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Development · LessonBy , ServiceNow Architect · Updated

Notifications & email scripts

Send the right message to the right people, with dynamic content via mail scripts.

Quick answer

Notifications send email (and push/SMS) when something happens, a P1 incident, an approval request, an SLA breach. They are configured records: a when to send trigger, a who to send to audience, and a what to say body. Email scripts inject dynamic, computed content into that body.

Key takeaways
  • How a notification fires
  • A mail script
  • Best practices
  • Try it Yourself

Notifications send email (and push/SMS) when something happens, a P1 incident, an approval request, an SLA breach. They are configured records: a when to send trigger, a who to send to audience, and a what to say body. Email scripts inject dynamic, computed content into that body.

How a notification fires

  • Trigger, record inserted/updated matching a condition, or an event raised by code.
  • Recipients, users, groups, fields on the record (e.g. Assigned to), or dynamic lists.
  • Content, a template with field variables like ${number} and mail scripts for logic.

A mail script

// In the notification body: ${mail_script:sla_line} (function runMailScript(current, template, email, email_action, event) { if (current.priority == '1') { template.print('\u26a0 This is a P1 and needs immediate attention.'); } })(current, template, email, email_action, event);
Events decouple the trigger. For anything beyond a simple field condition, raise an event (gs.eventQueue()) from a business rule and have the notification listen for it. This keeps notification logic out of your business rules and makes the trigger reusable.

Best practices

  • Use notification email scripts, not inline logic, for anything conditional.
  • Respect subscription preferences and avoid notification storms.
  • Test with the preview and check the email logs.
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Practice challenge

3 questions
Q1An email script is used to...

Inject dynamic content into the message

Email/mail scripts compute dynamic notification content.

Q2To decouple a complex trigger, you should...

Raise an event with gs.eventQueue()

Events let notifications listen without coupling to business rules.

Q3A field variable in a template looks like...

${number}

Notifications use ${field} substitution.

Frequently asked questions

What does the term Notifications & email scripts refer to in ServiceNow?
Notifications send email (and push/SMS) when something happens, a P1 incident, an approval request, an SLA breach. They are configured records: a when to send trigger, a who to send to audience, and a what to say body. Email scripts inject dynamic, computed content into that body.
What is another point to note about Notifications & email scripts?
Trigger, record inserted/updated matching a condition, or an event raised by code. Recipients, users, groups, fields on the record (e.g. Assigned to), or dynamic lists.
What else is worth knowing about Notifications & email scripts?
Use notification email scripts, not inline logic, for anything conditional. Respect subscription preferences and avoid notification storms. Test with the preview and check the email logs.

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