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Connecting ServiceNow to Knowledge Management

This guide provides detailed instructions for connecting your ServiceNow Knowledge Base to the Knowledge Management system, allowing you to leverage your existing IT service management documentation and maintain a single source of truth.

Prerequisites​

Before connecting ServiceNow to the Knowledge Management system, ensure you have:

  • ServiceNow instance (Rome release or later recommended)
  • Admin access or sufficient permissions to create integration users
  • REST API access enabled on your ServiceNow instance
  • Knowledge Management admin privileges in your platform account

Connection Methods​

The OAuth 2.0 integration method provides secure, token-based authentication with your ServiceNow instance.

Step 1: Create a ServiceNow Application Registry​

  1. In ServiceNow, navigate to System OAuth > Application Registry
  2. Click New and select Create an OAuth API endpoint for external clients
  3. Fill in the following details:
    • Name: Knowledge Management Integration
    • Client ID: Generate or specify a client ID
    • Client Secret: Generate a secure client secret
    • Redirect URL: Enter your Knowledge Management callback URL
  4. For the OAuth API Endpoint, set the following:
    • Access Token Lifespan: 1800 (30 minutes)
    • Refresh Token Lifespan: 8640000 (100 days)
    • Scope: knowledge, read
  5. Save the application

Step 2: Configure Knowledge Management​

  1. In your Knowledge Management admin panel, navigate to "External Repositories"
  2. Select "Add Repository" and choose "ServiceNow"
  3. Enter the following details:
    • Connection Name (e.g., "IT Knowledge Base")
    • ServiceNow Instance URL (e.g., "https://company.service-now.com")
    • Client ID and Client Secret from the Application Registry
    • Select OAuth 2.0 as the authentication method
  4. Click "Authorize" to initiate the OAuth flow
  5. After successful authorization, click "Test Connection" to verify the setup
  6. Save the configuration

Method 2: Basic Authentication​

For testing or environments where OAuth is not configured:

  1. In ServiceNow, create a dedicated integration user with knowledge_admin role
  2. In the Knowledge Management admin panel, select "Basic Auth" as the authentication method
  3. Enter the username and password for the integration user
  4. Note: This method is less secure and not recommended for production environments

Content Mapping​

ServiceNow Knowledge Articles to Knowledge Management​

Map ServiceNow fields to Knowledge Management metadata:

ServiceNow FieldKnowledge Management Field
Short DescriptionArticle Title
AuthorAuthor
UpdatedLast Updated
Knowledge BaseCategory
TextContent
AttachmentsAttachments

Content Filtering​

You can filter which content is imported using:

  • Knowledge Bases: Select specific knowledge bases to include
  • Article Types: Filter by article type (how-to, reference, etc.)
  • Workflow State: Import only published articles or include drafts
  • Categories: Filter by ServiceNow categories

Advanced Configuration​

Permissions Sync​

Enable permissions synchronization to maintain the same access controls:

  1. Go to "Repository Settings" > "Permissions"
  2. Enable "Sync Permissions from ServiceNow"
  3. Map ServiceNow roles to Knowledge Management roles
  4. Set the permissions sync frequency

Content Transformation​

Configure how ServiceNow content is transformed during import:

  • HTML Cleaning: Remove ServiceNow-specific markup
  • Image Processing: Configure how embedded images are handled
  • Attachment Handling: Set how file attachments are processed
  • Link Rewriting: Update internal links to work within Knowledge Management

Troubleshooting​

Common Issues​

IssueSolution
Authentication errorsVerify credentials and API access
Missing articlesCheck knowledge base permissions and filtering rules
Formatting issuesAdjust HTML transformation settings
Slow synchronizationOptimize filtering to reduce the volume of articles

Logs and Diagnostics​

Access detailed connection logs:

  1. Go to "System" > "Logs" > "Integration Logs"
  2. Filter for "ServiceNow" connections
  3. Review error messages and timestamps

Performance Optimization​

For large ServiceNow knowledge bases:

  • Start with a smaller subset of articles for initial testing
  • Use incremental syncing to only import new or changed articles
  • Schedule syncs during off-peak hours
  • Consider content archiving strategies for older articles

Next Steps​