Configuring Applications for Collaboration · Topic 6 of 6
Notifications
ServiceNow email notifications: when to send, who receives, what it contains, events, templates, scripts, user preferences and troubleshooting delivery.
- 4 min
- Notifications are configured under System Notification > Email > Notifications.
- The three parts are When to send, Who will receive and What it will contain.
- Triggers are record insert or update, or an event being fired.
What it is
A notification tells people that something happened on the platform, most often by email. An admin defines what triggers it, who gets it and what it says, and the platform sends it automatically when the trigger occurs.
Notifications keep collaboration moving: an assignee learns of a new task, a requester learns that a comment was added, an approver learns that a decision is waiting.
How it works
Where notifications are configured
Admins create and edit notifications under System Notification > Email > Notifications. A notification form is organized into three parts.
| Part | Question it answers | Key settings |
|---|---|---|
| When to send | What triggers it? | Table, send when, conditions |
| Who will receive | Who gets it? | Users, groups, fields on the record |
| What it will contain | What does it say? | Subject, message, email template |
When to send
There are two main ways to trigger a notification.
- Record inserted or updated: the notification fires when a record on the chosen table is created or changed and meets the conditions. Example: send when an incident is inserted and Priority is 1.
- Event is fired: the notification waits for a named event. Events are raised by scripts, business rules or flows. The notification runs when its event is queued.
Conditions use the same condition builder as list filters. An advanced condition, written as a script, handles cases the builder cannot.
Events
An event is a signal that something happened, such as an approval being requested. Events are defined in the event registry (System Policy > Events > Registry). Other tools can react to the event, so one event can drive several notifications.
Events are queued and processed shortly afterward, so event-based notifications are not always instant. The event log shows whether an event was fired and processed.
Who will receive
Recipients can be:
- Specific users or groups chosen by the admin.
- Users or groups in fields on the record, such as Assigned to, Caller, or the Watch list. This is the usual best practice, because the notification follows the record and nobody is hard-coded.
- The event parameter, when an event carries the recipient.
What it will contain
The message has a subject and a body, written in HTML or plain text. Variables insert record data, written in a dollar sign and braces, such as ${number} or ${short_description}. A link to the record can be added with a URI variable.
| Building block | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Email template | Reusable wrapper, such as a standard header and footer, shared by many notifications |
| Notification email script | A server-side script that inserts calculated or formatted content |
| Variables | Place field values directly in the subject or body |
User preferences
Users can manage how they receive notifications in their notification preferences, including which devices receive them. A notification marked subscribable lets a user turn it off. Mandatory overrides the subscription preferences so recipients always get the message, and Force delivery sends it even when the user's notification setting is off.
Checking delivery
If an email does not arrive, work from the record outward. Confirm the notification is active and its conditions are met. Confirm the recipient has an email address and an active device. Then look at the outbound mailboxes under System Mailboxes, which show messages that were sent or are waiting.
Each user can have one or more notification devices, such as an email address. A user with no active device normally cannot receive email notifications, unless delivery is forced.
How the exam asks about this
- "Notify the assignment group when a P1 incident is created." Notification on insert with a Priority condition and the group as recipient.
- "Send an email when an approval is requested." Use an event-based notification triggered by the event.
- "Keep one standard company header on all emails." Use an email template.
What to remember for the exam
- Notifications are configured under System Notification > Email > Notifications.
- The three parts are When to send, Who will receive and What it will contain.
- Triggers are record insert or update, or an event being fired.
- Events are registered, raised by scripts or flows, and processed from a queue.
- Prefer recipients from record fields over named users.
- Email templates share layout; notification email scripts add dynamic content.
A notification that does not fire is often a conditions or recipient problem. Check the active flag and conditions before suspecting the mail server.
Common mistakes
Hard-coding named users. When people change roles the notification goes to the wrong person. Use fields such as Assigned to or the assignment group.
Forgetting that events are asynchronous. An event-based email may arrive a little after the action. Check the event log before assuming it failed.
Ignoring user preferences. A subscribable notification may be switched off by the user. Check preferences when only one person misses emails.
Check yourself
What are the two ways to trigger a notification?
When a record is inserted or updated and meets conditions, or when a named event is fired.
Why is it better to use a record field as the recipient than a named user?
The notification follows the record, so it still reaches the right person when assignments change.
Where would you put a company-wide header and footer for emails?
In an email template that notifications reference.
Topic 6 of 6 in Configuring Applications for Collaboration
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