relationships, and reference field values that indicate what a record is expected to contain.

    These values are used to perform audits on ServiceNow records. The certification filter selected in the template identifies the table and records to audit, and the template conditions set the expected state for those records. The type of audit you create determines which tables and template conditions are available.

    Users with the certification_admin role can create, update, and delete templates. Users with the certification role can view template versions.

    Certification template audit types

    When you create a template, ServiceNow assigns an Audit type that determines which tables and conditions are available in the certification template. This value is based on the application from which the template is created. Each application lists only the templates with the associated type.

    Available Condition Builders

    The available condition builders for each audit type:
    • Compliance: Runs audits on any set of ServiceNow records, not only configuration items (CI). This audit type provides the following types of conditions for any ServiceNow table:
      • Attribute: Sets conditions for the attributes of the records.
      • Related List: Runs audits on records in tables that reference the table defined in the template.
    • Architecture Compliance: Defines the following types of conditions for tables that extend the Configuration Item [cmdb_ci] table.
      • Attribute: Sets conditions for physical attributes of CIs, such as memory or disk size.
      • Related List: Runs audits on records in tables that reference the table defined in the template.
    • Desired State: Defines the following types of conditions for tables that extend the Configuration Item [cmdb_ci] table.
      • Attribute: Sets conditions for physical attributes of CIs, such as memory or disk size.
      • CI relationship: Defines the relationships these CIs have with other CIs. An example of a relationship is a business service, such as Outlook Web Access, that depends on a server.
      • User relationship: Defines the user who reviewed the log records. The only operator available with this condition builder.
      • Group relationship: Defines user groups who backed up this CI. The only operator available with this condition builder.
      • Related List: Runs audits on records in tables that point toward the table defined in the template.

    Certification Template Record List

    The default Templates list displays only the active version of each template, but you can update the breadcrumbs to display all template versions.
    • Default Templates List: The default Templates list displays only the active version of each template, filtered by Audit type.
    • All Template Versions: To view all template versions for an audit type, click the arrow before Active=true to remove that condition from the breadcrumbs. Breadcrumbs.