Video summary

ServiceNow Crash Course – Learn ServiceNow in Under 45 Minutes

Main summary

Key takeaways

Educational

Main ideas & concepts covered

Purpose and scope of the crash course

  • This crash course provides an overview of ServiceNow.
  • The content is mainly from an end-user perspective, with some administrative tasks.
  • Viewers are encouraged to follow along practically using a free developer instance.

Step-by-step methodology / instructions (detailed)

1) Create and use a free ServiceNow developer instance

  1. Go to developer.servicenow.com.
  2. Create an account.
  3. Request a free personal developer instance (PDI).
  4. Use that instance to follow along with the video.

2) Set up initial login experience and user preferences

  • After logging in, note the start page (dashboard or other page depending on configuration).
  • To change your user experience:
    1. Open Profile (top-right).
    2. Click Settings.
    3. Adjust:
      • Notifications
      • Accessibility
      • Theme / design
      • Dark mode (if enabled on the instance)
      • Display preferences, including:
        • Organize form sections and related lists into tabs (to avoid “infinite scrolling”)
        • Toggle line breaks behavior
      • Debugging options (for developers)
      • User Experience (change the start page)
      • Keyboard shortcuts:
        • View current shortcuts
        • Reassign shortcuts

3) Edit and switch views of the profile

  • From Profile → additional actions / context menu, enter self-service mode.
  • Switch to Default View (or another available view) to see additional standard fields.
  • Depending on permissions:
    • Update personal fields such as job title, last name, first name.
  • If roles/groups can be changed:
    • Update groups and roles (typically admin-controlled, but may be editable for the user).

4) Password and help links (where applicable)

  • Check the Related Links section for items such as:
    • Reset password
    • Change password
    • Help / support / help articles (if configured)

5) Impersonate (act on behalf of) other users (admin capability)

  • If your role allows it:
    1. Choose a user (or multiple users).
    2. Click Impersonate user.
  • The UI you see becomes what that user experiences (permissions apply).
  • Example behaviors noted:
    • Some actions may be blocked if the impersonated user lacks licenses/roles (e.g., appearance customization).
  • When finished:
    • Click End simulation.

6) Perform higher-privilege administrative actions (security administration / ACLs)

  • If you need to change security-related elements such as ACLs:
    1. Enable/upgrade permissions to a Security Administrator privilege (as described).
    2. Navigate to Access Control List (ACL).
    3. Click Update to begin ACL changes.
  • Warning emphasized: ACL changes can cause cascading effects, potentially granting unintended access. Change ACLs only when you’re confident and prepared.

7) Explore instance features and structure

  • Notifications: view items; access support/help items if available.
  • Usage analytics: view overview stats such as page views and users.
  • Sidebar discussions: configure discussions (may or may not be enabled).
  • Scopes / application areas:
    • Understand global scope vs app-specific scopes.
    • To modify a specific application, switch from global to the relevant scope.
  • Global search:
    • Quickly find records by number (e.g., incident number, change request number).
    • Paste a record number into global search to open it quickly.
  • All Applications menu:
    • Navigate to tables such as Users, Groups, Roles, etc.
    • For reports, prefer:
      • Favorites, or
      • Navigate to the Reports page and search there.

8) Build and customize Favorites (including groups)

  • Add to Favorites:
    • Click the star icon next to a page/item.
    • Choose where to add it:
      • Main level / root of Favorites, or
      • A Favorites group (e.g., “permissions”)
    • Optionally rename the favorite item.
  • Organize advanced:
    • Click More to:
      • Create new groups
      • Drag items to reorder
      • Change item icon/color
    • Move items between groups via drag-and-drop.
    • Remove favorites by clicking X.
  • Adding from All Apps:
    1. Open the All menu.
    2. Search for an item (e.g., “changes”).
    3. Add relevant items (e.g., open changes) using star options.

9) List navigation: filtering, searching, and personalizing list views

Using Incidents as the example list:

  • Filtering with conditions
    • Enter values (e.g., David Miller) into list search/columns.
    • Use a condition builder with AND/OR logic.
    • Right-click cells to show matching / apply filter.
    • Modify/remove conditions via the navigation path:
      • Delete the next condition
      • Or collapse and delete
  • Column customization
    • Click the gear icon.
    • Move columns between available and selected, and reorder them.
    • Add fields like the creation date/time (example: “created”).
  • Sorting and visualization
    • Use the three dots menu on columns to:
      • Sort
      • Enable grouping or charts like pie/bar charts (where supported)
      • Optionally use task boards / visualizations
  • Export/import
    • Export filtered results to a chosen format.
    • Import data (e.g., Excel) to populate records.
    • Ensure required fields are filled so required data is not lost.
  • Refresh and search
    • Refresh the list via UI controls or right-click refresh list.
    • Use column-based search bars.

10) Save and reuse filters (including sharing and access control)

  • Build a complex filter (example: Active = yes, Applicant = David Miller).
  • Click Save.
  • Specify:
    • Name for the filter
    • Who can access it:
      • Everyone
      • A specific group
      • Only yourself
  • Recommendation:
    • Save/reuse filters to avoid rebuilding and to save team time.

11) List controls: performance considerations and natural language filters

  • Rows per page
    • More rows can slow page performance.
    • Suggests experimentation (e.g., 20 vs 100 rows); too many can freeze the browser in some cases.
  • Natural language filtering
    • Use natural language to filter without manually building every condition.

12) List record actions, activity, and creating records

  • Activity streams
    • View what happened on records (useful for auditing).
  • Row actions
    • Select records → use actions on selected rows (delete, archive, etc.).
  • Create new record
    • Click Create to open a form for the selected table (example shown: incident).
    • Required fields depend on table configuration (e.g., short description marked required).

13) Form usage: end-user editing vs admin form customization

End-user actions (if not admin)

  • Fill in/update fields like:
    • short description
    • description
    • notes
  • Use form actions such as:
    • Refresh to return to the page you were previously on
    • Right-click Save to save without leaving (as described)

Common form actions (right-click / subheading actions)

  • Create a copy of the record
  • Create tasks based on the incident
  • Create problems or requests
  • Create changes from an incident (as available)

Admin capabilities on forms

  • Change field placement/sections/layout.
  • Customize form views and related lists.
  • Change required/read-only settings and other field behaviors.

14) Customize forms: recommended vs older methods (form layout/design/builder)

The speaker emphasizes that ServiceNow discourages older customization approaches:

  • Form Layout (oldest)
    • Not recommended; ServiceNow prompts to stop using it.
    • Supports variations and selecting different looks/sections.
  • Form Design
    • Discouraged compared to the newest method.
  • Form Builder / Designer (recommended)
    • “Newest and greatest” method.
    • More clearly represents the final form via:
      • Drag-and-drop fields
      • Adding fields from the left panel
      • Preview window option (mentioned, not fully explored in the video)

Recommendation: learn the recommended Form Builder to avoid bad habits and prepare for possible removal of older customization methods.

15) Related lists on forms (including parent/child record relationships)

  • Related lists typically appear at the bottom of forms.
  • Admin/customization can:
    • Add additional related lists.
    • Configure parent/child-style relationships (example conceptually: show related change requests under an incident relationship).

16) Catalog items and workflows (Service Catalog)

  • The Service Catalog contains catalog items.
  • Example catalog item:
    • A request that adds/removes users from a group.
  • Flow concept:
    • The catalog item filters possible targets (e.g., by email domain; “slush bucket” concept mentioned).
    • Select users to add/remove.
    • Choose destination group or role-based target (ITIL example referenced).
    • Order now / add to cart depending on process.
    • Workflow may trigger approval (example approval by Natasha Ingram).
    • After approval, backend automation updates group membership.

Key guidance: automate the full process after approval to reduce manual effort and rework.

17) Workspaces for a single-window experience

  • Workspaces provide multiple capabilities/tables within one interface panel.
  • Example concept:
    • Service Operation Workspace
    • View incidents assigned to you/team
    • Open records without full page reload (updates within the workspace)
  • Benefits:
    • Increased efficiency by reducing navigation between Favorites/All Apps/pages.
  • Workspaces can be customized by adding needed tables and features.

18) Administration: monitoring dashboards and panels

  • Admin area includes overview pages (help-like monitoring examples such as P1/open incidents/issues).
  • Dashboards and monitoring panels
    • Use prebuilt panels or create/duplicate panels.
    • To edit:
      • Use the dashboard/panel editing area.
    • To create a new dashboard:
      • Create new dashboard and add elements/panels.

Panel creation process (example walkthrough)

  • Click Create new panel.
  • Choose creation method:
    • Drag/drop components, or
    • Advanced scripting (optional preference-based approach)
  • Add a component like data visualization.
  • Choose a data source table (example: Incidents).
  • Apply conditions (example: incidents assigned to the current user / system administrator).
  • Fine-tune using other components (text, filters, headers, images, etc.).

19) Knowledge base and portals (mentioned as next areas)

  • Suggested next exploration:
    • Portals
    • Knowledge base
      • Create and manage articles
      • Keep organization updated

Speakers / sources featured

  • Speaker/Instructor: YouTube video narrator (specific name not provided in subtitles).
  • ServiceNow platform: UX features and demo behavior.
  • Named individuals referenced in examples
    • Natasha Ingram (example approval responsible person)
    • Abel Tuter (example user for impersonation/group membership)
    • David Miller (example applicant/complainant used in incident filtering)
    • “System administrator” (role referenced for dashboard filtering example)

Original video