User preferences

  • Release version: Xanadu
  • Updated August 1, 2024
  • 3 minutes to read
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    Summary of User preferences

    User preferences in ServiceNow allow individual users to customize various UI features, such as the number of rows displayed per page or the visibility of response time indicators. These preferences tailor the user interface to each user’s needs and are stored as records in theUser preferences [sysuserpreference]table. Preferences update dynamically as users change settings, ensuring consistent UI behavior across sessions.

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    Managing and Troubleshooting User Preferences

    Administrators can view, modify, or delete user preference records via User Administration > User Preferences. Searching by user name helps identify all customizations for troubleshooting purposes. It is important to monitor the number of preferences per user, as exceeding 10,000 records can degrade system and UI performance.

    User preference records differentiate between system-wide defaults and user-specific customizations using the fields System (TRUE for default) and User (empty for default, username for customization). If a user-customized setting creates unexpected UI behavior, administrators can update or remove the corresponding record to resolve it. Changes made by administrators affect the user on their next session but can be overridden by the user’s own customizations.

    Global User Preferences

    Administrators can establish system-wide default preferences by creating user preference records with the System checkbox checked and leaving the User field empty. Each global preference name must be unique to avoid conflicts. These global preferences apply to all users who have not customized the specific feature.

    User Preferences and Update Sets

    System-wide user preferences (global defaults) are stored in update sets, allowing administrators to deploy default settings across instances. Individual user customizations are not included in update sets, preserving personalized configurations when update sets are imported.

    Practical User Preference Examples

    • Tracking user interface settings such as tabbed vs. scrolling forms to maintain user experience consistency.
    • Allowing admin users to adjust certain feature settings through user preference records.
    • Disabling the Next Experience welcome splash screen after instance upgrades by creating a user preference.
    • Configuring available keyboard shortcuts for users by administrators through user preferences.

    Users can configure many UI features, such as the number of rows per page in a list or whether the response time displays at the bottom of a list or form. Administrators can modify or delete these preferences as needed.

    User customizations are stored as records in the User preferences [sys_user_preference] table, and are updated each time the user changes the setting. The UI displays according to each user's preferences.

    For example, the response time may appear at the bottom of lists and forms by default. If a user hides the response time, a user preference record is created for them showing that the response time indicator as hidden. During the user's future sessions, the response time indicator is hidden. If the user later decides to display the response time, the user preference record is updated appropriately, and future sessions open with the response time indicator visible.

    For more information about the preferences available to users, see User preference settings and Next Experience preferences.

    Viewing and troubleshooting user preferences

    Navigate to User Administration > User Preferences for a list of user preference records. Select a preference name to display that preference in the form view. If troubleshooting for a user, search for their user name to find all of their customizations, and then select a preference name to view.

    Note:
    A maximum of 10,000 user preferences can be there for each user, exceeding this limit causes system degradation and UI performance issues.
    Table 1. User preference fields
    Field Description
    Name The name of the feature or functionality.
    Description An optional short description of the feature or functionality.
    System Shows whether this record indicates the system-wide default (TRUE), or not (FALSE).
    Type Shows the data type of entry accepted for the Value. For example, you can select string or integer.
    User Shows the name of the user for whom the setting is customized. If User is empty, the record is for a system-wide default.
    Value The current setting for this record. Compare this value to the User field and System field to determine whether the value shown is a system-wide default or a specific user’s preference.
    You can identify user preference records for system-wide values, also called the default or global values, by the following values:
    • System=TRUE
    • User=blank
    Whenever a user customizes a feature, a separate user preference record is created with the following values:
    • System=FALSE
    • User=<username>
    As a result, the same customizable UI feature may have multiple user preference records.
    Note:
    For some features, the system-wide record doesn’t appear in the User preferences module until a user customizes it, causing a new record to be added to the User preferences.

    If a user encounters an unexplained behavior in the user interface, you can check their user preferences by searching the User preferences list for their user name. Then, delete or update the user preference record that affects the behavior in question.

    Note:
    When an administrator manually changes a user's preference value through this module, the user's next session uses the administrator's setting. However, the user can customize the features again through the UI, which updates their user preference record. If the administrator deletes the user preference record for a particular user, that user's next session uses the system-wide value for that feature. When the user later customizes the feature, the system creates a user preference record for the user.

    Global user preferences

    Create system-wide or global user preferences to set a default preference for your users. To make a preference the default, create a preference, check the System check box, and leave the User field empty.
    Important:
    You should never have more than one preference with the same name set as a global user preference.

    User preferences and update sets

    User preference records for system-wide values, also called the default or global values, are stored in update sets. Any changes are implemented when you import the update set and affect all users who have not customized the feature. User preference records for specific users aren’t stored in update sets, so user customizations are retained when you import an update set. For more information, see System update sets.