Notification variables

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated August 1, 2024
  • 2 minutes to read
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    Summary of Notification variables

    Notification variables in ServiceNow enable you to insert dynamic content into notification messages, such as field values, record links, images, or links to system preferences. These variables enhance the relevance and personalization of notifications by automatically pulling contextual data from records or system settings.

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    Key Features

    • Syntax: Use ${variable-name+variable-parameters} to specify variables. The variable-name is mandatory; parameters are optional and depend on the variable.
    • Field Value Variables: Insert values of specified fields directly into notifications using ${field-name}.
    • Image Variables: Display images associated with records via variables like ${image-field-name}, typically within HTML image tags.
    • Record Links: Use ${URI} or ${URIREF} to add links to the current record, with customizable link text. For reference fields, you can link to related records using ${reference-field.URI} or ${reference-field.URIREF}.
    • CMS Page Links: Link to specific CMS pages using ${CMSURI+relative-path} with the relative path to the CMS page.
    • Notification Content Variables: Insert email body content with ${notification:body} or run mail scripts with ${mailscript: script-name}.
    • Unsubscribe and Preferences Links: Provide recipients with unsubscribe links (${NOTIFUNSUB}) or notification preference links (${NOTIFPREFS}) with customizable link text.
    • Comments and Work Notes: Display recent comments or comments and work notes on the target record using ${comments:n} or ${commentsandworknotes:n}, where n specifies how many to show.

    Important Considerations

    • Workspace-specific records do not support ${URI} and ${URIREF}. Instead, use mail scripts to generate Workspace record URLs.
    • Parameters such as sysparmscriptlet and sysparmview can be appended to link variables to customize link behavior.

    Practical Usage

    By leveraging notification variables, ServiceNow customers can create highly dynamic and informative notifications that automatically adapt to the context of the record and user preferences. This improves communication clarity, user engagement, and operational efficiency by presenting relevant data and actionable links directly within notification messages.

    Use notification variables to display dynamic information in the body of a notification such as a field value, a link to a record, or a link to system preferences.

    Syntax

    Specify a notification variable using this syntax:

    ${variable-name+variable-parameters}

    The variable-name portion is always required. Not all notification variables support the variable-parameters portion. When available, most variable parameters are optional. See the list of available notification variables for variable names and available parameters.

    Available variables

    The system provides these notification variables.

    Table 1. Available notification variables
    Variable Description Available parameters
    ${field-name} Display the value of the specified field. None
    ${image-field-name} Display an image associated with a record. This variable is typically used with HTML to specify the source of an image element. None
    • ${URI}
    • ${URI_REF}
    		 Display a link to the current record.
    • URI: The link text is the word LINK.
    • URI_REF: The link text is the display value of the record.
    Note:
    These variables don't apply to records in Workspace. To link to a record in Workspace, create a mail script that prints a URL to a notification. For more information, see Linking to a record in Workspace.
    		 Any valid sysparm URL parameter. For example:
    • sysparm_scriptlet
    • sysparm_view
    • ${reference-field.URI}
    • ${reference-field.URI_REF}
    		 Display a link to the record listed in a reference field.
    • URI: The link text is the word LINK
    • URI_REF: The link text is the display value of the record.
    		 Any valid sysparm URL parameter. For example:
    • sysparm_scriptlet
    • sysparm_view
    ${CMS_URI} Display a link to the specified record within a CMS page. <CMS-site>/<CMS-page>: The required relative path to the CMS page.
    ${notification:body} Display the body contents of an email template or email notification. Use this notification variable to specify where to display body content in an email layout. None
    ${mail_script:script-name} Run the specified mail script. None
    ${NOTIF_UNSUB} Display a link unsubscribe from this notification. link_text: specify the text to display as a link within quotation marks.
    ${NOTIF_PREFS} Display a link to set notification preferences. link_text: specify the text to display as a link within quotation marks.
    ${comments:n}

    Display the most recent comments that were made on the target record. The number of comments to display is n. For example, ${comments:3} displays the last three comments that were made to the record.

    To display all comments, use the variable ${comments}.

    		 Any number greater than 0.
    ${comments_and_work_notes:n}

    Display the most recent comments and work notes that were made on the target record. The number of comments and work notes to display is n. For example, ${comments_and_work_notes:3} displays the last three comments and work notes that were made to the record.

    To display all comments and work notes, use the variable ${comments_and_work_notes}.

    		 Any number greater than 0.

    Examples

    Refer to the following examples to see how each notification variable is rendered in the output:
    Variable Example
    ${field-name}

    Source: Incident ${number} - comments added

    Output: Incident INC1000001 - comments added
    ${image-field-name}

    Source: <img src='${picture}?t=medium'/>

    Output:notification image variable
    • ${URI}
    • ${URI_REF}

    ${URI} Source: Click here to view incident: ${URI}

    ${URI} Output: Example that shows how the link text word Link serves as the link to the current record

    ${URI_REF} Source: Click here to view incident: ${URI_REF}

    ${URI_REF} Output: Example that shows how the link text displayed is the value of the record
    • ${reference-field.URI}
    • ${reference-field.URI_REF}
    Source: 
    Click here to view Incident: ${URI_REF}
Click here to view Related Problem: ${problem_id.URI_REF}

    Output: Example that shows a link to a record listed in a reference field
    ${CMS_URI}

    Source: ${CMS_URI+ess/incident_detail}

    Output: a link to a target CMS page such as https://<instance name>.service-now.com/ess/incident_detail.do?sysparm_document_key=incident,46e18c0fa9fe19810066a0083f76bd56
    ${notification:body}

    Source: How a variable for the email body works in an email layout.

    Output:How the variable for the link to notification preferences works.
    ${mail_script:script-name}
    ${NOTIF_UNSUB}
    ${NOTIF_PREFS}