generic-crud-operations

Generic CRUD Operations

Overview

ServiceNow MCP provides generic tools that work on ANY table in the platform. This skill teaches you how to perform Create, Read, Update, and Delete (CRUD) operations across 160+ ServiceNow tables without needing specialized tools for each.

What problem does it solve? Provides a single, consistent approach to table operations
Who should use this skill? Developers, administrators, and integrators working with ServiceNow data
What are the expected outcomes? Ability to query, create, update, and retrieve records from any table

Prerequisites

MCP ServiceNow server configured and running
Appropriate ServiceNow roles for target tables (varies by table)
Basic understanding of ServiceNow table structure (sys_id, display values)

Procedure

Step 1: Discover Table Schema

Before working with any table, understand its structure using schema discovery.

Get Basic Schema:

Tool: SN-Get-Table-Schema
Parameters:
  table_name: incident

Response includes:

Field names and types
Field lengths and mandatory flags
Reference table relationships
Choice values for choice fields

Get Extended Schema:

Tool: SN-Discover-Table-Schema
Parameters:
  table_name: incident
  include_relationships: true

Response includes:

All base schema information
Parent/child table relationships
Referenced tables and foreign keys

Step 2: Query Records (Read)

Query any table using filters, field selection, and pagination.

Basic Query:

Tool: SN-Query-Table
Parameters:
  table_name: incident
  query: active=true
  limit: 10

Query with Field Selection:

Tool: SN-Query-Table
Parameters:
  table_name: incident
  query: active=true^priority=1
  fields: sys_id,number,short_description,state,assigned_to
  limit: 20

Query with Pagination:

Tool: SN-Query-Table
Parameters:
  table_name: incident
  query: active=true
  fields: number,short_description
  limit: 50
  offset: 100

Query with Ordering:

Tool: SN-Query-Table
Parameters:
  table_name: incident
  query: active=true^ORDERBYDESCpriority
  fields: number,short_description,priority
  limit: 25

Step 3: Get Single Record (Read)

Retrieve a specific record by sys_id.

Get Record:

Tool: SN-Get-Record
Parameters:
  table_name: incident
  sys_id: abc123def456...

Get Record with Field Selection:

Tool: SN-Get-Record
Parameters:
  table_name: incident
  sys_id: abc123def456...
  fields: number,short_description,state,priority,assigned_to

Step 4: Create Records (Create)

Create new records in any table with proper field values.

Create Record:

Tool: SN-Create-Record
Parameters:
  table_name: incident
  data:
    short_description: Network connectivity issue in Building A
    description: Users in Building A floor 3 unable to access network resources
    category: network
    subcategory: connectivity
    impact: 2
    urgency: 2
    caller_id: <user_sys_id>
    assignment_group: <group_sys_id>

Response Returns:

sys_id of the created record
number (if auto-generated)
All created field values

Create Record with Reference Fields:

Tool: SN-Create-Record
Parameters:
  table_name: task
  data:
    short_description: Follow up with customer
    parent: <parent_task_sys_id>
    assigned_to: <user_sys_id>
    assignment_group: <group_sys_id>
    due_date: 2024-12-31

Step 5: Update Records (Update)

Update existing records by sys_id.

Update Single Field:

Tool: SN-Update-Record
Parameters:
  table_name: incident
  sys_id: abc123def456...
  data:
    state: 2

Update Multiple Fields:

Tool: SN-Update-Record
Parameters:
  table_name: incident
  sys_id: abc123def456...
  data:
    state: 2
    assigned_to: <user_sys_id>
    work_notes: Investigation in progress
    priority: 2

Update Reference Fields:

Tool: SN-Update-Record
Parameters:
  table_name: incident
  sys_id: abc123def456...
  data:
    assignment_group: <new_group_sys_id>
    assigned_to: <new_user_sys_id>

Step 6: Batch Operations

Perform multiple operations efficiently.

Batch Create:

Tool: SN-Batch-Create
Parameters:
  records:
    - table: sys_user_group
      data:
        name: Network Support L1
        description: Level 1 network support
    - table: sys_user_group
      data:
        name: Network Support L2
        description: Level 2 network support
    - table: sys_user_group
      data:
        name: Network Support L3
        description: Level 3 network support

Batch Update:

Tool: SN-Batch-Update
Parameters:
  updates:
    - table: incident
      sys_id: abc123...
      data:
        state: 6
        resolution_code: Solved
    - table: incident
      sys_id: def456...
      data:
        state: 6
        resolution_code: Solved
    - table: incident
      sys_id: ghi789...
      data:
        state: 6
        resolution_code: Solved

Common Field Patterns

System Fields (All Tables)

Field	Description	Notes
`sys_id`	Unique identifier	32-character GUID, read-only
`sys_created_on`	Creation timestamp	Read-only
`sys_created_by`	Creator username	Read-only
`sys_updated_on`	Last update timestamp	Read-only
`sys_updated_by`	Last updater username	Read-only
`sys_mod_count`	Modification count	Read-only
`sys_class_name`	Table name	For extended tables

Reference Fields

Reference fields link to records in other tables.

Setting a Reference:

{
  "assigned_to": "5137153cc611227c000bbd1bd8cd2007"
}

Getting Display Values:

Tool: SN-Query-Table
Parameters:
  table_name: incident
  query: active=true
  fields: number,assigned_to,assigned_to.name,assigned_to.email
  limit: 10

Response includes:

{
  "assigned_to": {
    "value": "5137153cc611227c000bbd1bd8cd2007",
    "display_value": "John Smith"
  },
  "assigned_to.name": "John Smith",
  "assigned_to.email": "john.smith@example.com"
}

Choice Fields

Choice fields have predefined values.

Get Available Choices:

Tool: SN-Query-Table
Parameters:
  table_name: sys_choice
  query: name=incident^element=state
  fields: value,label

Common Incident States:

Value	Label
1	New
2	In Progress
3	On Hold
6	Resolved
7	Closed

Date/Time Fields

Date Format: YYYY-MM-DD DateTime Format: YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS

Example:

{
  "due_date": "2024-12-31",
  "work_start": "2024-12-01 09:00:00"
}

Tool Usage

MCP Tools (Claude Code/Desktop)

Tool	Purpose
`SN-Query-Table`	Query records with filters
`SN-Get-Record`	Get single record by sys_id
`SN-Create-Record`	Create new records
`SN-Update-Record`	Update existing records
`SN-Get-Table-Schema`	Discover table structure
`SN-Discover-Table-Schema`	Extended schema with relationships
`SN-Batch-Create`	Create multiple records
`SN-Batch-Update`	Update multiple records

REST API (ChatGPT/Other)

Endpoint	Method	Purpose
`/api/now/table/{table}`	GET	Query records
`/api/now/table/{table}/{sys_id}`	GET	Get single record
`/api/now/table/{table}`	POST	Create record
`/api/now/table/{table}/{sys_id}`	PATCH	Update record
`/api/now/table/{table}/{sys_id}`	PUT	Replace record
`/api/now/table/{table}/{sys_id}`	DELETE	Delete record

REST Query Parameters:

Parameter	Description
`sysparm_query`	Encoded query string
`sysparm_fields`	Comma-separated field list
`sysparm_limit`	Maximum records to return
`sysparm_offset`	Records to skip (pagination)
`sysparm_display_value`	Return display values (`all`, `true`, `false`)

Native Tools (Claude Code)

Use the MCP tools above as the primary path. Raw REST is a last resort only when an operation is unavailable through MCP. In that case, rely on an organization-approved local credential helper that is already configured outside the conversation. Never ask the user to paste authentication material, embed it in a command, or generate a request containing authentication headers. Preserve the same schema checks, field selection, pagination, ACLs, and explicit instance targeting used by the MCP workflow.

Best Practices

Always Check Schema First: Use SN-Get-Table-Schema before working with unfamiliar tables
Specify Fields: Include only needed fields to reduce response payload and improve performance
Use Pagination: For large datasets, use limit and offset to page through results
Validate sys_ids: Reference fields require valid sys_ids from the referenced table
Handle Errors: Check response for error messages, especially on create/update operations
Batch Operations: Use batch tools for multiple records (5-10+ operations) for efficiency

Troubleshooting

Record Not Found

Symptom: Query returns empty results or get returns 404 Cause: Invalid sys_id, record deleted, or insufficient permissions Solution: Verify sys_id exists and user has read access to the table

Permission Denied (403)

Symptom: 403 Forbidden error on create/update Cause: User lacks write permissions to the table or specific fields Solution: Check ACLs and required roles for the table operation

Invalid Field Value

Symptom: Create/update fails with field validation error Cause: Value doesn't match field type or choice list Solution: Check field schema for valid values, especially for choice and reference fields

Reference Field Rejected

Symptom: Reference field value not saved Cause: Invalid sys_id or referenced record doesn't exist Solution: Query the reference table to get valid sys_ids

Mandatory Field Missing

Symptom: Create fails with mandatory field error Cause: Required field not provided in data Solution: Check schema for mandatory fields and include all required values

Examples

Example 1: Query Active Users

Tool: SN-Query-Table
Parameters:
  table_name: sys_user
  query: active=true
  fields: sys_id,user_name,name,email,department
  limit: 50

Example 2: Create Configuration Item

Tool: SN-Create-Record
Parameters:
  table_name: cmdb_ci_server
  data:
    name: web-server-01
    ip_address: 192.168.1.100
    os: Linux Red Hat
    cpu_count: 4
    ram: 16384
    classification: Production
    environment: Production

Example 3: Update Multiple Incidents

Tool: SN-Batch-Update
Parameters:
  updates:
    - table: incident
      sys_id: inc001...
      data:
        assignment_group: <network_team_id>
        work_notes: Routing to network team per triage
    - table: incident
      sys_id: inc002...
      data:
        assignment_group: <network_team_id>
        work_notes: Routing to network team per triage

Example 4: Get Record with Dot-Walking

Tool: SN-Query-Table
Parameters:
  table_name: incident
  query: number=INC0010001
  fields: number,short_description,caller_id.name,caller_id.email,caller_id.department.name

Example 5: Paginated Query

# Page 1
Tool: SN-Query-Table
Parameters:
  table_name: change_request
  query: state=-1
  fields: number,short_description,start_date,end_date
  limit: 100
  offset: 0

# Page 2
Tool: SN-Query-Table
Parameters:
  table_name: change_request
  query: state=-1
  fields: number,short_description,start_date,end_date
  limit: 100
  offset: 100

Related Skills

itsm/natural-language-queries - Natural language search mastery
itsm/quick-reference - ITSM quick reference card
admin/batch-operations - Advanced batch operations

About this skill

Overview

Prerequisites

Procedure

Step 1: Discover Table Schema

Step 2: Query Records (Read)

Step 3: Get Single Record (Read)

Step 4: Create Records (Create)

Step 5: Update Records (Update)

Step 6: Batch Operations

Common Field Patterns

System Fields (All Tables)

Reference Fields

Choice Fields

Date/Time Fields

Tool Usage

MCP Tools (Claude Code/Desktop)

REST API (ChatGPT/Other)

Native Tools (Claude Code)

Best Practices

Troubleshooting

Record Not Found

Permission Denied (403)

Invalid Field Value

Reference Field Rejected

Mandatory Field Missing

Examples

Example 1: Query Active Users

Example 2: Create Configuration Item

Example 3: Update Multiple Incidents

Example 4: Get Record with Dot-Walking

Example 5: Paginated Query

Related Skills

References