Variables & Helper Methods

This page documents all placeholders and helper methods that can be used in custom slash commands.

Variable Reference

Input Variables

Context Variables

Inline Result Variables

When a command returns inline results and you configure fields, you can reference those fields in Overwrite target URL:

Example:

Overwrite target URL: /now/builder/ui/${admin_panel.sys_id}

(Using the actual placeholder style from slash commands: $admin_panel.sys_id.)

Extension Variable

Example:

$ext/html/settingeditor.html?setting=slashcommand_legacy

Helper Methods for Script Commands

Script commands run in the page context, so you can call SN Utils helper methods directly.

snuGetGForm()

Returns a unified g_form reference across classic UI and supported workspace scenarios when available.

const form = snuGetGForm();
if (form) {
  const table = form.getTableName();
  const sysId = form.getUniqueValue();
  console.log(table, sysId);
}

snuGetDocument()

Returns the active content document (iframe-aware), useful when the rendered UI is inside gsft_main.

const doc = snuGetDocument();
const title = doc.querySelector('title')?.textContent;
console.log(title);

snuGetWindow()

Returns the active content window (iframe-aware), useful for APIs scoped to the content frame.

const win = snuGetWindow();
console.log(win.location.href);

snuShowAlert(msg, type, timeout)

Displays a banner notification at the top of the page. Supports multiple concurrent banners, auto-close, and manual dismissal. The message is prefixed with "SN Utils:" automatically.

Parameters

Returns the banner HTMLElement. Call banner._snuClose() to dismiss it programmatically.

Show a success notification

snuShowAlert('Record updated successfully', 'success');

Show a persistent warning

snuShowAlert('Check failed — review the logs', 'warning', 0);

Dismiss programmatically

const banner = snuShowAlert('Processing…', 'info', 0);
// … later …
banner._snuClose();

snuShowModal(options)

Shows a styled modal dialog with optional title, body content, input fields, and custom buttons. Returns a Promise that resolves when the user clicks a button or dismisses the modal. Replaces the need for native alert() / confirm() / prompt() and hand-built DOM.

Parameters

The options object accepts:

Each input object:

Each button object:

Returns a Promise that resolves to { button, inputs } or null if dismissed via backdrop click or Escape.

Simple alert replacement

await snuShowModal({ body: 'Record saved successfully.' });

Confirm with custom buttons

const result = await snuShowModal({
  title: 'Confirm deletion',
  body: 'This will permanently delete the record.',
  buttons: [
    { label: 'Cancel', value: 'cancel', style: 'secondary' },
    { label: 'Delete', value: 'delete', style: 'danger' }
  ]
});
if (result?.button === 'delete') {
  // proceed with deletion
}

Modal with input fields

const result = await snuShowModal({
  title: 'Create incident',
  inputs: [
    { name: 'short_description', label: 'Short description', placeholder: 'Describe the issue...' },
    { name: 'urgency', label: 'Urgency', type: 'select', options: ['Low', 'Medium', 'High'] }
  ],
  buttons: [
    { label: 'Cancel', value: 'cancel', style: 'secondary' },
    { label: 'Create', value: 'create', style: 'primary' }
  ]
});
if (result?.button === 'create') {
  console.log(result.inputs.short_description, result.inputs.urgency);
}

snuConfirm(message, options)

Convenience shorthand for a styled confirm dialog. Returns a Promise that resolves to true (confirmed) or false (cancelled / dismissed).

Parameters

const ok = await snuConfirm('Delete these 5 records?');
if (!ok) return;

// With custom button labels:
const ok = await snuConfirm('Apply the update?', {
  confirmLabel: 'Update',
  cancelLabel: 'Back'
});

snuPrompt(message, defaultValue)

Convenience shorthand for a styled single-input prompt. Returns a Promise that resolves to the entered string, or null if the user cancelled.

Parameters

const name = await snuPrompt('Enter group name:', 'New Group');
if (name === null) return; // user cancelled
console.log('Group name:', name);

snuCopyToClipboard(text, showFeedback)

Copies text to the clipboard. Shows a success or error banner automatically unless feedback is disabled.

Parameters

Returns a Promise that resolves to true on success, false on failure.

await snuCopyToClipboard('INC0012345');

// Silent copy (no banner):
await snuCopyToClipboard(someData, false);

snuGetSelectedRecords()

Returns the sys_ids of the checked (selected) rows in the current list view. Returns an empty array when no rows are selected or when not on a list page.

const ids = snuGetSelectedRecords();
if (!ids.length) {
  snuShowAlert('Select records first', 'warning');
  return;
}
console.log('Selected:', ids);

snuGetRecordContext()

Simplified wrapper around snuResolveVariables() that returns a clean context object with table, sysId, and encodedQuery properties.

const ctx = snuGetRecordContext();
if (ctx.table && ctx.sysId) {
  console.log('Viewing ' + ctx.table + ' / ' + ctx.sysId);
}

snuCodeSearch(query)

Opens the Code Search page with the given query. Supports all GraphQL search syntax (table:, field:, "quoted phrases"). In classic mode, table: will filter to matching tables in the search group.

Parameters

Basic code search

snuCodeSearch('GlideRecord');

Search a specific table and field

snuCodeSearch('table:sys_script_include field:script "getValue"');

Custom command shortcut for code search

Create a Script command that combines pre-filled filters with the user's search term:

snuCodeSearch('table:sys_script table:sys_properties field:script "GlideRecord" ' + '$0');

Running /mycommand addQuery will open code search with: table:sys_script table:sys_properties field:script "GlideRecord" addQuery

snuShowBusy(msg)

Shows a persistent banner with an animated spinner. Use it to indicate long-running operations. Call _snuClose() on the returned element when the work is done.

Parameters

Returns the banner HTMLElement. Call banner._snuClose() to dismiss.

const busy = snuShowBusy('Updating records...');
for (const id of ids) {
  await snuFetchData(g_ck, '/api/now/table/incident/' + id,
    { method: 'PATCH', body: { state: '6' } }, null);
}
busy._snuClose();
snuShowAlert('Done!', 'success');

You can also use the 'loading' type directly with snuShowAlert:

const banner = snuShowAlert('Processing…', 'loading', 0);
// ... async work ...
banner._snuClose();

snuResolveVariables(variableString)

Resolves $table, $sysid, $encodedquery and $ext/ placeholders in a string against the current page context. It detects the active record by inspecting, in priority order: g_form, report pages, classic lists (GlideList2), Flow Designer, Conversation Builder, ServiceNow Studio / Workflow Studio, Portal query parameters, and Workspace URL paths (including sub-records).

Parameters

Returns an object with four properties:

Resolve a URL template

const url = snuResolveVariables('/$table.do?sys_id=$sysid').variableString;
window.open(url, '_blank');

Read current context without replacing anything

Pass without variableString to retrieve context values only:

const ctx = snuResolveVariables();
if (ctx.tableName && ctx.sysId) {
  console.log(`Viewing ${ctx.tableName} / ${ctx.sysId}`);
}

Build a filtered list URL

const listUrl = snuResolveVariables(
  '/$table_list.do?sysparm_query=$encodedquery'
).variableString;

Practical Examples

Open filtered incidents by full input

incident_list.do?sysparm_query=short_descriptionLIKE$0

Open specific record by tokenized input

incident.do?sys_id=$1

Reuse current context

sys_update_version_list.do?sysparm_query=name=$table_$sysid

Jump to extension-managed page

$ext/html/settingeditor.html?setting=slashcommand_legacy

Filter by today's date with tokenized times (URL mode)

This command uses $date together with $1 and $2 to open a syslog filtered between two times today. Because all variables are resolved before navigation, no script is needed:

syslog_list.do?sysparm_query=sys_created_onBETWEENjavascript:gs.dateGenerate('$date','$1:00')@javascript:gs.dateGenerate('$date','$2:00')^ORDERBYsys_created_on

Usage: /lgbet 08:34 08:41 opens the syslog list filtered to records created between 08:34 and 08:41 today.

Script command with variables

Variables like $0, $1, $2, $date, $table, and $sysid work inside Script commands too. They are substituted in the decoded script before execution, so you can reference them directly as string literals:

// Command: /vdrel
// Opens a related list on the current record in a new tab
const ctx = snuResolveVariables();
if (!ctx.tableName || !ctx.sysId) {
  snuShowAlert('Open a record first', 'warning');
} else {
  const related = '$0' || 'incident_task';
  const url = '/' + ctx.tableName + '.do?sys_id=' + ctx.sysId +
    '&sysparm_view=related_list&sysparm_related_list=' + related;
  window.open(url, '_blank');
}

Batch update selected list records with confirmation

This script command uses snuGetSelectedRecords, snuConfirm, and snuFetchData together to update checked rows:

const ids = snuGetSelectedRecords();
if (!ids.length) {
  snuShowAlert('Select records first', 'warning');
  return;
}

const ok = await snuConfirm('Update ' + ids.length + ' record(s)?');
if (!ok) return;

for (const id of ids) {
  await snuFetchData(g_ck,
    '/api/now/table/$table/' + id,
    { method: 'PATCH', body: { state: '6' } },
    null
  );
}
snuShowAlert('Updated ' + ids.length + ' record(s)', 'success');

Prompt for input and copy result

const query = await snuPrompt('Enter encoded query to copy:');
if (query === null) return;
await snuCopyToClipboard(query);

Notes

• If a context variable cannot be resolved in the current page, it resolves to an empty string.
• Prefer URL commands for simple navigation and filtering.
• Use Script mode only when you need conditional logic or DOM/API interaction.