Service catalog UI policy

  • Release version: Yokohama
  • Updated January 30, 2025
  • 2 minutes to read
    • Summarize
    Summarized using AI
    This content was generated using new OpenAI-powered functionality. Results are provided on an as is basis and are not guaranteed to be accurate or complete.

    Summary of Service catalog UI policy

    Service catalog UI policies in ServiceNow allow you to control and customize the behavior of catalog item forms shown to users. These policies enable you to define dynamic process flows by applying rules to catalog items or their variable sets, ensuring forms behave appropriately based on user input or conditions.

    Show full answer Show less

    Key Features

    • Scope: A catalog UI policy applies either to a specific catalog item or to any item using a particular variable set.
    • Variables: Policies can only reference variables defined for the targeted catalog item or variable set. Variables must be visible on the form (even if hidden or read-only) and must have names for the policy conditions to evaluate correctly.
    • Limited functionality for some variable types: Mandatory and Read Only actions do not apply to Break, Container Split, Container End, UI Macro, UI Macro with Label, Label, and UI Page variables. Set visible action does not apply to Break, Container Split, and Container End variables.
    • Application in forms: Policies affect variables and variable sets both in service catalog order forms and in Requested Item or Catalog Task forms.
    • Variable sets and containers: Actions applied to a variable set affect all variables within it. When conflicting actions exist between individual variables and variable sets, the action with the highest priority (lowest order) takes effect. The priority order is Mandatory (highest), then ReadOnly/Display.
    • Visibility and editing rules: Mandatory variables without values override read-only or hidden states, making the fields visible and editable. Similarly, a variable set or container that includes mandatory variables cannot be hidden.
    • Precedence: UI policies applied directly to catalog items take precedence over those applied to variable sets by default, but this can be adjusted via the glide.sc.uipolicy.variablesetrunfirst property.
    • Compatibility: Supported in service catalog wizards, allowing dynamic behavior in multi-step ordering processes.

    Practical Application for ServiceNow Customers

    By using catalog UI policies, you can create more intuitive and responsive service catalog forms that enforce required fields, control visibility, and adjust field editability based on user selections or other conditions. This enhances user experience, reduces errors, and streamlines service request processing. When designing your UI policies, carefully consider variable types, the scope of application, and the priority of actions to ensure consistent and predictable form behavior.

    UI policies can be used to define custom process flows for tasks.

    Catalog UI policies control the behavior of catalog item forms when presented to your users. Catalog UI policies can be applied to a catalog item or a variable set.

    UI policies are useful when applied to service catalog items. Keep the following points in mind when creating service catalog UI policies:

    • A catalog UI policy applies to either a specific catalog item or any item that uses a specific variable set.
    • A catalog UI policy can only contain and reference variables that are defined for the catalog item or variable set.
    • Like UI policy conditions, the variables in a service catalog UI policy condition must be visible (even if hidden by UI policy or read-only) on the form for the condition to be tested. Also, ensure that the variables have names. For more information, see Create a catalog client script.
    • Limited UI policy functionality applies to following variables:
      • The Mandatory and Read Only policy do not apply to the following variable types: Break, Container Split, Container End, UI Macro, UI Macro with Label, Label, UI Page.
      • The Set visible policy does not apply to the following variable types: Break, Container Split, Container End.
    • Service catalog UI policies are applied to variables and variable sets of catalog items ordered in the service catalog. Policies can also be applied when the variables are present in a Requested Item or Catalog Task form.
      Note:
      The Clear the variable value UI policy action is not applicable on variable sets and containers.
    • Catalog UI policy actions can be applied on a variable set. The actions on a variable set are applied on all variables within the variable set. If different catalog UI policy actions are applied on a variable or a variable set, the action with the lowest order is considered.
    • The priority order for UI actions types is:
      1. Mandatory (highest)
      2. ReadOnly/Display

      If a variable is set to mandatory and does not have value, readonly or hide do not work on that variable. If a variable is hidden or readonly, and then set to mandatory, the variable field becomes visible or editable.

      This priority order is also applicable for variable sets and containers. If a variable set or container has a mandatory variable without any value, then the container or variable set cannot be hidden.

    • Catalog UI policies are supported for catalog items viewed in a service catalog wizard.
      Note:
      The UI policy for catalog items always takes precedence over UI policy for variable sets. You can change this behavior by editing the glide.sc.ui_policy.variable_set_run_first property.