Creating & Converting UI Policies
In the last topic, we discussed what UI and Data policies are. This chapter focuses on the creation of UI policies and how you can convert data policies into UI policies.
How to create UI Policy in ServiceNow?
UI policies are typically created to dynamically control form field behavior — such as making a field mandatory, read-only, or hidden — based on specific conditions. Admin roles are required to apply UI policies in your ServiceNow instance. Steps to create ui policy in servicenow are:
Step 1: Move to All → System UI → UI policies.
Step 2: Click New, and a UI policy form will open.
Step 3: Change form to the Default view from Related links.
Step 4: Complete the form and add the following field data.
| Field Name | Type | Explanation | Backend Field |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Short description | String | Descriptive name for the policy’s purpose. | short_description |
| 2. Table | Reference | The target table (e.g., cmdb_ci). | table |
| 3. Active | Boolean | Controls whether the UI Policy is currently enforced. | active |
| 4. UI policy conditions | Condition Builder | Criteria that must be met for the policy rules to apply. | condition |
| 5. Application | Reference | The scope of this policy belongs to. | sys_scope |
Converting Data Policy to UI Policy
By default, converting a Data Policy creates a separate UI Policy record in the sys_ui_policy table. If you want the Data Policy to also enforce rules on the client side without creating a separate record, check the ‘Use UI Policy on Client Side’ checkbox on the Data Policy form.
Open the Data Policy record and click the ‘Convert to UI Policy’ related link to begin.
| Step | Metadata Behavior | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Select Convert | A separate UI Policy record (ui_policy) with a new sys_id is created. | Enables separate client-side management (e.g., adding Visibility actions). |
| 2. Mapping | Data Policy rules for Mandatory and Read-only are copied to the new UI Policy Actions. | The two policies are now independent records, but start with identical enforcement. |
| 3. Server Rule | The original Data Policy remains active, ensuring server-side integrity is maintained independently. | The platform now enforces rules both client-side (UX) and server-side (Integrity). |
Note: If you enable the ‘Use UI Policy on Client Side’ checkbox directly on the Data Policy form (instead of using the Convert button), the Data Policy itself handles both server-side and client-side enforcement. No separate UI Policy record is created in the sys_ui_policy table. This keeps everything in one record and is simpler to manage.
However, it has one limitation: you cannot add Visibility actions (show/hide fields) this way, as those are only available on standalone UI Policy records created via the Convert button.
Conclusion
UI and Data policies together give ServiceNow administrators powerful tools to control both the user experience (via client-side UI policies) and data integrity (via server-side Data policies). Understanding when and how to use each is key to building reliable, user-friendly ServiceNow applications.
In the next module, we will understand the business rules in Servicenow.
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