ServiceNow Interview Questions and Answers

ServiceNow is a cloud-based enterprise AI platform offering a wide range of solutions for customer service, HR, security, and generative AI, and agentic AI. Organizations of all sizes use the Now Platform for their service desk, change management, and automation needs.

According to ServiceNow's official report, it is one of the fastest-growing enterprise software companies, having reached $12.8B in organic revenue and boasting a 98% renewal rate. It serves nearly 8,400 organizations, including more than 85% of the Fortune 500. These figures indicate the increasing demand for ServiceNow administrators, developers, testing specialists, and other professionals.

This guide is organized as follows:

• ServiceNow Interview Questions
• Developer Questions
• Admin Questions
• Technical Questions
• Preparation Tips
• FAQs
• Conclusion

ServiceNow Interview Questions and Answers

1. What is ServiceNow?

ServiceNow is a cloud-based enterprise platform that automates and streamlines business workflows across departments such as IT, HR, Customer Service, Finance, and Security, all on a single, unified platform called the Now Platform.

2. What is Now Assist, and which Now Assist skills have you configured?

Now Assist is the generative AI assistant of ServiceNow that is embedded in ITSM, CSM, HRSD, and Creator workflows. Typically configured skills include incident or case summarization, "Resolution Note" generation, Knowledge Article generation, and development code generation. It enhances agent productivity by providing intelligent recommendations.

For more advanced needs, tailored AI skills may be developed using the "Now Assist Skill Kit" (NASK).

3. What is an async business rule?

An asynchronous business rule is activated after a change is saved to the database (similar to an after rule); however, it runs as a scheduled task. This doesn't keep the user's current task from proceeding. Control is returned to the user, and the related updates occur slightly later. 

They are best for longer-running tasks or tasks where it's okay to delay, and for operations that span multiple transactions (such as external integrations, bulk data updates, emails).

4. Explain AI Agent Studio. How would you design and govern an AI Agent for incident triage?

AI Agent Studio is a development tool in the ServiceNow AI Platform that helps you build and customize specialized AI agents, establish guardrails, and automate tasks using natural language search. Agents are coordinated via the AI Agent Orchestrator into an agentic workflow (the business goal or process, such as incident triage and categorization), and governance is routed to the central AI Control Tower.

A solid design-and-govern answer for incident triage:

• Define the workflow/objective: Incident triage and categorization of the new incident.
• Create the Agent in AI Agent Studio: Read the incident, formulate a search query, locate the appropriate KB article, classify the incident, add findings to the work notes, and so on.
• Connect Tools: Allow access to the flows, records, and knowledge the agent requires (e.g., record operations, AI Search over KB articles).
• Set Guardrails and Test: Use the Testing tab to exercise real incident numbers and review the agent's reasoning, tool use prior to activating, to ensure no sensitive fields are exposed to external models, as well as data privacy.
• Govern via AI Control Tower: Set up approvals, monitoring, and auditing; develop metrics such as MTTR, first-contact resolution, and accuracy; and test and implement one or two workflows prior to scaling.

Indeed, the governance story (guardrails, human-in-the-loop (HIL) when there is low confidence, audit, measurable metrics etc.) is that which distinguishes a strong answer from “I built an agent”.

5. What is the latest version of ServiceNow?

Australia Release 2026 is the latest version and the first release under ServiceNow's new country-based naming. Prior to Australia, the latest release was Zurich (Q4 2025).

6. What do you mean by the term “Application” in ServiceNow?

In ServiceNow, an application is a group of modules, tables, and business logic that serves a specific business function. For example, a change application provides information related to the change process. It consists of modules such as creating and viewing change tickets.

7. What is the CMDB Baseline?

CMDB baselines help understand and control changes made to a configuration item (CI) after its Baseline has been created. The baseline is the snapshot of a CI.

8. What is ATF?

In ServiceNow, ATF automates functional/regression testing using reusable test steps and Test Suites. It also works to validate applications, customizations, and integrations prior to upgrades or deployments.

When running the ATF in sub-production calls before any production changes or improvements have been made, regression issues can be detected at an early stage. Functional testing, not performance/load testing, is the main purpose of ATF.

9. What is a GlideRecord?

A GlideRecord is ServiceNow's server-side API for communicating with your tables and database. You use GlideRecord to retrieve records from any table: insert them, update them, and delete them with addQuery, addEncodedQuery. Instantiate it with a table, query for records with various filters, get them using 'next()' and 'query()', and iterate over the results.

Set limits using 'setLimit()' and only query indexed fields to speed up transactions. It's critical to note that ACLs are bypassed on server-side GlideRecord, and if your permission level needs to be respected, use GlideRecordSecure instead.

10. What is a view?

The view defines the arrangement of fields on a form or a list. For a single form, we can define multiple views based on user preferences or requirements single form, we can define multiple views based on

11. What is the ACL?

An ACL is an access control list that defines what data a user can access and how they can access it in ServiceNow.

12. What do you mean by impersonating a user? How is it useful?

Impersonating a user lets you log in to the system as that user and see how the ServiceNow UI is configured for them. This is very useful while testing.

For example, if you are required to test whether a user can access the change form. You can impersonate that user and can test instead of logging out from your session and logging in again with that user's credentials.

13. What is a record producer?

A record producer is a catalog item type that allows users to create task-based records from the service catalog.

For example, you can create a change record or problem record using a record producer. Record producers provide an alternative way to create records through the service catalog item type.

14. What is a dictionary override?

Dictionary Overrides allows you to override several properties of a field in an extended table. For example, a changing table is extended from the task table. There is a field named status in the task table that is set to read-only. 

When we use this field in the change form, it will show as read-only. We can set this to non-read-only by using the dictionary override. Similarly, other properties can be set for fields in an extended table.

15. What do you mean by coalescing?

Coalesce is a field property we use in transform map field mapping. When we set coalesce to true for a field mapping, it indicates that this field will serve as a unique key.

If a field match is found with the coalesce field, the existing record in the target table will be updated with the imported information; otherwise, a new record will be inserted into the target table.

16. What is a UI policy?

UI policies are alternatives to client scripts. It can be used to set a field as mandatory, read-only, and visible on a form. You can also use UI policy for dynamically changing a field on a form.

17. What is a data policy?

Data policy checks whether a field is mandatory or read-only whenever a record is inserted or updated through a web service or import set.

For example, if a mandatory field in the incoming record (from an import set or a web service) is empty, the data policy will prevent the record from being inserted into the table.

18. What is the difference between UI policy and data policy?

UI policy applies when a record is inserted or updated through the ServiceNow UI (i.e., ServiceNow forms), while data policy applies whenever a record is inserted or updated into the database by any means.

19. What is a client script?

Client script sits on the client-side(the browser) and run there only types of client script are OnLoad(), OnSubmit(), OnChange(), and OnCellEdit()

20. How can you cancel a form submission through a client script?

In the onSubmit function, return false. function onSubmit() { return false;}.

21. What is a business rule?

A business rule is server-side scripting that executes whenever a record is inserted, updated, deleted, displayed, or queried.

The key thing to keep in mind while creating a business rule is when and on what action it has to execute. You can run the business rule ‘on display, ‘on before’, or ‘on after’ of an action (insert, delete, update) is performed.

22. Can you call a business rule through a client script?

No, we cannot directly call a Business Rule from a Client Script. Business Rule runs server-side while Client Script runs client-side (Browser). To bridge the gap, we use GlideAjax to make an asynchronous server call from a Client Script.

23. What do you mean by data lookup and record matching?

The data lookup and record matching feature helps to set a field value based on some conditions instead of writing scripts.

For example, on Incident forms, the priority lookup rules sample data automatically sets the incident Priority based on the incident Impact and Urgency values. Data lookup rules allow specifying the conditions and fields for which data lookups should occur.

24. What is an update set?

An updated set is a group of customizations. It captures the customization or configuration changes made by a user, and then these update sets can be moved from one instance to another.

For example, if we made configuration changes in our development environment and want those changes in our test environment, we can capture all the changes in an updated set and move it to the test environment instead of making changes manually.

25. What is a sys_id?

A unique 32-character GUID that identifies each record created in each table in ServiceNow.

26. If a Flow performs actions such as approvals or state changes, can it be re-done?

Completed Flow actions cannot be simply erased. Instead, it's designed to be idempotent, to prevent duplicate or incorrect updates when they are rerun, to have guard conditions so they don't run when something is wrong, and to include compensation steps to undo what was done.

27. How do you trigger a custom Action after an Incident is updated?

Create a Record trigger on the Incident table that creates a Flow Designer flow. If necessary, add conditions and add the custom Action as a flow step. Today, it is preferred over Business Rules; however, that's not the same approach.

28. Explain the difference between a Flow, an Action, and a Subflow.

Concept	What it is	Has a Trigger
Flow	A complete automated process: a trigger plus an ordered sequence of steps (e.g., on Critical Incident → notify manager, assign group, create problem)	Yes
Action	The smallest building block — a single reusable step such as "Create Record," "Send Email," or "Call REST API"	No (runs inside a flow/subflow)
Subflow	A reusable sequence of actions with defined inputs and outputs, called from a flow, another subflow, or a script	No — subflows lack a trigger

The clean summary: Use Flows for complete processes, Subflows for reusable sequences shared across Flows, and Actions for the smallest, most repeatable tasks. Subflows are the "functions" of Flow Designer — define once, reuse everywhere.

29. What is a scoped application, and how does it differ from a global application?

A scoped application is unique in that its own namespace, limited APIs, and isolated resources do not interfere with other applications. This is safer, easier to maintain, and acceptable for deployment on the ServiceNow Store.

A global application can offer broader access and fewer restrictions, making it more powerful but also more dangerous. For most of their modern custom development, ServiceNow suggests scoped applications.

30. Describe a ServiceNow project where you reduced manual effort. Explain your role, decisions, and trade-offs.

On one of the ITSM projects I worked on at my previous organization, onboarding access requests were handled entirely manually. It had a fulfiller read each ticket, create tasks, and route approvals by hand. As a lead developer, I rebuilt it as a Service Catalog item on a Flow Designer flow, using a reusable approval subflow and a decision table to route by department. I chose Flow Designer over a legacy workflow because it's the modern, upgrade-stable approach.

As a result, routine requests were fulfilled with minimal manual touch, reducing handling time and routing errors. However, the decision-table design took longer to build than separate flows, but was far easier to maintain. I also left a manual review step for rare cases rather than over-engineering the automation.

31. Tell me about a production issue you caused or fixed and what you changed in your process.

Early in a release, I committed an update that was set straight to production with a Business Rule that ran on every Incident insert and update. It passed testing, but slowed things down under load because I had skipped the proper preview-and-promote process. When the alerts hit, I disabled the rule and fixed the unscoped trigger condition. I also re-promoted a smaller set of updates through dev and test. I even ran a Health Scan to confirm there were no other regressions.

Response times were recovered within the hour, but the bigger change was to my process. I moved to one update set per change request, made develop-complete-test-promote non-negotiable, and stopped editing production directly. I also started writing short post-incident notes to help the whole team learn. That discipline has prevented similar incidents since then.

ServiceNow Developer Interview Questions and Answers

These questions target the developer track, scripting, integrations, and security. They reflect the kinds of questions reported for ServiceNow developer roles at firms such as Wipro, Deloitte, Infosys, and more.

32. How can you limit the amount of data coming from an external system in REST integrations?

To get smaller groups of records, use pagination via the sysparm_limit and sysparm_offset parameters. Use filters via sysparm_query and columns via sysparm_fields to eliminate extra rows and columns. Having paged responses avoids memory and performance problems.

33. When creating a REST API, how do you pass filters like active=true or specific state values in the endpoint?

Use query parameters in the API request. For complex filters, use sysparm_query with encoded queries like active=true^state=2. For simple equality checks, direct parameters like ?active=true also work. Add sysparm_fields and sysparm_limit to reduce returned data.

34. Walk through building an outbound REST integration: REST Message, OAuth 2.0, pagination, and response parsing.

Design a REST message for the endpoint URL and HTTP methods. Set up client ID, secret, and token URL for OAuth 2.0 using an OAuth profile. For large data sets, paginate using the limit/offset or next-page token. Use good data mapping, error handling, and logging as you repair the response with JSON.parse and validate the status codes. Try out test integrations via REST API Explorer and securely store credentials.

35. What is LDAP Integration and its use?

LDAP is the Lightweight Directory Access Protocol. It is used for user data population and User authentication. ServiceNow integrates with the LDAP directory to streamline the user login process and automate user creation and role assignment.

36. Which rule applies when a field needs to be automated?

A Business Rule is the answer interviewers are looking for. Business rules are server-side functions that execute when a server record is displayed, inserted, updated, or deleted, or when a server table is queried. A common use is to update or modify the value of a field when one or more conditions are true.

If the action has to take place before the record is written, for instance, a default or the calculation of a field value, then you will create a before business rule as it will execute after the form is submitted, but before the database action is performed.  If the field change should be reflected in the form the user is viewing, a Display business rule passes server data to the client via the g_scratchpad object.

For field automation that the user triggers interactively on the form (without saving), developers reach for a Client Script or a UI Policy instead.

37. Write the syntax for gsftSubmit.

gsftSubmit is the client-side function used to programmatically submit a form (and optionally trigger a specific UI Action) from a Client Script or UI Action. The common pattern is:

// Submit the form and fire the UI Action whose action_name is "my_action"
gsftSubmit(null, g_form.getFormElement(), 'my_action');

A common interview pattern combines client and server logic in a single UI Action: the client-side portion runs first, calls gsftSubmit to resubmit the form, and, on the second pass, the server-side portion executes.

Because this is a legacy platform global rather than a documented public API, treat it as a known idiom and be ready to explain why you'd use it (running client validation before server processing in one UI Action) rather than reciting it as official syntax.

38. GlideRecord vs GlideAggregate vs GlideRecordSecure, and when do you use each?

API	Use it for	ACL Behavior
GlideRecord	Standard CRUD and querying of records row by row	Bypasses ACLs by default (system privileges); needs manual canRead()/canWrite()
GlideAggregate	Counts, sums, averages, min/max, and GROUP BY-style aggregation — without looping through every record	Aggregation API; use instead of counting in a loop for performance
GlideRecordSecure	The same operations as GlideRecord, when you must respect the current user's permissions	Automatically enforces ACLs

My advice is as follows: If you just need to do a count or a rollup, use GlideAggregate; if you're supposed to query data on behalf of a user for whom you care whether the data is accessible, use GlideRecordSecure.

If you want to resort to whatever you like to avoid ACLs by design, use GlideRecord.

39. What is the data dictionary?

The data dictionary defines every table and field in the system. It contains information about a field’s data type, default value, dependency, and other attributes.

40. What role are you required to create/update ACLs?

You need the security_admin role to create or update ACLs in ServiceNow.

41. How can you check which ServiceNow instance node you are working on?

Go to System Diagnostic > Stats in the navigator. The statistics page will be open, where you can view details about the node and the instance you are working on.

42. How can you populate the manager field using server-side code?

You query the user's record on the server side using GlideRecord and read the manager field. A clean way to expose this to a form is via a Script Include called from the client with GlideAjax:

// Script Include (client-callable)
var GetUserDetails = Class.create();
GetUserDetails.prototype = Object.extendsObject(AbstractAjaxProcessor, {
    getManager: function() {
        var gr = new GlideRecord('sys_user');
        if (gr.get(this.getParameter('sysparm_user_id'))) {
            return gr.manager.toString(); // returns the sys_id of the manager
        }
        return '';
    },
    type: 'GetUserDetails'
});

The client script then calls getManager through GlideAjax and sets the field with g_form.setValue('manager', answer).

ServiceNow's own GlideAjax example demonstrates exactly this, fetching the logged-in user's manager from sys_user inside a Script Include and returning it to the form.

43. What is an import set?

Import Sets is a tool used to import data from various data sources and, then, using a transform map, transform the data into ServiceNow tables. The Import Sets table serves as a staging table for imported records.

44. What is a transform Map?

A transform map transforms the record imported into the ServiceNow import set table to the target table. It also determines the relationships between fields displayed in an Import Set table and fields in the target table

45. What do you mean by Foreign record insert?

A foreign record insert occurs when an import modifies a table that is not the target table for that import. This happens when updating a reference field on a table.

46. What is an inactivity monitor?

An inactivity monitor triggers an event on a task record if the task has been inactive for a specified period. If the task remains inactive, the monitor repeats at regular intervals.

47. What is domain separation?

Ans: Domain separation is a way to partition data into (and optionally administer) logically defined domains. 

For example, a client, XYZ, has two businesses and is using a single ServiceNow instance for both. They do not want users from one business to see the data from other businesses. Here, we can configure domain separation to isolate the records from both businesses.

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48. What is HTML Sanitizer?

The HTML sanitizer is a security feature that automatically cleans HTML markup in HTML fields, removing unwanted code and helping protect against security concerns such as cross-site scripting attacks. In Australia Release 2026, it is enabled by default as a part of ServiceNow's security governance framework.

49. Which table is used in ServiceNow to audit changes to records?

ServiceNow uses the Sys Audit [sys_audit] table to audit changes to records.

50. What is the Schema map?

The schema map displays table details and their relationships visually, allowing administrators to easily view and access different parts of the database schema.

51. How to set the default value of a date field to the current date-time value?

Goto Go to the dictionary of the respective date-time field and set the default value as JavaScript: gs.now DateTime;

52. What is the set workflow(e) function does?

set workflow (e) enables or disables the running of business rules that might normally be triggered by subsequent actions. If the e parameter is set to false, an insert/update will not be audited. Auditing only happens when the parameter is set to true for a GlideRecord operation.

Parameters: e - A boolean variable that, if true (default), enables business rules, and if false, disables them.

53. Tell me about your experience as an integration developer. (Behavioral)

This is a behavioral prompt — answer it with a concise STAR-style story rather than definitions. A strong template:

"On a recent project, we needed bidirectional ticket sync between ServiceNow and a third-party monitoring tool. I owned the integration design: outbound calls used a REST Message secured with OAuth 2.0, and inbound updates came through a Scripted REST API.

I added pagination handling and field mapping, built error logging so failed messages were retried, and wrote ATF tests for the inbound endpoint. The result was a near-real-time sync that eliminated roughly a day of manual ticket reconciliation each week. If I did it again, I'd add a dead-letter queue earlier instead of bolting it on later."

"Support each claim explicitly with specific decision(s) and measure(s). Interviewers are interested in your reasoning process for balancing factors and not in the list of tools."

54. What are 'async' business rules, and when would you use them?

An async business rule is a server-side script that runs after the database commits a change, similar to an after rule, but it runs in the background, scheduled by the system scheduler, rather than as part of the user's transaction. Because it runs asynchronously, the system returns control to the user sooner, though related objects may take a little longer to update.

Use async rules for work that shouldn't make the user wait: long-running operations, bulk updates across many related records, sending email, or making calls to external systems. ServiceNow's guidance is that you can often use an async rule in place of an after rule to improve the user experience, reserving synchronous after rules for work that must complete within the transaction.

55. What is the difference between getXML, getXMLWait, and getXMLAnswer?

All three are GlideAjax methods used in client scripts to retrieve a response from a server-side Script Include, but they differ in how they wait and what they return:

Method	Call Type	Behavior
getXML(callback)	Asynchronous	Places a non-blocking call; control returns to the client immediately and your callback handles the XML response
getXMLWait()	Synchronous	Blocks (freezes) the client until the server responds — discouraged for production and not supported in Service Portal
getXMLAnswer(callback)	Asynchronous	Like getXML, but returns only the answer element directly, sparing you from parsing responseXML.documentElement.getAttribute("answer")

In practice, use getXMLAnswer to make clean, asynchronous calls. There are situations in which you do need to block (e.g., an onSubmit decision), but getXMLWait is not recommended by ServiceNow because it negatively impacts UX in poor network connection scenarios and causes breaks in the Service Portal (which is built with AngularJS).

56. What is the difference between outbound and inbound integration in ServiceNow?

Outbound integration means that ServiceNow makes the call to an external system: For example, a REST Message being pushed to a third-party tool to create an incident. ServiceNow stores how to reach the external service in a REST Message record (including endpoint, authentication, and HTTP method), and outbound REST supports both Basic authentication and OAuth 2.0.

For inbound OAuth, ServiceNow uses the Authorization Code and Resource Owner Password Credentials grant types, which are interconnected with other services, such as an Application Registry record on System OAuth.

The Mental Model: Outbound = ServiceNow is the Client, Inbound = ServiceNow is the Server.

57. How can a server-side script be called from a UI Action?

A UI Action can contain both client-side and server-side logic. To run server-side code, either:

• Leave Client unchecked so the UI Action script runs entirely on the server, or
• For a UI Action that needs to do client work first, run the client portion, then call gsftSubmit(null, g_form.getFormElement(), '<action_name>') to re-submit the form. On submission, the server-side portion of the same UI Action (guarded by typeof window == 'undefined' or an action.<name> check) executes.

You can also call a Script Include from the server-side to reuse logic.

58. What are the methods to call a server-side script from a client-side script?

The suggested, and usually most popular, way is to use GlideAjax, which makes an asynchronous call to a Script Include callable from the client and returns data without stopping the client.

The general pattern is: create a GlideAjax object naming the Script Include class, add the method name via addParam('sysparm_name', ...), add any other parameters, then execute with getXMLAnswer(callback).

Other (less preferred) techniques include g_form.getReference() with a callback, and g_scratchpad populated by a Display business rule for data needed at form load. Client-side GlideRecord still exists in the global scope, but is deprecated and strongly discouraged because it issues synchronous calls that freeze the browser; use GlideAjax instead.

59. What will happen if we give none.* in an ACL?

In an ACL, the format is table.field. A none (or *) field component does not correspond to any specific field; it indicates an operation at the level of the table (record). Therefore, if the none field is used for accesses, the whole record/operation will be restricted; and if table.* is used for accesses, all field accesses not covered by a more specific field-level ACL will be restricted.

A ServiceNow will process the most specific matching at the table/record level ACL first and will check field-level ACLs in parallel with the table/record-level ACL. The user must pass both the table-level and field-level ACLs to gain access. This means that if the field-level wildcard type matches, it won't prevent the record-level wildcard type from matching.  

Be ready to explain that ACLs are evaluated with an implicit "deny unless granted" stance and that both the condition and the script (if present), plus the required role, must all pass.

60. Write code such that the input field will accept only alphanumeric characters.

Use an onChange Client Script (or an onSubmit for final validation) with a regular expression that rejects anything outside letters and digits:

function onChange(control, oldValue, newValue, isLoading, isTemplate) {
    if (isLoading || newValue === '') {
        return;
    }
    var alphanumeric = /^[a-zA-Z0-9]+$/;
    if (!alphanumeric.test(newValue)) {
        g_form.showFieldMsg('u_my_field', 'Only alphanumeric characters are allowed', 'error');
        g_form.setValue('u_my_field', oldValue); // revert invalid input
    } else {
        g_form.hideFieldMsg('u_my_field', true);
    }
}

For robustness, pair the client check with a server-side check before the business rule using the same regex, so the rule is enforced even when records are created through lists, imports, or web services.

62. How do you troubleshoot ServiceNow Discovery errors?

Walk the interviewer through a systematic path rather than a single fix:

• Start with the ECC Queue (ecc_queue) — the input/output records here show what the MID Server sent and received, and error payloads are the first clue.
• Check the Discovery Status record for the run to see which phase failed (port scan, classification, identification, or exploration) and which CIs were skipped.
• Verify that the MID Server is up and validated, has a network line of sight, and has the correct credentials in the Credentials table for the target.
• Review Discovery logs and any probe/sensor errors for authentication failures, timeouts, or unreachable ports.
• Confirm CMDB Identification and Reconciliation (IRE) rules aren't dropping or duplicating CIs.

Framing it as ECC Queue → Discovery Status → MID Server → credentials/network → IRE shows you understand the data flow, which is what interviewers reward.

63. How do you manage bidirectional integration with third-party systems?

Bidirectional integration means data flows both ways, so you design two halves and keep them consistent:

• Outbound (ServiceNow → external): a REST Message with OAuth 2.0, triggered from a Business Rule or a Flow Designer/IntegrationHub action, with field mapping and pagination for large payloads.
• Inbound (external → ServiceNow): a Scripted REST API or the Table API secured with inbound OAuth, validating and mapping the incoming payload onto the target record.

To prevent infinite update loops, add a guard — for example, a "source" flag or a correlation ID so each side can recognize updates it originated and skip echoing them back. Layer in error handling, retry logic, and logging, and use a correlation/external reference field to keep the two records linked. IntegrationHub spokes can replace custom scripting for many common targets.

ServiceNow Admin Interview Questions and Answers

64. What the setForceUpdate() function does?

setForceUpdate() updates the record even if there are no changes on the record.

65. What is the significance of the set limit(n) function?

set limit(n) functions to limit the number of records to query by Gliderecord().

66. Which method enforces ACLs during server-side queries?

GlideRecordSecure automatically applies ACLs to the current user. It does not attempt to read or write even when the file is not allowed to be read or written, if that is the case, unlike GlideRecord. Always use GlideRecordSecure when the criteria for user access to a query must be followed.

67. How would you implement an after-login pop-up, like a terms/disclaimer message?

Display the pop-up after login using one of the following methods: onLoad UI Script, UI Page, or Service Portal widget. Keep a flag on the user record indicating whether they have accepted the disclaimer; if so, don't ask them again.

68. Can you update a record without updating its system fields(like sys_updated_by, sys_updated_on)?

Yes, you can do it using the autoSysFields() function in your server-side scripting. Whenever you update a record, set autoSysFields() to false.using the autoSysFields() function.

Example:

var gr = new GlideRecord(‘incident’);
gr.query();
if(gr.next()){
gr.autoSysFields(false);
short_description = “Test from Examsmyntra” ;
gr.update();
}

69. How to get the row count in a GlideRecord?

By using the getRowCount() function, you can retrieve the number of rows.

70. How would you ensure external users can only see incidents they are associated with?

Follow the Rule of Least Privilege: Implement relationship-based development, and do not rely on roles as ACLs. Experience cloud-based enterprise REST API for deployment while retaining the ability to create read ACLs like caller_id or opened_by against gs.getUserID().

Use ACLs in conjunction with a before-query Business Rule that limits access to records to improve control.

71. What is the difference between deleteMultiple() and deleteRecord()?

delete multiple() deletes multiple records according to the current “where” clause. Do not delete attachments; use delete record() to delete a single record.

72. How to restrict users from uploading attachments in ServiceNow?

The following is the stepwise process:

• Navigate to System Properties > Security.
• In the Attachment limits and behavior section, locate the List of roles (comma-separated) that can create attachments: property (glide.attachment.role).
• Enter one or more roles separated by commas.
• Only roles listed in this property are able to upload attachments to a record. If no roles are entered, then all roles can upload attachments to ServiceNow forms.
• Click Save.

73. How to disable attachments on a specific ServiceNow table?

Go to the dictionary of that table and add “Add no_attachment” to the Attributes field.

74. What do you mean by Metrics in ServiceNow?

Metrics record and measure the workflow of individual records. With metrics, customers can arm their processes with tangible figures to measure, for example, how long it takes for a ticket to be reassigned or to change state.

75. How many types of searches are available in ServiceNow?

Use any of the following searches to find information in ServiceNow:

• Global Text Search (across multiple tables)
• List Search (within a specific list)
• Form Search (within a form)
• Knowledge Base Search (within KB articles)
• AI-powered semantic search via Now Assist.

76. How to create your own report?

Navigate to Reports > Create New →  select Table, define Conditions/Filters, choose Report Type (Bar, Pie, List, etc.), configure grouping, and click Run → Save.

In the Australia release 2026 update, ServiceNow has enhanced reporting with AI-assisted report generation via Now Assist.

77. Name a few types of reports that you can generate?

A few reports are:

• List
• Bar
• Pivot
• Pie
• Calendar.

78. How to create an Inbound Email Action?

Navigate to System Policy > Email > Inbound Actions and Click New.

79. How does ServiceNow recognize Inbound Emails?

Via Watermark or In­Reply­To email header. If these are not present, ServiceNow recognizes an email containing a prefix in the subject line.

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ServiceNow Technical Interview Questions and Answers

80. In which table are update sets and customization stored?

Each update set is stored in the Update Set [sys_update_set] table, and the customizations that are associated with the update set, are stored in [sys_update_xml] table.

81. What happens if a Default update set is marked as complete?

If the Default update set is marked Complete, the system creates another update set named Default1 and uses it as the default.

82. Are Homepages and Content pages added to the update sets?

Homepages and content pages are not added to update sets by default. You must manually add pages to the current update set by unloading them.

83. What is a Reference qualifier?

Reference qualifiers restrict the data that can be selected for a reference field.

84. What is Performance Analytics in ServiceNow?

Performance Analytics is an additional ServiceNow application that allows customers to take snapshots of data at regular intervals and create time series for any key performance indicator (KPI) across the organization.

85. How to create a new role?

Navigate to User Administration > Roles and click New → enter the Role Name → add Description, and assign Contains Roles.

86. Which method is used to get all the active/inactive records from a table?

You can use the addActiveQuery() method to get all the active records and the addInactiveQuery() method to get all inactive records.

87. How do you get the result set from two tables in the Glide script?

addJoinQuery(joinTable, [primaryField], [joinTableField])

 

Note: This is not a true DATABASE Join. addJoinQuery() adds a subQuery.

89. Which object is used to reference the currently active form in the client script?

g_form object is used to reference the currently active form in the client script.

90. Which object is used to refer to the currently logged-in user in the client script?

You can use the g_user object to get the details of the currently active user.

91. State the best practices of client scripts?

A few of the best practices to use client Scripts :

• Enclose Code in Functions.
• Avoid DOM manipulation, use g_form object.
• Avoid global client scripting, etc.

92. How will you hide/show a field using client script?

You can use the g_form.setVisible(‘field name’, ‘value’); method to show/hide a field using client script.

93. What is the processing order for Record ACL rules?

Record ACL rules are processed in the following order:

• Match the object against field ACL rules.
• Match the object against the table ACL rules.
• The user must pass both field and table ACL rules to access a record object Relationship.

94. How do you get the records of specified fields that are not null?

addNotNullQuery(String fieldName) can be used.

Example: To get all the records where ‘name’ is not null.

addNotNullQuery(‘name’);

95. How will you get all the records where the incident has a category of hardware or software?

Use addOrCondition(String name, String oper, Object value)

Example :

var gr = new GlideRecord(‘incident’);
var qc = gr.addQuery(‘category’, ‘hardware’);
qc.addOrCondition(‘category’, ‘software’);
gr.query();

96. How to determine whether any of the field values in a record has changed?

By using the method changes() you can determine that the field value has been changed for a record.

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Tips to Prepare for a ServiceNow Interview

• Before you Learn the Advanced Stuff, Master the Basics: Business Rules (before/after/async/display), Client Scripts, UI Policies, GlideRecord, GlideAjax, ACLs, and Flow Designer are topics that need to be learned first to understand the later topics.
• Practice in a Personal Developer Instance (PDI): Theory is useless when it comes to a technical screen! Start with a PDI for free from the ServiceNow Developer site, create actual flows, integrations and ATF tests.
• Be Prepared to Solve Scenarios: Know how to use logic to solve problems, such as when the interviewer will ask you how you would secure such and such. What would you do to integrate this and that into your interview? Learn to express constraints, options, trade-offs, and choices.
• Get Certified: The base certificate is Certified System Administrator (CSA), Certified Application Developer (CAD) and Certified Implementation Specialist (CIS) tracks are deeper.
• Keep up with the News on AI: Now Assist and AI Agent Studio are now the land of their mother tongue. Join the ServiceNow Community and Now Learning to follow the newest skills and agentic workflow.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What skills are needed for ServiceNow?

The following are key skills that a ServiceNow professional should have:

• In-depth knowledge of at least one high-level programming language, primarily JavaScript.
• A fundamental understanding of ITSM, ITIL, or CMDB processes.
• Familiarity with XML, HTML, AJAX, CSS, HTTP, and REST/SOAP.
• Understanding of AI/ML concepts.

2. Will ServiceNow be a nice job in 2026?

Yes. ServiceNow skills remain highly relevant in IT, and with the launch of Now Assist and agentic AI, new specializations are emerging among buzzy learners.

3. Is ServiceNow enough to get a job?

Yes. Even if you're a newbie or an experienced pro, you can easily build a successful career with ServiceNow. All you need for a stable ServiceNow career is to acquire the right ServiceNow training and go over the top ServiceNow interview questions, and you'll be ready to land a job in ServiceNow.

4. How to crack the ServiceNow Interview?

1. First, decide which ServiceNow profile you'll be working on: Administrator, Developer, or Architect.
2. Prepare a resume that is tailored to the job description.
3. Research the company for which you will be interviewed.
4. Learn about the ServiceNow product offerings.
5. If the interview will be conducted over the phone, via webcam, or in person, plan accordingly.
6. Prepare for frequently asked ServiceNow interview questions.
7. Make a list of questions for the interviewer. 
   • For how many clients, you’ll be working?
   • How many different instances you’ll be working on?

5. Does ServiceNow pay well?

According to AmbitionBox, in India, ServiceNow Developers can earn an average of ₹4 to ₹10 Lakhs per year, while ServiceNow Admins can earn ₹4 to ₹7 Lakhs per year.

6. What ServiceNow certifications should I apply for?

Follow the Certified System Administrator (CSA) qualification and then explore one of the Certified Application Developer (CAD) or one of the Certified Implementation Specialist (CIS) domain-specific options (ITSM, CSM, HR, etc.).

7. What are the job profiles that a ServiceNow developer can look for?

As a ServiceNow developer, you can work as one of the following:

• Functional consultant
• Process architect
• Technical consultant
• Business or process analyst
• Platform owner
• Technical lead
• Administrator
• Implementation specialist
• Developer.

Conclusion

These ServiceNow questions and answers should help hone your basic knowledge and your ability to use scenarios across the developer track, freshers/experienced track, and AI. Combined with the hands-on learning you'll get in a PDI and at least one certification, you'll feel ready to go in your interview and back up every answer with real-world experience with the platform.