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

Create custom trigger types

Create your own trigger type during the rule creation process that is specific to your organization for improved Proactive Triggers usage.

Before you begin

Role required: sn_pt.proactive_admin or admin

About this task

For a more advanced configuration, create your own custom trigger types. You can create custom trigger types through two different paths.

  1. Through the View All button next to the Trigger types field in Conversational Interfaces > Settings > General > Proactive triggers.
  2. Through the rule creation process.

Procedure

  1. Navigate to Conversational Interfaces > Settings > General, and then select View All next to the Rules field in Proactive Triggers.

  2. Select New to display the Proactive Rule form.

  3. Next to the Trigger type field, select the create new trigger type icon (

Image omitted: workspace-icon-add.png
Create new trigger type icon.\).
  1. On the form, fill in the fields.
FieldDescription
NameName of the custom trigger type.
IDSystem-generated, read-only ID required for API calls. This ID is only displayed after you've submitted the new trigger type and you view the trigger record.
DescriptionTrigger type description.
OrderTrigger run order whenever two rules conflict in the same time frame. The lowest number is evaluated first when multiple triggers are running at the same time.
ActiveOption to activate the trigger type so that it’s available as a trigger type when creating a rule.
Trigger tableThe table referenced in the rule condition builder. Only one trigger type can exist for the same referenced table. For example, if you try to create a trigger type referencing the Knowledge \[kb\_knowledge\] table with a Web browsing source, an error appears when saving the trigger type. This error appears because the default Knowledge trigger already uses this same table and source.
Source

The trigger initiation is either System API or Web browsing. - System API: Calls the Proactive Triggers API. For example, a business rule on the trigger table calls the API that initiates the trigger.

Note: Trigger types with the System API source only work for internal ServiceNow sites and not external sites.

  • Web browsing: Calls to a URL. The default active trigger types are associated with the web browsing source.
Applicable portalThe trigger type is only applicable to select pages on a particular portal.
Image omitted: pt-create-custom-trigger-type.png
Create Trigger Type form.
  1. Select Submit.

    The new, custom trigger type appears as the Trigger Type field value.

What to do next

After creating the custom trigger type, the Create new trigger type button updates to the Preview this record button (

Image omitted: workspace-icon-preview.png
Preview.\). Select **Preview this record** to preview the new trigger type that you created and view the system-generated ID. To make edits to this trigger type, select **Open Record** to manage the parameters of the custom trigger type.

Also, you can make edits to this new trigger type by selecting View All next to the Trigger types field in Conversational Interfaces > Settings > General > Proactive triggers.