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
Sign in to the ServiceNow developer portal at https://developer.servicenow.com/dev.do.
If you do not have an account, then select New user? Get a ServiceNow ID to create one.
Once logged in, you’ll land on your developer instance.
Step 2: Open Application Registry
In the top navigation, click All. In the filter that appears, type Application Registry and open the registry.
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
Fill out the registry record fields carefully using the parameters in the following table:
Field | Value |
Name | Any name (e.g., Test) |
Client ID | Auto-generated — copy this |
Client Secret | Leave blank — auto-generated on save |
Redirect URL | Paste both URLs for your region, comma-separated, in this single field. US: EU: |
Default Grant type | Client Credentials |
Default Grant type defaults to "Resource Owner Password Credentials". Change it to "Client Credentials".
Click on Submit.
Step 4: Save your credentials
Re-open your newly saved registry profile from your active list.
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
In your Atomicwork tenant, navigate to to Settings > App store > ServiceNow in the left navigation.
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).
In Atomicwork, navigate to Settings > App store > ServiceNow.
Click Manage on the Link ServiceNow applications to Atomicwork card.
Click Link application in the top-right corner.
Select the appropriate Atomicwork workspace (for example, "IT Support") and the corresponding ServiceNow application (such as "ITSM").
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
itilrole.Agent groups: Groups assigned the
itiloritil_adminrole.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
In the ServiceNow top navigation menu, click All, type "Users" in the filter, and select User Administration > Users.
Click New.
Enter the User ID, First name, Last name, Email, and Password. Ensure that the Active checkbox is selected.
Click Submit.
B. Create an agent group
In the All menu, type "Groups" in the filter and select User Administration > Groups.
Click New.
Enter a group name (such as "IT Support — Atomicwork") and optional details like description or manager.
Click Submit.
C. Assign a role to the group
Open the record of the group you created.
Scroll to the Roles related list at the bottom of the form and click Edit.
Add the appropriate role:
Use the selection tool to add
itilto sync members as Workspace Agents.Add
itil_adminto sync members as Workspace Admins.
Click Save.
D. Add the user to the group
On the same group record, scroll to the Group Members related list and click Edit.
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
In the ServiceNow top navigation menu, click All, type "Maintain Items" in the filter, and select Service Catalog > Catalog Definitions > Maintain Items.
Click New.
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
Open the catalog item you created.
Scroll to the Variables related list at the bottom of the form and click New.
Select a variable Type (such as Single Line Text, Multi Line Text, Choice, Date, Reference, or Checkbox).
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.
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.
In Atomicwork, navigate to Settings > Knowledge under Atom AI.
Click on Add folder at the top right.
Select ServiceNow as your knowledge source. This displays all knowledge bases configured in your connected ServiceNow instance, with categories and subcategories rendered as folders.
Select the specific knowledge bases, categories, or individual articles you want to ingest.
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.