Creating an import set web service

  • Release version: Australia
  • Updated March 12, 2026
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Creating an Import Set Web Service

    This guide covers the process of creating a web service import set table in ServiceNow, which is essential for staging and transforming imported data. It outlines the necessary steps to define the structure of the data and how to manage response values.

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    Key Features

    • Create New Web Service: Navigate to All > System Web Services > Inbound > Create New. The web service name corresponds to the import set table name, while the label reflects the resulting table field.
    • Transform Map Creation: Optionally, you can create a transform map during web service creation by checking the "Create transform map" option and selecting a target table.
    • Web Service Fields: All fields are published as xsd:string by default. You can add, modify, or mark fields for deletion as needed.
    • Response Customization: In the transform map script, you can define response values for the web service using specific variable names to customize the output.
    • Debugging: Enable logging of SOAP requests by creating the system property glide.processor.debug.SOAPProcessor and setting it to true for troubleshooting.

    Key Outcomes

    By following this guide, ServiceNow customers will be able to effectively create and manage web service import sets, ensuring seamless data transformation and accurate response handling. The ability to customize responses and debug incoming requests enhances the overall efficiency and reliability of data integration efforts.

    Create a web service import set table to define how to stage and transform imported data.

    Navigate to All > System Web Services > Inbound > Create New.

    Figure 1. Create Web Service

    The Name of the web service is the table name of the import set table whereas the Label field is the resulting table field.

    If you want to create a transform map after creating the web service, check the Create transform map checkbox and choose the target table you want the data to transform into. After the Create button is selected, the web service is created and you will be immediately put into the Table Transform Map form. You may then continue to specify the transform map or script.

    Web Service Fields

    The fields available for this web service. All fields by default are published as the XSD type of xsd:string. The Name is the field that is exposed for the web service and therefore appears as the name of the field in the WSDL. The Label is the label of the field as it appears for the import sets table.

    You can Add, mark for Delete or modify (double-click the field) an existing web service field in this list.
    Note:
    After adding web service fields, click Create to create the web service import set table.

    To add other fields after the Web Service is created, find the target table, and add the fields to that table.

    Mapping web service import sets

    During the creation of the web service import set, you may optionally create the transform map for it.

    All transform maps are executed for the service when it is invoked and the import set mode is set as "Synchronous" (the default).

    The following image is an example of the transform map associated with the Notification web service import set.
    Figure 2. Notification Transform Map

    Adding Web Service Response Values

    In the transform map script associated with a web service import set, some variable values can change the response values of the web service. In addition to the normal variables that are available in a transform map script, the table documents the variables that are available and their effects.
    Table 1. Adding Web Service Response Values
    Variable name Type Description
    response Output Object Javascript object that holds dynamically created response elements used to customize the output response of a web service import set insert.

    Example

    // create new elements called "transaction_id" 
// and "hello" in the web service response
response.transaction_id="abc123";
response.hello="world";
 
status_message="message 1";
// this is the normal status_message variable
    The code snippet example results in the following response being generated back to the web service consumer
    <soapenv:Envelopexmlns:imp="http://www.service-now.com/imp_notification"                  
xmlns:soapenv="http://schemas.xmlsoap.org/soap/envelope/">
<soapenv:Header/><soapenv:Body>
<insertResponse xmlns="http://www.service-now.com/imp_notification">
  <sys_id>969d157c0a0a0baf008ba5770ffa798c</sys_id>
  <table>incident</table>
  <display_name>number</display_name>
  <display_value>INC0010091</display_value>
  <status>inserted</status>
  <status_message>message 1</status_message>
  <transaction_id>abc123</transaction_id>
  <hello>world</hello>
</insertResponse>
</soapenv:Body></soapenv:Envelope>

    Debugging web service import sets

    To debug a SOAP Request coming into the system, create the system property glide.processor.debug.SOAPProcessor.

    Once you have created it, set it to true to have all SOAP requests be logged in the System Log. Set it to false when you are done to keep the size of your System Log to a managed length.