Connecting ServiceNow with other systems
An integration allows a ServiceNow workflow to use information or perform an action beyond the platform. Good integrations define system ownership, data direction, security, failure handling, and operational responsibility before exchanging a single record.
Choose a pattern around the business event
An integration may query data on demand, send an event, synchronize selected records, create a task in another system, or receive an update. The pattern should match timing, volume, source-of-truth, and recovery needs.
Point-to-point synchronization is not automatically the answer. Sometimes ServiceNow only needs a reference, a triggered action, or a current response from the owning system.
- Inbound and outbound APIs
- Scheduled, event-driven, or on-demand exchange
- Clear source-of-truth and field ownership
- Idempotency and duplicate protection
Integration Hub makes actions reusable
Integration Hub provides prebuilt connectors, called spokes, plus reusable actions that can be used in workflows. Teams can also create custom actions for APIs or systems not covered by an existing spoke.
This keeps connection logic closer to the workflow while allowing credentials, inputs, outputs, and errors to be handled consistently.
- Prebuilt spokes and connectors
- Custom reusable actions
- REST, SOAP, JDBC, and data formats such as JSON
- Workflow Studio integration steps
Operate integrations as production services
Credentials should be protected and rotated, access should be limited, and sensitive values should not be embedded in scripts. Connections to private networks may require a MID Server or another approved network pattern.
Monitoring must distinguish temporary failures from invalid data and permanent configuration issues. Every integration needs an owner, a recovery path, and a way to reconcile missed transactions.
- Managed credentials and least privilege
- MID Server for appropriate private-network access
- Error handling, retry, and reconciliation
- Logging, alerting, and named ownership
Common questions
What is a ServiceNow spoke?
A spoke is a package of integration actions and supporting content for a particular system or capability, designed for reuse in flows.
What is a MID Server?
A MID Server is software installed within a customer's network that can facilitate communication between a ServiceNow instance and systems inside that network without accepting inbound connections from the instance.
Can ServiceNow use REST APIs?
Yes. ServiceNow can expose and consume REST APIs, and it also supports other integration approaches. The appropriate method depends on the connected system and operational requirements.