Inline scripts

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 6 minutes to read
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    Summary of Inline scripts

    Inline scripts in ServiceNow’s Workflow Studio enable users with coding experience to write scripts that set and modify input values during the configuration of actions or flows. These scripts are designed for small-scale data formatting, transformation, or simple math operations, offering a flexible alternative to creating custom actions or flows for minor logic needs.

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    Inline scripts must return values matching the expected input data type, such as a GlideRecord object for Record inputs or a date-time value for Date inputs. Testing is essential to ensure no runtime errors occur during flow execution.

    Key Features

    • Script Button Access: Available next to inputs in Workflow Studio for actions, flow logic, steps, and subflows, enabling easy script editing.
    • fddata Object: Provides access to data from previous actions, steps, flow variables, subflow inputs, and triggers. Scripts use dot-walking on fddata to reference specific data points.
    • Role-Based Access: Inline scripting is controlled by the flowdesignerscripting role or the Allow Scripting delegated development permission, ensuring only knowledgeable users can create scripts.
    • Code Editor Support: Features syntax coloring, indentation, line numbers, auto-closing braces/quotes, and auto-suggestions to facilitate script writing.
    • Integration with Script Includes: Inline scripts can call script includes to centralize reusable code and reduce duplication.

    Best Practices and Guidelines

    • Use inline scripts for small, non-reusable logic; prefer transform functions for standard data conversions and formatting.
    • Create custom actions or subflows for complex or reusable logic instead of relying on inline scripts.
    • Avoid duplicating existing action or flow functionality in inline scripts—use built-in actions for record operations.
    • Always match the return data type to the expected input/output to prevent runtime errors.
    • Declare variables with the var keyword to maintain proper JavaScript scope and avoid global variable leakage.
    • When processing records output by a Look Up Records action, use For Each flow logic combined with inline scripts referencing fddata and item objects.
    • Include valid exit conditions in loops and use scoped loop counters to prevent infinite loops.

    Practical Usage

    To write inline scripts, click the Script button next to the input in Workflow Studio to open the Script editor. Enter your script, ensuring you include a return statement with the computed value. Use the fddata object with dot-walking syntax to access prior flow data. The editor’s type-ahead suggestions help build these references.

    Save your action, flow, or subflow to refresh available data references if they do not initially appear.

    Licensing and Considerations

    Inline scripts that invoke integration APIs require Integration Hub licensing.

    Summary

    Inline scripts empower ServiceNow customers to efficiently perform small data transformations and formatting within flows and actions, avoiding the overhead of creating custom components for simple logic. By following best practices and leveraging Workflow Studio’s scripting tools and data objects, users can enhance flow functionality while maintaining clean, maintainable, and error-free scripts.

    Enable users with coding experience to write inline scripts that set and modify input values during the configuration of an action or flow. Use inline scripts to modify input values that require small format conversions, data transformations, or math operations.

    You can also modify input values without scripting by using transform functions. For a list of available options, see Transform functions.

    Workflow Studio displays a Script button when you configure these components.
    • Action inputs when you configure the action for a flow
    • Action outputs when you configure the action for a flow
    • Flow logic inputs when you configure the flow logic for a flow
    • Flow logic outputs when you configure the flow logic for a flow
    • Step inputs when you configure the step for an action.
    • Subflow inputs when you configure the subflow for a flow.
    • Subflow ouputs when you configure the subflow for a flow.

    Inline scripts must return values in the same data type as the input expects. For example, an inline script for a Record input must return a GlideRecord object and an inline script for a Date input must return a date-time value. Always test actions and flows containing inline scripts, and verify that there are no runtime errors in the flow execution details.

    Script writers should be familiar with ServiceNow AI Platform table structures and field types. In addition, they should know how to work with record and system data using the ServiceNow API.

    Benefits

    Inline scripts offer these benefits.
    • Enable simple data conversion or transformation without having to create custom actions or flows.
    • Identify which input data a script affects.
    • Restricted access to scripting features to users or groups who are knowledgeable with the available ServiceNow APIs.

    Access to inline script

    You can grant users access to online scripting by either granting them the flow_designer_scripting role or the Allow Scripting delegated development permission. Both the role and the developer permission display a script button field for each Workflow Studio input.

    Script button

    When you enable a user to create inline scripts, Workflow Studio displays a script button next to flow and step inputs.

    Figure 1. Script buttons display beside inputs
    Inputs available for the Log action. The Level and Message inputs display Script buttons.

    Clicking the Script button opens the Script editor, which replaces the standard input interface. Enter a script to compute the input value.

    Ensure your script includes a return statement with the results of your script. For example, return shortDesc; returns the value of the shortDesc variable.

    Figure 2. Script editor for input
    Inputs available for the Log action. The Message input displays the Script editor and a script that returns a math calculation for the square root of 64.

    Clicking the Collapse Script button hides the Script editor and displays a read-only version of the input. Clicking the Expand Script button displays the Script editor and allows you to edit the script.

    Figure 3. Input containing script
    Inputs available for the Log action. The Message input displays the text Scripted (expand to edit).

    Workflow Studio data object

    Script writers can use the fd_data object to access data from previous actions and steps. Use the fd_data object to dot-walk to a specific output of the flow. You can use the script editor type ahead suggestions to select a specific output value. For example, enter fd_data and select _2__for_each.item from the type ahead suggestions to create a dot-walk reference to fd_data._2__for_each.item. This reference accesses data from the second output of the flow, which in this example is a For Each flow logic item.
    Important:
    The fd_data object always requires a dot-walk reference to a specific flow output. Without a dot-walk reference, the inline script cannot access Workflow Studio data.

    Workflow Studio updates the data object each time you save your action, flow, or subflow. If the type ahead suggestions do not include your target, try saving the action, flow, or subflow, and then retyping the period character to refresh the list of suggestions.

    Table 1. Flow Designer data object options
    Data Target Reference Syntax Example
    Action input fd_data.action_inputs.action-input-name var task = fd_data.action_inputs.task;
    Flow variable fd_data.flow_var.flow-variable-name var shortDesc = fd_data.flow_var.short_description;
    Output of prior action, flow logic, or step fd_data._output-target-step-number__output-target-name var taskRecord = fd_data._2__create_task;
    Subflow input fd_data.subflow_inputs.subflow-input-name var reqItem = fd_data.subflow_inputs.requested_item;
    Trigger fd_data.trigger.trigger-data-pill var incident = fd_data.trigger.current;

    General guidelines

    Follow these general guidelines to create reusable and maintainable inline scripts.

    Write inline script for small non-reusable logic
    Use inline script format or modify the data for specific inputs and use cases. For standard and reusable input data conversions and formatting operations, select a transform function instead.
    Review available transform functions
    Workflow Studio provides a list of standard transform functions for data conversions and formatting operations. Rather than write and maintain a custom script solution, select an existing transform function if one is available.
    Call script includes from inline script
    Call a script include from your inline script to reduce the amount of code you write and also to maintain common code in a single location. Use the class constructor to call your script include. For more information about creating a script include, see Script includes.
    var si = new MyScriptInclude();
si.functionOne();
    Create custom actions or subflows for reusable code rather than inline script
    Create custom actions or subflows for reusable or complex data logic such as changing the data type of source data. You may also want to provide custom actions or subflows for flow designers who are not comfortable with code.
    Avoid duplicating action and flow functionality
    Avoid writing inline script that duplicates action and flow functionality. For example, rather than write inline script to perform record operations, use the create and update record baseline actions.
    Avoid data type changes
    Avoid runtime errors by verifying that your inline script provides information in the same data type as the input or output expects.
    Create variables by declaring them with the var keyword
    Use the var keyword to declare variables so that they remain within the proper JavaScript scope. When you create a variable by assigning it a value, JavaScript may attach it to the global object, which can result in variable values persisting outside of the local scope and causing errors.
    Process records outputs with For Each flow logic and the flow data object
    Inline script can only access the records output of a Look Up Records action from For Each flow logic. Add a Look Up Records action to the flow to generate the records output. Add a For Each flow logic to the flow to process each record in the records output. Create an inline script reference to the For Each flow logic using the fd_data and item objects. For example, this reference assumes that the For Each flow logic is the second item in your flow outline fd_data._2__for_each.item.
    Use type ahead suggestions to generate references to flow and action data.
    Create references to flow and action data using the fd_data object. The script editor displays type ahead suggestions for existing flow and action data when you type fd_data. Select a suggestion to build references to flow and action data.
    Note:
    Refer to record data in a For Each flow logic using the item object.
    Scope loop counters

    Script loops don't have a maximum number of iterations, so loops execute infinitely when there is not a valid exit condition.

    To make sure that there is a valid exit condition, use scope loop counters in inline scripts or in script steps within an action. Add var tofor (i=0; i< length; i++) and get for (var i=0; i< length; i++)

    Licensing considerations

    Inline scripts that call integration APIs are subject to Integration Hub licensing.

    Code editor

    The code editor provides text editor support for inline scripts.

    The code editor has these features for the supported language services and Inline scripts.
    • Syntax coloring, indentation, line numbers, and automatic creation of closing braces and quotes
    • Auto-suggestions and auto-completions
    Figure 4. Code editor
    Code editor in Workflow Studio

    Editing tips

    • To insert a fixed space anywhere in your code, press Tab.
    • To indent a single line of code, click in the leading white space of the line and then press Tab.
    • To indent one or more lines of code, select the code and then press Tab. To decrease the indentation, press Shift+Tab.
    • To remove one tab from the start of a line of code, click in the line and press Shift+Tab.
    • To declare variables, use the var keyword so that they remain within the proper JavaScript scope.