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Release: Australia · Updated: 2026-03-12 · Official documentation · View source

Record API - ServiceNow Fluent

The Record API defines records in any table. Use the Record API to define application metadata that doesn't have a dedicated ServiceNow Fluent API.

Note: For the latest ServiceNow Fluent API documentation and examples, see the ServiceNow Fluent API reference and ServiceNow SDK examples repository on GitHub.

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ServiceNow Fluent

Record object

Add data to any table with a record.

NameTypeDescription
$idString or NumberRequired. A unique ID for the metadata object. When you build the application, this ID is hashed into a unique sys\_id. For more information, see ServiceNow Fluent language constructs.Format: `Now.ID['String' or Number]`
tableStringRequired. The name of the table to which the record belongs.
dataObjectFields and their values in the table. For example: 
data: {
   state: 'Ready',
   task: 'Add demo data'
}
To use text content from another file, refer to a file in the application using the `Now.include` syntax. For more information, see ServiceNow Fluent language constructs. 
data: {
   script: Now.include('./script-file.js'),
   html: Now.include('./html-file.html'),
   css: Now.include('./css-file.css')
 }
$metaObject

Metadata for the application metadata.With the installMethod property, you can map the application metadata to an output directory that loads only in specific circumstances.

$meta: {
      installMethod: 'String'
}

Valid values for installMethod:

  • demo: Outputs the application metadata to the metadata/unload.demo directory to be installed with the application when the Load demo data option is selected.
  • first install: Outputs the application metadata to the metadata/unload directory to be installed only the first time an application is installed on an instance.

In this example, a record defining a menu category is added to the Menu Category [sys_app_category] table. The menu category style is defined in the css-file.css file.

import { Record } from "@servicenow/sdk/core";

export const appCategory = Record({
   table: 'sys_app_category',
   $id: Now.ID[9],
   data: {
      name: 'example',
      style: Now.include\('./css-file.css'\),
   },
})

In this example, a record defining an incident is added to the Incident [incident] table.

import { Record } from '@servicenow/sdk/core';

export const incident1 = Record({
  $id: Now.ID['incident-1'],
  table: 'incident',
  data: {
    active: 'true',
    approval: 'not requested',
    description: 'Unable to send or receive emails.',
    incidentState: '1',
    shortDescription: 'Email server is down.',
    subcategory: 'email',
    callerId: '77ad8176731313005754660c4cf6a7de',
  }
})

In this example, a record defining a server is added to the Server [cmdb_ci_server] table.

import { Record } from '@servicenow/sdk/core';

export const ciserver1 = Record({
  $id: Now.ID['cmdb-ci-server-1'],
  table: 'cmdb_ci_server',
  data: {
    assetTag: 'P1000199',
    attested: 'false',
    canPrint: 'false',
    company: 'e7c1f3d53790200044e0bfc8bcbe5deb',
    cost: '2160',
    costCc: 'USD',
    cpuSpeed: '633',
    cpuType: 'GenuineIntel',
    diskSpace: '100',
    manufacturer: 'b7e7d7d8c0a8016900a5d7f291acce5c',
    name: 'DatabaseServer1',
    os: 'Linux Red Hat',
    shortDescription: 'DB Server',
    subcategory: 'Computer',
  }
})