Utility Actions Spoke

Release version: Australia

Updated March 12, 2026

4 minutes to read

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Summary of Utility Actions Spoke

The Utility Actions spoke enables ServiceNow customers to automate file management tasks within their instances. It allows creation and manipulation of file attachments and zip archives, facilitating streamlined file operations triggered by events in ServiceNow workflows. This spoke requires an Integration Hub subscription and is compatible with the Australia release and later versions.

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Key Features

File and Zip Management Actions: Includes actions to create files and zip archives, append lines or rows to files, add files to zip sets, and build final files or zip packages.
Record Conversion: Convert ServiceNow records into objects or arrays of objects for flexible data handling within flows.
Encoded Query Generation: Create encoded queries from name-value pairs to use dynamically in other actions, such as issue creation.
Retrieve Latest Comments: Extract the most recent comment from a specified record as a text string.

Spoke Components and Data Management

Tables: Includes several tables to manage files, file lines, zip file sets, file mappings, and file schemas. These tables track file content, schema definitions, and zip file associations.
Data Retention: Auto Flush data retention policies keep data in the spoke tables for up to 7 days by default, except for the File Schema table which retains records indefinitely unless manually changed.
Data Integrity: Deletion of file or file set records cascades to related file line or file mapping records, maintaining consistent data relationships.

Requirements and Setup

Integration Hub: An active Integration Hub subscription is required.
Plugin Dependencies: The spoke depends on the ServiceNow Flow Designer - Dynamic Inputs and IntegrationHub Runtime plugins, which may require additional licensing.
MID Server: The Build Zip action requires at least one MID Server with IntegrationHub Utilities capabilities. MID Server configuration includes setting a property with the value .service-now.com and assigning the snutilityspoke.utilityactionsadmin role for setup.
No Connection or Credential Aliases: This spoke does not require configuration of connection or credential aliases.

Practical Benefits

By implementing the Utility Actions spoke, ServiceNow customers can automate complex file handling processes within their workflows, improving efficiency and reducing manual intervention. The ability to create and manage files and zip archives directly in ServiceNow supports advanced integration and reporting scenarios. The spoke’s compatibility and dependency details help ensure smooth installation and operation aligned with enterprise requirements.

Create file attachments and zip attachments in your ServiceNow instance.

Request apps on the Store

Visit the ServiceNow Store to view all the available apps, and for information about submitting requests to the store. For cumulative release notes information for all released apps, see the ServiceNow Store version history release notes.

Integration Hub subscription

This spoke requires an Integration Hub subscription. For more information, see Legal schedules - IntegrationHub overview.

Spoke version

Utility Actions spoke v1.4.0 is the latest version.

Supported versions

This spoke is compatible with ServiceNow instance of Australia and later versions.

Spoke dependencies

If you’re having trouble installing the app, ensure that these dependent plugins are installed:

ServiceNow Flow Designer - Dynamic Inputs (com.glide.hub.dynamic_inputs)
ServiceNow IntegrationHub Runtime (com.glide.hub.integration.runtime)

Note:

Some of these plugins are licensable features and require appropriate licenses, if used outside the spoke implementation.

Spoke actions

The Utility Actions spoke provides actions to automate tasks when events occur in your ServiceNow instance. Available actions include:


Category	Action	Description
Default	Add File to Zip	Adds the file to list of files to be zipped.
	Append to Delimited File	Creates a file line record, corresponding to a row in the delimited file.
	Append to File	Creates a file line record, corresponding to a line in the file to be created.
	Begin File	Creates a file record, to which the actual file would be attached.
	Begin Zip	Creates a file set record, to which the zip file would be attached.
	Build File	Generates the file and attaches it to the file record specified.
	Build Zip	Generates the zip file and attaches it to the file set record specified. Note: This action requires at least one MID Server with the IntegrationHub Utilities capability.
Spoke Util Actions	Convert Record to Object	Converts the specified record into an object.
	Convert Record to Array of Objects	Converts the given list of records to an array of objects. Note: Flow designers must have read access to the sys_dictionary and sys_db_object tables to use this action as the table schema is being populated from these tables.
	Generate Encoded Query	Generates encoded query with the provided name and value pairs. The output encoded query can be used with any field that is of the type, dynamic template. For example, the encoded query output of the Generated Encoded Query action, can be given as an input for Additional Fields in the Create Issue action.
	Look up Latest Comment on Record	Retrieves the latest comment from the required record in ServiceNow instance. The output comment is in the form of a string.

Spoke module and tables

The Utility Actions spoke includes these tables:


Table	Description	Fields
File [sn_utility_spoke_file]	Information about every file that has been created. The associated file is attached to the record. Note: You must specify Schema if you specify Delimited File for File Type.	File Name File Type Schema
File Line [sn_utility_spoke_file_line]	Information about each row in delimited file.	File Line Content
File Mapping [sn_utility_spoke_file_mapping]	Information about files mapped to a ZIP file. For example, if four files are zipped to a ZIP file, four records are created in this table for each file.	File File Set
File Schema [sn_utility_spoke_file_schema]	Information regarding the delimited files.	Schema Name Columns Delimiter Has Header Quoted
File Set [sn_utility_spoke_file_set]	Information about the zip files. The associated ZIP file is attached to the record.	Zip File Name

The Utility Actions spoke adds the IntegrationHub Utilities application to your instance and includes the File Schemas module. The module displays records from the File Schema table.

Auto Flush data retention policies are available for the File and File Set tables. By default, the system retains data in the spoke tables, except the File Schema table, up to 7 days.

Note:

Auto Flush data retention policies don't apply to records in the File Schema table.
When the file records in the File table are deleted, the corresponding file line records in the File Line table are also deleted.
When the file set records in the File Set table are deleted, the corresponding file mapping records in the File Mapping table are also deleted.

To modify the data retention policy, change the value of Age in seconds in the Auto Flush form of the required table. For more information, see Autoflush form.

Connection and credential alias requirements

This spoke doesn't require configuration of connection and credential alias. For information about setting up the spoke, see Create schema.

MID Server requirements

These actions use REST calls that can run either on an instance or, optionally, through a MID Server. For more information, see MID server.

Note:

The Build Zip action in the spoke requires at least one MID Server with the capability IntegrationHub Utilities or ALL. To set up and configure the MID Server, user must have the role sn_utility_spoke.utility_actions_admin role.
Create a MID Server property with Value as *.service-now.com.

To set up the MID Server for this spoke, see Set up MID Server for a spoke.