UI Actions & UI Policies for ServiceNow

UI Actions & UI Policies for ServiceNow

UI Actions add buttons, links, and context menus. UI Policies control form field behavior dynamically.

Before modifying an existing form, reach for snow_analyze_form — it returns every active UI policy, client script, data policy, record + field ACL, and UI action on the target table in one call. Use it to answer "why is this form behaving like this?" before guessing.

UI Actions

UI Action Types

Form Button UI Action (ES5)

// Table: sys_ui_action
// Name: Resolve Incident
// Table: incident
// Form button: true
// Active: true
// Condition: current.active == true && current.state != 6

// Script (Server-side - ES5 ONLY):
;(function executeAction() {
  // Validate before resolving
  if (!current.resolution_code) {
    gs.addErrorMessage("Please select a resolution code")
    action.setRedirectURL(current)
    return
  }

  if (!current.close_notes) {
    gs.addErrorMessage("Please provide resolution notes")
    action.setRedirectURL(current)
    return
  }

  // Set resolved state
  current.state = 6 // Resolved
  current.resolved_at = new GlideDateTime()
  current.resolved_by = gs.getUserID()
  current.update()

  gs.addInfoMessage("Incident " + current.number + " has been resolved")
  action.setRedirectURL(current)
})()

Client-Side UI Action (ES5)

// Table: sys_ui_action
// Name: Quick Assign
// Client: true
// Onclick: quickAssign()

// Client script (ES5 ONLY):
function quickAssign() {
  // Get current user
  var userId = g_user.userID
  var userName = g_user.getFullName()

  // Confirm action
  var confirmed = confirm("Assign this incident to yourself (" + userName + ")?")
  if (!confirmed) {
    return false
  }

  // Set the field value
  g_form.setValue("assigned_to", userId)
  g_form.setValue("assignment_group", g_user.getGroupID())

  // Save the form
  gsftSubmit(null, g_form.getFormElement(), "save")
  return false
}

List UI Action (ES5)

// Table: sys_ui_action
// Name: Close Selected Incidents
// Table: incident
// List button: true
// List choice: true
// Condition: gs.hasRole('itil')

// Script (Server-side - ES5 ONLY):
;(function executeAction() {
  // Get selected records
  var selectedRecords = RP.getParameterValue("sysparm_checked_items")
  if (!selectedRecords) {
    gs.addErrorMessage("No records selected")
    return
  }

  var sysIds = selectedRecords.split(",")
  var closedCount = 0

  for (var i = 0; i < sysIds.length; i++) {
    var gr = new GlideRecord("incident")
    if (gr.get(sysIds[i])) {
      if (gr.state != 7) {
        // Not already closed
        gr.state = 7 // Closed
        gr.closed_at = new GlideDateTime()
        gr.closed_by = gs.getUserID()
        gr.update()
        closedCount++
      }
    }
  }

  gs.addInfoMessage("Closed " + closedCount + " incident(s)")
})()

UI Action with GlideAjax (ES5)

// Client-side UI Action calling server
// Client: true
// Onclick: checkAndEscalate()

function checkAndEscalate() {
  var incidentId = g_form.getUniqueValue()

  // Check if escalation is allowed
  var ga = new GlideAjax("IncidentAjax")
  ga.addParam("sysparm_name", "canEscalate")
  ga.addParam("sysparm_incident_id", incidentId)
  ga.getXMLAnswer(function (answer) {
    var result = JSON.parse(answer)
    if (result.canEscalate) {
      // Proceed with escalation
      g_form.setValue("priority", 1)
      g_form.setValue("escalation", 1)
      gsftSubmit(null, g_form.getFormElement(), "escalate_incident")
    } else {
      alert("Cannot escalate: " + result.reason)
    }
  })
  return false
}

UI Policies

UI Policy Structure

Basic UI Policy (No Script)

# UI Policy: Make Resolution Required on Resolve
Table: incident
Short description: Require resolution fields when resolving
Conditions: state = 6 (Resolved)
On load: true
Reverse if false: true

# UI Policy Actions:
- Field: resolution_code
  Mandatory: true
  Visible: true

- Field: close_notes
  Mandatory: true
  Visible: true

- Field: resolved_by
  Read only: true

UI Policy with Script (ES5)

// UI Policy Script - Execute if true
// Runs when condition becomes true (ES5 ONLY!)

function onCondition() {
  // Show/​hide fields based on category
  var category = g_form.getValue("category")

  if (category === "hardware") {
    g_form.setDisplay("cmdb_ci", true)
    g_form.setMandatory("cmdb_ci", true)
    g_form.setDisplay("software", false)
  } else if (category === "software") {
    g_form.setDisplay("software", true)
    g_form.setMandatory("software", true)
    g_form.setDisplay("cmdb_ci", false)
  }
}

Complex UI Policy Script (ES5)

// UI Policy: VIP Caller Handling
// Condition: None (script handles logic)
// On load: true
// Run scripts: true

// Script - Execute if true (ES5 ONLY!):
function onCondition() {
  var callerId = g_form.getValue("caller_id")
  if (!callerId) {
    return
  }

  // Check if VIP via GlideAjax
  var ga = new GlideAjax("UserAjax")
  ga.addParam("sysparm_name", "isVIP")
  ga.addParam("sysparm_user_id", callerId)
  ga.getXMLAnswer(function (answer) {
    var isVIP = answer === "true"

    if (isVIP) {
      // Highlight form
      g_form.flash("caller_id", "#FFD700", 0)
      g_form.showFieldMsg("caller_id", "VIP Customer", "info")

      // Set default priority
      if (!g_form.getValue("priority")) {
        g_form.setValue("priority", 2)
      }

      // Make assignment group mandatory
      g_form.setMandatory("assignment_group", true)
    }
  })
}

Dynamic Field Visibility (ES5)

// UI Policy: Show fields based on incident type
// Table: incident
// On load: true

function onCondition() {
  var incidentType = g_form.getValue("u_incident_type")

  // Reset all conditional fields
  var conditionalFields = ["u_network_details", "u_hardware_model", "u_software_name"]
  for (var i = 0; i < conditionalFields.length; i++) {
    g_form.setDisplay(conditionalFields[i], false)
    g_form.setMandatory(conditionalFields[i], false)
  }

  // Show relevant fields
  switch (incidentType) {
    case "network":
      g_form.setDisplay("u_network_details", true)
      g_form.setMandatory("u_network_details", true)
      break
    case "hardware":
      g_form.setDisplay("u_hardware_model", true)
      g_form.setMandatory("u_hardware_model", true)
      break
    case "software":
      g_form.setDisplay("u_software_name", true)
      g_form.setMandatory("u_software_name", true)
      break
  }
}

Creating via Scripts (ES5)

Create UI Action Programmatically

// Create UI Action via background script (ES5 ONLY!)
var uiAction = new GlideRecord("sys_ui_action")
uiAction.initialize()
uiAction.setValue("name", "Escalate to Manager")
uiAction.setValue("table", "incident")
uiAction.setValue("active", true)
uiAction.setValue("form_button", true)
uiAction.setValue("form_style", "btn-warning")
uiAction.setValue("hint", "Escalate this incident to the caller's manager")
uiAction.setValue("condition", "current.active == true && current.priority > 2")
uiAction.setValue(
  "script",
  "(function executeAction() {\n" +
    "    current.priority = 2;\n" +
    "    current.escalation = 1;\n" +
    '    current.work_notes = "Escalated by " + gs.getUserDisplayName();\n' +
    "    current.update();\n" +
    '    gs.addInfoMessage("Incident escalated");\n' +
    "    action.setRedirectURL(current);\n" +
    "})();",
)
uiAction.insert()

Create UI Policy Programmatically

// Create UI Policy (ES5 ONLY!)
var policy = new GlideRecord("sys_ui_policy")
policy.initialize()
policy.setValue("short_description", "Require Close Notes on Close")
policy.setValue("table", "incident")
policy.setValue("active", true)
policy.setValue("on_load", true)
policy.setValue("reverse_if_false", true)
policy.setValue("conditions", "state=7")
var policySysId = policy.insert()

// Add UI Policy Action
var action = new GlideRecord("sys_ui_policy_action")
action.initialize()
action.setValue("ui_policy", policySysId)
action.setValue("field", "close_notes")
action.setValue("mandatory", true)
action.setValue("visible", true)
action.setValue("disabled", false)
action.insert()

MCP Tool Integration

Available Tools

Example Workflow

// 1. Create UI Action
await snow_create_ui_action({
  name: "Approve Change",
  table: "change_request",
  form_button: true,
  condition: 'current.state == "assess"',
  script: "/​* approval script */",
})

// 2. Create UI Policy
await snow_create_ui_policy({
  short_description: "Require justification for high priority",
  table: "change_request",
  conditions: "priority=1",
  actions: [{ field: "justification", mandatory: true }],
})

Best Practices

1. Descriptive Names - Clear purpose in name
2. Conditions First - Use conditions before scripts
3. Minimal Scripts - Keep scripts short
4. Reverse If False - Clean up field states
5. Test Thoroughly - Multiple scenarios
6. Role Security - Add role conditions
7. ES5 Only - No modern JavaScript syntax
8. Form vs List - Choose appropriate action type