ServiceNow

Connecting ServiceNow with Atomicwork

Connect ServiceNow with Atomicwork to sync users, catalog items, and automate support.

The Atomicwork–ServiceNow integrations enables your organization to use Atom as the single front door for knowledge and support requests, while your service teams continue to operate within ServiceNow. This centralizes employee interactions and maintains operational continuity, while enabling bi-directional sync between both platforms

Prerequisites

To connect ServiceNow to Atomicwork, you need:

• Organization administrator access in Atomicwork
• Administrator access to your ServiceNow instance with permission to create OAuth applications

Connect ServiceNow to Atomicwork

Step 1: Sign in to the ServiceNow developer portal

1. Sign in to the ServiceNow developer portal at https://developer.servicenow.com/dev.do.

1. If you do not have an account, then select New user? Get a ServiceNow ID to create one.

1. Once logged in, you’ll land on your developer instance.

Step 2: Open Application Registry

1. In the top navigation, click All. In the filter that appears, type Application Registry and open the registry.
2. Click New, and then select [Deprecated UI] Create an OAuth API endpoint for external clients. Note: Only the user interface is deprecated; the functionality remains identical to the updated interface.

Step 3: Fill out application details

1. Fill out the registry record fields carefully using the parameters in the following table:

Default Grant type defaults to "Resource Owner Password Credentials". Change it to "Client Credentials".

1. Click on Submit.

Step 4: Save your credentials

1. Re-open your newly saved registry profile from your active list.
2. Copy down the Client ID and Client Secret (click the padlock icon to reveal the alphanumeric string) to a temporary, secure note.

Step 5: Connect ServiceNow in Atomicwork

1. In your Atomicwork tenant, navigate to to Settings > App store > ServiceNow in the left navigation.
2. Click Connect and paste in the following values:
   • Instance URL — your ServiceNow URL (e.g., https://dev3XXXXX.service-now.com)
   • Client ID
   • Client Secret

Click on Connect. An external modal from ServiceNow instance will open, asking you to verify the integration. Review the requested permissions and click Allow.

You will be redirected to your Atomicwork tenant with the connection established automatically.

Linking ServiceNow applications to Atomicwork workspaces

After establishing the connection, you must map your Atomicwork workspaces to the corresponding ServiceNow applications. The integration supports a one-to-one mapping between an Atomicwork workspace and a ServiceNow module, such as IT Service Management (ITSM).

1. In Atomicwork, navigate to Settings > App store > ServiceNow.
2. Click Manage on the Link ServiceNow applications to Atomicwork card.
3. Click Link application in the top-right corner.
4. Select the appropriate Atomicwork workspace (for example, "IT Support") and the corresponding ServiceNow application (such as "ITSM").

[!NOTE] Connecting ServiceNow removes any service catalogs created in Atomicwork. Only items synced from ServiceNow will be available. Move any catalogs you want to keep into ServiceNow before connecting.

5. Click Save. The linked pair now appears in your active connections list.

What syncs between ServiceNow-Atomicwork

When you link a workspace, Atomicwork automatically initiates a one-way synchronization from ServiceNow to Atomicwork. Changes made in Atomicwork do not sync back to these specific objects in ServiceNow. The following resources sync automatically:

• Users: All active users in ServiceNow.
• Agents: Users belonging to groups with the itil role.
• Agent groups: Groups assigned the itil or itil_admin role.
• Service catalog items: Requestable services and their associated form variables.

Incidents do not use a catalog structure in ServiceNow. Consequently, incidents are created as generic intake records and do not require a sync.

Setting up users and agent groups in ServiceNow

Atomicwork only synchronizes users who belong to a ServiceNow group with the correct role. A group with the itil role maps its members as Workspace Agents in Atomicwork, while a group with the itil_admin role maps its members as Workspace Admins.

To configure users and groups in ServiceNow, perform the following procedures:

A. Create a user

1. In the ServiceNow top navigation menu, click All, type "Users" in the filter, and select User Administration > Users.
2. Click New.
3. Enter the User ID, First name, Last name, Email, and Password. Ensure that the Active checkbox is selected.
4. Click Submit.

B. Create an agent group

1. In the All menu, type "Groups" in the filter and select User Administration > Groups.
2. Click New.
3. Enter a group name (such as "IT Support — Atomicwork") and optional details like description or manager.
4. Click Submit.

C. Assign a role to the group

1. Open the record of the group you created.
2. Scroll to the Roles related list at the bottom of the form and click Edit.
3. Add the appropriate role:
   • Use the selection tool to add itil to sync members as Workspace Agents.
   • Add itil_admin to sync members as Workspace Admins.
4. Click Save.

D. Add the user to the group

1. On the same group record, scroll to the Group Members related list and click Edit.
2. Locate the user you created, move them to the selected list, and click Save.

The updated users and roles will appear in your linked Atomicwork workspace during the next synchronization cycle.

Creating service catalog items in ServiceNow

Atomicwork imports active service catalog items and their form variables to display them in the workspace catalog. To set up a catalog item, complete the following steps:

A. Create the catalog item

1. In the ServiceNow top navigation menu, click All, type "Maintain Items" in the filter, and select Service Catalog > Catalog Definitions > Maintain Items.
2. Click New.
3. Fill in the Name, Short description, Catalog (such as "Service Catalog"), and Category. Ensure that the Active checkbox is selected, and click Submit.

B. Add variables to the catalog item

1. Open the catalog item you created.
2. Scroll to the Variables related list at the bottom of the form and click New.
3. Select a variable Type (such as Single Line Text, Multi Line Text, Choice, Date, Reference, or Checkbox).
4. Fill in the Question (the label visible to the requester) and the Name (the internal key). Set mandatory or default values if required, and click Submit.
5. Arrange the variables in your preferred sequence by updating the Order field on each variable record.

For variable types that Atomicwork supports natively, they are imported as-is and remain editable. Unsupported variable types are converted to plain-text fields upon import. Dynamic form behaviors configured in ServiceNow, such as UI policies, client scripts, or catalog client scripts, do not transfer to Atomicwork; these fields render statically.

Setting up the ServiceNow Knowledge Connector

The Knowledge Connector syncs your ServiceNow Knowledge Base (KB) articles so that Atom can answer employee questions.

1. In Atomicwork, navigate to Settings > Knowledge under Atom AI.
2. Click on Add folder at the top right.
3. Select ServiceNow as your knowledge source. This displays all knowledge bases configured in your connected ServiceNow instance, with categories and subcategories rendered as folders.
4. Select the specific knowledge bases, categories, or individual articles you want to ingest.
5. Click Save to begin the ingestion process.

Establishing personal connections for users and agents

The integration uses a two-level connection model. The administrator connection authorizes Atomicwork to communicate with your ServiceNow instance. Additionally, each user and agent must establish a personal connection to authorize actions performed on their behalf, such as posting ticket comments under their own name.

For end users

End users can establish their personal connection in two ways:

• During a request: If a user raises a request in Slack, Microsoft Teams, or the portal without an active connection, Atom prompts them with a Connect to ServiceNow button.
• From user settings: Users can navigate to Settings > Connections in the Atomicwork portal and click Connect on the ServiceNow card.

Both paths initiate the ServiceNow OAuth login flow where users authenticate with their ServiceNow credentials.

For agents

Agents can establish their personal connection through two paths:

• From settings: Navigate to Settings > Connections and click Connect on the ServiceNow card.
• From a ticket: If an agent attempts to comment on a request without a personal connection, the comment box remains locked and displays a Connect banner. Clicking this banner launches the OAuth authentication flow. Once connected, the comment box unlocks, and replies are attributed to their ServiceNow user account.

Choosing notification preferences

You can configure how request notifications are delivered to your users. We recommend selecting one of the following options during setup. For more information on configuring notifications, see Stay updated with notifications.

• Option 1: Atomicwork handles all notifications (Recommended) Atomicwork sends all notifications across email, Slack, and Microsoft Teams. You must disable native ServiceNow email notifications in the ServiceNow user interface. This approach ensures a consistent end-user experience, as all notification links direct users back to Atomicwork.
• Option 2: Split notifications between ServiceNow and Atomicwork ServiceNow continues to send native email notifications, while Atomicwork sends Slack and Microsoft Teams notifications. You can configure ServiceNow placeholders for request links within the Atomicwork user interface. Note that this configuration directs users to different platforms depending on the communication channel they use.

If you choose to route email notifications through Atomicwork, see Setting up email as a channel in Atomicwork for setup instructions.

Understanding agent assignment

Ticket assignment behaviors depend on whether your workspace uses AI Coworkers:

• If you use AI Coworkers, then assignment behavior is managed through the instructions configured on the AI Coworker. The instructions define how the AI coworker routes, picks up, or hands off tickets. To configure these instructions, see Setting up an AI Coworker.
• If you do not use AI Coworkers, then assignment operates through your existing platform workflows. This includes Atomicwork's native assignment workflows or your existing ServiceNow workflows, with the status reflected back in Atomicwork. For more details on managing tickets, see Assigning and working on requests.

Next steps

Now that you have connected ServiceNow with Atomicwork, you can explore further configurations to optimize your workspace. We recommend reviewing our guide on Setting up an AI Coworker to automate ticket triage, or learn more about managing knowledge sources in Trusted knowledge for employee questions.

Understanding the ServiceNow-Atomicwork integration

Connect ServiceNow to Atomicwork to sync tickets, knowledge, and catalogs bi-directionally.

The Atomicwork-ServiceNow integration allows you to use Atomicwork as the AI and experience layer for your employees while maintaining ServiceNow as your system of record. Employees can find answers and submit requests through Slack, Microsoft Teams, the Atomicwork portal, or email. Tickets, comments, and status changes sync bi-directionally in near real time so your agents can work from either platform. This integration focuses on the IT Service Management (ITSM) module, specifically incidents, service requests, knowledge bases, and the service catalog.

How the integration works

ServiceNow remains the source of truth for users, agents, groups, and service catalog items. These objects flow one-way from ServiceNow into Atomicwork.

Changes made to users, agents, agent groups or service catalog items in Atomicwork do not push back to ServiceNow.

Two-way sync is reserved for tickets (incidents and service requests), comments (public and internal work notes), and status changes. This ensures that actions taken by an agent or AI Coworker in one system show up in the other in near real time.

The integration anchors on two ServiceNow roles for agent definition:

• itil: Maps to Workspace Agent in Atomicwork.
• itil_admin: Maps to Workspace Admin in Atomicwork.

Because some ServiceNow concepts do not have a direct counterpart in Atomicwork, the integration maps them as follows:

• Service requests: ServiceNow models service requests across a parent Service Request and child Request Items. Atomicwork does not use a two-level model, so the integration maps each ServiceNow Request Item 1:1 to an Atomicwork ticket. The parent hierarchy is recorded in the backend but is not exposed in the user interface.
• Incidents: Mapped 1:1.
• Service catalog: ServiceNow's three-level hierarchy (Catalog, Category, Subcategory) collapses to a two-level hierarchy (Category, Service catalogs) in Atomicwork. The top-level ServiceNow catalog appears as the Technical / Service Catalog container in Atomicwork.

[!NOTE] Connecting ServiceNow removes any service catalogs created in Atomicwork. Only items synced from ServiceNow will be available. Move any catalogs you want to keep into ServiceNow before connecting.

Connect ServiceNow to Atomicwork

To establish the integration, you must configure two levels of OAuth connection:

1. Admin connection: Set this up once from the Atomicwork App Store to authorize Atomicwork to communicate with your ServiceNow instance.
2. Personal connection: Every end user and agent must establish a personal connection so ServiceNow can attribute actions, such as posting comments, to the correct user. If a user does not have an active personal connection, the comment box in Atomicwork is blocked.

Setup your ServiceNow admin connection by following the setup guide.

Users and agents can establish their personal connection in two ways:

• In-line: Slack, Microsoft Teams, or the portal prompts users automatically the first time they perform an action that requires authentication.
• Proactively: Users can go to Settings > Connections in the Atomicwork portal to connect their account.

Syncing ServiceNow knowledge articles

Atomicwork syncs ServiceNow knowledge base articles through the knowledge connector. To learn more about managing knowledge sources, see how to add and organize knowledge for your Assistant.

When configuring the knowledge connector, keep the following in mind:

• You can select specific knowledge bases, categories, and subcategories to sync into Atomicwork, from the folder picker.
• Atomicwork only imports articles in the Published state. Draft and Retired articles are skipped.
• Articles that pass their valid-to (retirement) date are automatically soft-deleted in Atomicwork.
• Atomicwork does not use ServiceNow user criteria or Access Control Lists (ACLs). You must manage access control using Atomicwork's user segments.

When an employee asks a question in Slack, Teams, or the portal, Atom searches for the correct knowledge base/article and provides a grounded response with a direct link back to the source article in ServiceNow.

Managing synced service catalogs and tickets

When a ServiceNow catalog item is synced into Atomicwork, the variables on the item are imported as request attributes in Atomicwork. The import behavior depends on the variable type:

• Natively supported variables import as-is and remain fully editable.
• Unsupported variables convert to plain-text fields.
• Dynamic-form behaviors, such as UI policies, client scripts, scripted reference qualifiers, and catalog client scripts, do not preserve their behaviour. Fields render statically in Atomicwork.

For incidents and service requests, conversation history, comments, field updates, and status changes sync bi-directionally in near real time. If a sync operation fails, the error is surfaced directly on the ticket in Atomicwork.

Understanding request assignment

Request assignment depends on your AI Workforce configuration:

• With AI Coworkers: Assignment is driven by the instructions configured on the AI Coworker.
• Without AI Coworkers: Assignment works through your existing ServiceNow workflows or Atomicwork's native assignment workflows. For more details on request mechanics, see assigning and working on requests.

Configuring request notifications

During initial setup, you must choose how request notifications are delivered:

• Option 1: Atomicwork handles all notifications. Atomicwork sends all email, Slack, and Microsoft Teams notifications. You must disable ServiceNow's native email notifications in ServiceNow. All links in these notifications point to Atomicwork.
• Option 2: Split delivery. ServiceNow continues to send its native email notifications, while Atomicwork sends Slack and Microsoft Teams notifications. Slack and Teams notifications contain Atomicwork links, and email notifications contain ServiceNow links.

Unsupported ServiceNow features

Certain ServiceNow modules and configurations are not directly supported in Atomicwork with this integration. If your workflows rely on these features, you must continue to manage them directly in ServiceNow.