ServiceNow glossary
Your ServiceNow guide to the most important AI platform terms, from CMDB and RITM to Business Rules and Now Assist. Written by the consultants of Sequal Consultancy.
A
- ACLFull guideSecurity & Access
- Access Control List rules that decide who can read, write, create or delete records and fields, based on roles, conditions and scripts.Read the full guide to ACL
- AI AgentsProducts & AI
- Autonomous AI helpers on the Now Platform that can plan and carry out multi-step tasks, such as triaging incidents, under human oversight.
- App Engine StudioDevelopment
- A low-code environment for building custom applications with guided tools for data, logic and experiences, suited to citizen developers.
- ApprovalRequests & Portals
- A record asking a person or group to approve or reject something, like a request or change. Approvals can be sent and answered by email or mobile.
- Assignment GroupIT Service Management
- The team responsible for working a task, such as Network or Service Desk. Records are usually routed to a group first, then to an individual.
- Assignment RuleIT Service Management
- A rule that automatically sets the assignment group or assignee on a task based on conditions like category or location.
- Automated Test FrameworkDevelopment
- ATF lets you build automated tests for forms, catalog items and scripts, then rerun them after every upgrade to catch regressions.
B
- Business RuleFull guideDevelopment
- A server-side script that runs when a record is displayed, inserted, updated, deleted or queried. Used to enforce logic in the database layer.Read the full guide to Business Rule
- Business ServiceCMDB & ITOM
- A service that the business consumes, such as “Online payments,” mapped to the applications and infrastructure that deliver it.
C
- CABIT Service Management
- Change Advisory Board: the group that reviews and approves higher-risk changes. ServiceNow’s CAB Workbench helps schedule and run these meetings.
- Catalog ItemRequests & Portals
- A single orderable item in the service catalog, with its own questions (variables), approvals and fulfillment flow.
- Catalog Task (SCTASK)Requests & Portals
- A unit of fulfillment work for a requested item, assigned to a team, such as “Image laptop” or “Ship to user.”
- Change RequestFull guideIT Service Management
- A formal record to add, modify or remove something that could affect IT services. Change management balances speed with risk.Read the full guide to Change Request
- CI ClassCMDB & ITOM
- The type of a configuration item, defined by a table such as cmdb_ci_server. Classes form a hierarchy so a Linux server inherits from server, which inherits from computer.
- CI RelationshipCMDB & ITOM
- A link between two CIs, such as “Runs on” or “Depends on.” Relationships let ServiceNow show what breaks when something fails.
- Client ScriptFull guideDevelopment
- JavaScript that runs in the user’s browser on a form, such as onLoad, onChange or onSubmit, to validate or adjust fields as people type.Read the full guide to Client Script
- CMDBFull guideCMDB & ITOM
- Configuration Management Database: the central record of your IT environment (servers, apps, devices) and how they connect. It powers impact analysis across ServiceNow.Read the full guide to CMDB
- Configuration Item (CI)CMDB & ITOM
- Any component tracked in the CMDB, such as a server, database, application or network device.
- CSDMFull guideCMDB & ITOM
- Common Service Data Model: ServiceNow’s standard blueprint for structuring CMDB data, from business capabilities down to technical services.Read the full guide to CSDM
- Customer Service ManagementProducts & AI
- CSM connects customer service with the teams that fix issues, with cases, customer portals and agent workspaces.
D
- DashboardUser Experience
- A page of reports and indicators that gives an at-a-glance view of performance, such as open incidents by priority.
- DictionaryPlatform
- The system’s catalog of every table and field definition, stored in sys_dictionary. Admins use it to change field length, defaults, mandatory settings and more.
- DiscoveryFull guideCMDB & ITOM
- An ITOM tool that scans your network and cloud accounts to find devices and software and keeps the CMDB up to date automatically.Read the full guide to Discovery
- Domain SeparationPlatform
- A way to partition data and processes within one instance so different customers or business units only see their own records. Common for managed service providers.
- Dot-walkingPlatform
- Following reference fields to reach data on related records, written with dots: caller_id.manager.email. It works in filters, reports, scripts and forms.
E
- Emergency ChangeIT Service Management
- A change that must be made urgently, usually to fix a major incident, with an accelerated approval path.
- Employee CenterRequests & Portals
- ServiceNow’s modern employee portal that brings IT, HR, facilities and other departments into one destination with personalized content.
- Encoded QueryPlatform
- A compact text version of a filter, such as active=true^priority=1. You can copy it from any list and reuse it in scripts, URLs and reports.
- Event ManagementCMDB & ITOM
- Collects alerts from monitoring tools, removes noise, groups related alerts and can create incidents automatically.
F
- Family ReleasePlatform
- ServiceNow ships two major platform releases a year, named alphabetically (for example Washington DC, Xanadu, Yokohama, Zurich). Upgrading keeps your instance supported and unlocks new features.
- FieldPlatform
- A single column on a table, such as Short description or Priority. Fields have a type (string, reference, date, choice and so on) that controls how they behave.
- Flow DesignerFull guideAutomation & Integration
- ServiceNow’s low-code tool for automating processes with triggers and actions in plain language, replacing most legacy workflows.Read the full guide to Flow Designer
- FormPlatform
- The screen that shows one record with its fields, sections and related lists. Admins arrange forms with Form Layout and Form Design.
G
- GlideAjaxDevelopment
- A way for client scripts to call a script include on the server and get data back without reloading the page.
- GlideRecordFull guideDevelopment
- The main server-side API for querying and changing records in scripts, for example finding all active P1 incidents and updating them.Read the full guide to GlideRecord
- GroupSecurity & Access
- A set of users, used for assignment, approvals and granting roles to many people at once.
H
- HR Service DeliveryProducts & AI
- ServiceNow’s HR product for handling employee questions, cases and life events like onboarding through HR cases and the Employee Center.
I
- ImpersonationSecurity & Access
- Lets an admin temporarily act as another user to test what that person sees, without knowing their password. Every impersonation is logged.
- Import SetAutomation & Integration
- A staging table that holds data loaded from a file or external source before it is transformed into target tables.
- IncidentFull guideIT Service Management
- An unplanned interruption or reduction in quality of a service, like “email is down.” The goal of incident management is to restore service as fast as possible.Read the full guide to Incident
- InstancePlatform
- Your company’s own copy of ServiceNow, reached at a URL like yourcompany.service-now.com. Most organizations have several: production, test and development.
- Instance ScanDevelopment
- Runs automated checks against your configuration to find upgrade risks, performance issues and departures from best practices.
- Integrated Risk ManagementProducts & AI
- Now known as Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC). It manages policies, risks, controls and audits on the same platform as IT.
- IntegrationHubFull guideAutomation & Integration
- Adds prebuilt connectors and actions to Flow Designer so flows can work with other systems like Microsoft Teams, Jira or Azure without custom code.Read the full guide to IntegrationHub
- IRECMDB & ITOM
- Identification and Reconciliation Engine: the rules that stop duplicate CIs by matching incoming data to existing records and deciding which source wins.
- IT Asset ManagementCMDB & ITOM
- Tracks the financial and contractual lifecycle of IT assets, from purchase to retirement, including Hardware Asset Management and Software Asset Management.
- ITILIT Service Management
- A widely used framework of best practices for IT service management. ServiceNow’s ITSM processes are built around ITIL concepts.
- ITOMCMDB & ITOM
- IT Operations Management: products that discover infrastructure, map services, monitor events and automate operations.
- ITSMIT Service Management
- IT Service Management, ServiceNow’s flagship product. It covers how IT handles incidents, problems, changes and requests, aligned with ITIL practices.
K
- Knowledge ArticleIT Service Management
- A single published piece of content in a knowledge base, such as a how-to or FAQ. Articles follow a lifecycle: draft, review, published, retired.
- Knowledge BaseFull guideIT Service Management
- A collection of articles that help people solve issues themselves or help agents resolve tickets faster. Each knowledge base has its own owners and access rules.Read the full guide to Knowledge Base
- Known ErrorIT Service Management
- A problem whose root cause is understood and has a documented workaround, often published as a knowledge article for the service desk.
L
- ListPlatform
- The screen that shows many records from a table in rows. You can filter, sort, group, edit inline and export lists.
M
- Major IncidentIT Service Management
- A high-impact incident handled with a dedicated process: a major incident manager, communication plans and a post-incident review.
- MID ServerFull guideCMDB & ITOM
- Management, Instrumentation and Discovery server: a small Java app installed inside your network that lets ServiceNow securely reach internal systems.Read the full guide to MID Server
N
- Next ExperienceUser Experience
- The modern ServiceNow user interface introduced with the San Diego release, including the unified navigation bar, themes and the Polaris design system.
- NotificationDevelopment
- An email, SMS or push message sent when a condition is met, such as an incident being assigned to you.
- Now AssistFull guideProducts & AI
- ServiceNow’s generative AI features, such as summarizing incidents, drafting knowledge articles, generating code and answering questions in natural language.Read the full guide to Now Assist
- Now PlatformPlatform
- The single cloud platform every ServiceNow product runs on. It provides one data model, one user interface framework and one workflow engine, so IT, HR, customer service and other apps share the same data.
O
- OLAIT Service Management
- Operational Level Agreement: an internal target between teams that supports meeting a customer-facing SLA.
- Order GuideRequests & Portals
- A guided way to order several related catalog items in one go, such as everything a new hire needs.
P
- Performance AnalyticsUser Experience
- Trend analytics that collect key metrics over time (indicators), so you can track targets, thresholds and improvement, not just today’s numbers.
- PluginPlatform
- An installable package that adds features to an instance. Many products, like Discovery or HR Service Delivery, are activated as plugins.
- Predictive IntelligenceProducts & AI
- Machine learning built into the platform that predicts things like category and assignment group or finds similar records.
- PriorityIT Service Management
- How urgently a task should be handled, usually calculated automatically from Impact and Urgency through a priority lookup matrix.
- ProblemFull guideIT Service Management
- The underlying cause of one or more incidents. Problem management investigates root causes so the same incidents stop recurring.Read the full guide to Problem
R
- RecordPlatform
- A single row in a table, such as one incident or one user. Every record has a unique sys_id and can be opened as a form.
- Record ProducerRequests & Portals
- A catalog item that creates a record in any table, such as an incident or HR case, from a simple user-friendly form.
- Reference FieldPlatform
- A field that links to a record in another table, such as Caller pointing to a user. It is how ServiceNow relates data without copying it.
- Release ManagementIT Service Management
- Planning and coordinating the rollout of a bundle of changes into production, tracked with release records and phases.
- ReportUser Experience
- A chart, list or score built from table data with the report designer. Reports can be shared, scheduled by email and added to dashboards.
- Request (REQ)Requests & Portals
- The top-level record created when someone checks out from the catalog, like a shopping cart order. It holds one or more requested items.
- Requested Item (RITM)Full guideRequests & Portals
- One item within a request, such as a laptop. Each RITM has its own approvals, stage and fulfillment tasks.Read the full guide to Requested Item (RITM)
- REST APIAutomation & Integration
- The standard way external systems read and write ServiceNow data over HTTP. Scripted REST APIs let you design your own endpoints.
- RoleSecurity & Access
- A named set of permissions, such as itil or admin, that controls what a user can see and do. Roles are usually granted through groups.
S
- Scheduled JobDevelopment
- A script or task that runs automatically on a schedule, such as nightly cleanup or a weekly report.
- Scoped ApplicationPlatform
- An app built in its own protected namespace (like x_acme_app) so its tables and scripts can’t accidentally break or be broken by other apps.
- Script IncludeFull guideDevelopment
- A reusable server-side JavaScript class or function library that other scripts can call, keeping code organized and maintainable.Read the full guide to Script Include
- Security OperationsProducts & AI
- SecOps tools for managing security incidents and vulnerabilities, connecting security teams with IT to remediate faster.
- Service CatalogFull guideRequests & Portals
- The online menu of things people can request, like a new laptop or software access. It turns requests into tracked, automated work.Read the full guide to Service Catalog
- Service MappingCMDB & ITOM
- Automatically draws the map of everything that makes up a business service, such as load balancers, servers and databases, and how they connect.
- Service PortalRequests & Portals
- A user-friendly website on top of ServiceNow where employees or customers search knowledge, submit requests and track tickets. Built from widgets.
- Single Sign-OnSecurity & Access
- SSO lets users log in to ServiceNow with their company identity provider (such as Microsoft Entra ID or Okta) using SAML or OIDC.
- SLAFull guideIT Service Management
- Service Level Agreement: a target for how quickly work should be responded to or resolved. ServiceNow tracks each one with timers that pause, breach and report.Read the full guide to SLA
- Software Asset ManagementCMDB & ITOM
- Tracks software licenses and installs to show compliance, reclaim unused licenses and reduce spending.
- SpokeAutomation & Integration
- A bundle of IntegrationHub actions for one external system, such as the Slack spoke or the Active Directory spoke.
- Standard ChangeIT Service Management
- A low-risk, pre-approved change that follows a template, such as resetting a server. It skips the full approval cycle.
- Strategic Portfolio ManagementProducts & AI
- SPM, formerly IT Business Management, plans and tracks demands, projects, portfolios and agile work.
- sys_idPlatform
- A 32-character unique identifier that ServiceNow gives every record. Scripts, integrations and URLs use it to point to exactly one record.
T
- TablePlatform
- Where ServiceNow stores data, like a spreadsheet tab with columns and rows. Incidents live in the incident table, users in sys_user, and tables can extend each other to inherit fields.
- Transform MapAutomation & Integration
- The mapping rules that move data from an import set into a target table, including field mappings and scripts to clean data.
U
- UI ActionDevelopment
- A button, link or context menu item on a form or list, such as “Resolve” or “Create problem,” that runs a script when clicked.
- UI BuilderUser Experience
- A low-code tool for designing workspace and portal pages with components, data resources and events.
- UI PolicyDevelopment
- A no-code way to make fields mandatory, read-only or hidden on a form based on conditions. Preferred over client scripts for simple cases.
- Update SetFull guidePlatform
- A container that records configuration changes so they can be moved from one instance to another, for example from development to test to production.Read the full guide to Update Set
V
- VariableRequests & Portals
- A question on a catalog item, such as “Which model?” Variable sets group common questions for reuse across items.
- Virtual AgentRequests & Portals
- ServiceNow’s chatbot. It answers questions and completes tasks through guided conversations in the portal, Microsoft Teams, Slack and more.
W
- WorkspaceUser Experience
- A role-focused screen for agents and managers (for example Service Operations Workspace) that shows lists, records and AI suggestions in one place.
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ServiceNow is a trademark of ServiceNow, Inc. This glossary is an independent resource by Sequal Consultancy and is not affiliated with or endorsed by ServiceNow, Inc.