Response templates

Release version: Xanadu

Updated August 1, 2024

3 minutes to read

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Summary of Response templates

Response templates are reusable messages designed to help ServiceNow users resolve cases or support issues faster and more efficiently. These templates can be copied onto case or task forms for consistent communication or used as standard chat responses in Agent Chat. They are only available for existing records and can be customized with variables and conditions to fit specific use cases.

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Assigning Roles

To manage and use response templates effectively, specific roles must be assigned to users, groups, or roles within your application:

Response template administrator: Manages scoped administration of response templates. This role is inherited by System Administrators by default but can be reassigned or removed.
Response template writer: Can create, read, update, and delete response templates.
Response template reader: Can read and use response templates.

For example, in HR Service Delivery, HR administrators get the administrator role, HR managers get the writer role, and HR case writers get the reader role. In Customer Service Management, customer service managers and agents inherit writer and reader roles, respectively.

Using Response Templates

Users with the writer role can create templates linked to tables extending Task or Interaction. Templates feature a short name for quick access, such as using slash commands in Agent Workspace chat. They can also include variables and condition builders to control availability, such as limiting templates to specific HR services.

Users with the reader role can copy and use these templates when responding to cases or tasks that meet the conditions, ensuring consistent and efficient communication.

Practical Example: Payroll Discrepancy Case

In an HR context, a response template can be created to help HR agents respond to and escalate payroll discrepancy cases quickly. The template is associated with the HR Payroll Case table and filtered by the Payroll Discrepancy service. It includes variables like the employee's name for personalization. HR case writers use this template to provide standardized and timely responses.

Activation

To utilize response templates, the feature must be activated in your ServiceNow instance. Activation installs necessary components, enabling the creation, management, and use of response templates across applications.

Resolve cases or support issues faster and more efficiently with response templates. Response templates (formerly known as templated snippets) are reusable messages that can be copied to case or task forms to provide quick and consistent messages to users, or to display standard chat response messages to requesters in Agent Chat.

Note:

Response templates are available only for existing records.

Assign response template roles

The following roles are installed when you activate the response templates plugin.


Response template role	Description
Response template administrator [sn_templated_snip.template_snippet_admin]	Grants access to scoped administration of the response templates feature.
Response template writer [sn_templated_snip.template_snippet_writer]	Grants access to create, read, update, and delete (CRUD) response template content.
Response template reader [sn_templated_snip.template_snippet_reader]	Grants access to read response template content.
System Administrator [admin]	Response template administrator [sn_templated_snip.template_snippet_admin] Note: Admin inherits this role by default. When the Templated Responses [com.sn_templated_snip] plugin is activated without activating related HR applications, you can still use response templates. Admin can reassign this role to other users. Admin can also remove the Contained Role [sys_user_role_contains] table so Admin users do not inherit this role by default. Or: Enter sys_store_app_list.do in the Filter navigator search bar of an instance, or https://YOUR_INSTANCE/sys_store_app_list.do from a web browser. Search for and select Templated Snippets. Scroll down to Related Links. Click Remove from the role contained by admin.

Before you begin using response templates, you must assign these roles to the appropriate roles, groups, or users in your application.

To assign a role to another role, see Add a role to an existing role.
To assign a role to a group, see Assign a role to a group.
To assign a role to a user, see Assign a role to a user.

For example,

In the HR Service Delivery application, users with the HR administrator role are assigned the response template administrator role, users with the HR manager role are assigned the response template writer role, and users with the HR case writer role are assigned the response template reader role.
In the Customer Service Management application, users with the customer service manager role (sn_customerservice_manager) inherit the response template writer role. Users with the customer service agent role (sn_customerservice_agent) inherit the response template reader role and can access response templates assigned to all groups to which they belong.

How to use response templates

Users with the response template writer [sn_templated_snip.template_snippet_writer] role can create response templates. Each template is associated with a table that is an extension of the Task [task] or Interaction [interaction] table. Response templates include a short name for specifying a shortcut that can be used to identify the message. For chat response templates used in Agent Workspace, agents use the slash command with a short name to present the standard message during a chat. You can also configure the template to

Include variables pulled from a table
Specify a condition builder to specify the conditions that must be met for the template to be available for use, such as for a specific HR service

For more information, see Create or modify a response template.

Users with the response template reader [sn_templated_snip.template_snippet_reader] role can then copy response template content and use it in their responses to users when working on case or task forms that meet the specified conditions. For example, a response template for payroll discrepancy cases enables HR agents to use a standardized message when responding to that case type. See Copy a response template to an HR case for an HR-specific example.

Response template to escalate payroll discrepancy cases

You are part of an enterprise HR organization using the HR Service Delivery application. You want your HR agents to respond to and, when necessary, escalate payroll discrepancy cases quickly and consistently. Create a response template so that HR agents have a reusable message to use when responding to employees about that case type.

One of your HR managers with the response template writer role is responsible for creating the template to escalate payroll discrepancy cases. The template is associated with the HR Payroll Case [sn_hr_core_case_payroll] table, and a condition filters on cases that match the appropriate HR service called Payroll Discrepancy. In the template body, the response text appears with variables, such as the subject person name in the salutation.

HR case writers with the response template reader role can copy the response template content and use it in their responses to employees when working on cases. Response templates provide a faster and efficient way to resolve cases.

Activation information

To use response templates in your application, you must activate response templates. For information on what components are installed with the feature, see Components installed with response templates.