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Authentication Algorithms › Connections and Credentials › Access Management
Release: Australia · Updated: 2026-03-12 · Official documentation · View source

Configure a custom authentication algorithm

Generate the custom data needed to authenticate to a web service by running script.

Before you begin

  • JavaScript knowledge
  • REST knowledge
  • Target web service API knowledge
  • Connection, credential, and alias knowledge
  • Role required: Developer

About this task

Use a connection and credential alias and custom authentication based algorithm for authentication.

Procedure

  1. Navigate to All > Credentials & Connections > Authentication Algorithms, and click New.

  2. On the form, fill in the fields.

    The database selection in the Format field determines which fields are available.

FieldDescription
NameUnique name of this algorithm.
AlgorithmOutbound request type. Select Custom Authentication.
DescriptionDescription of what your algorithm does.
ApplicationScope that your application runs in.
Instance Authentication Script

Script that you select from the Script Includes table. The scripts available are as follows:- RequestAuthAWSV4Signer - RequestAuthInternal - RequestAuthSampleCustomSigner - RequestAuthTwitterSigner Note:

  • To know more about the script click the information icon next to the field. The details of the script such as Name, API Name, Application, Accessible from, Script, and so on is displayed.
  • In case of custom authentication with Twitter, you can choose RequestAuthTwitterSigner, since it uses an OAuth 1.0a method of authentication. This requires informations such as API key and secret and Access token and secret that can be used to create signatures to pass in an authorization header. For more information, see Authentication in Twitter.
MID Authentication ScriptScript that you select from the MID Server Script Includes \[Discovery view\] table. The scripts available are as follows:- RequestAuthAWSV4Signer - RequestAuthInternal - RequestAuthSampleCustomSigner - RequestAuthTwitterSigner
Image omitted: custom-authentication-algorithm.png
Twitter authentication algorithm
Based on the selected scripts and authentication algorithm, the configured credentials is sent as outbound request from ServiceNow to the provider.

  1. Click Update.

  2. Navigate to All > Connections & Credentials > Credentials.

  3. Click New.

  4. Create Twitter Credentials with Authentication Algorithm.

    In this case TwitterAuthAlgo.

  5. Specify the fields:

    • Name
    • Active
    • Access token
    • Access token secret
    • Consumer key
    • Consumer secret
    • Credential alias
    • Authentication Algorithm
Image omitted: twitter-algorithm.png
Twitter Credentials
  1. Click Update.

REST step with Twitter

In case of Twitter, you must ensure the following spokes or credentials are available:

  • Access token
  • Access token secret
  • Consumer key
  • Consumer secret
  • Authentication Algorithm

Action: TwitterAuthAlgo.

Input REST step with Twitter as follows:

  • Credentials Alias: The alias that is created for Twitter.
  • Base URL: Base URL details from Twitter.
  • HTTPS Method: In this case it is POST method. Posting a tweet.
  • Query Parameters: Action as tweet.
Image omitted: twitter-post.png
Post Tweet

You can test the action. The tweet is posted on the Twitter page.