Administration · LessonBy Sneha I, ServiceNow Trainer, 8 yrs · Published · ServiceNow · all levels
User criteria and visibility
Control who sees catalog items, knowledge bases and portal content without writing ACLs.
Quick answer
Control who sees catalog items, knowledge bases and portal content without writing ACLs.
Key takeaways
- Not available for overrides available for
- Reuse a small set of well named criteria
- Script criteria run per user, so keep them light
- Impersonate to verify visibility, never assume
What user criteria are
A user criteria record matches users by role, group, department, company, location or a script. Catalog items and knowledge bases use available for and not available for lists built from these records.
Available for and not available for
Not available for wins. If a user matches both lists, they are excluded. That single rule explains most cases of an item that a user cannot see for no apparent reason.
Practical use
Keep criteria few and reusable.
- Name them by intent, for example UK employees or Managers only
- Prefer group or role matching over scripts, scripts run per user per item
- Test with impersonation across each affected population
- Document why an item is restricted in its description, future admins will ask
Practice challenge
+0 XPStreak ×0
Question 1 of 2
Which list takes precedence?
Frequently asked questions
Do user criteria replace ACLs?
No. They control visibility of content such as catalog items and knowledge. ACLs control record access.
Why can one user not see an item?
Check whether they match a not available for entry first, then confirm the item is published and in an active category.