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Checking Current ServiceNow Pattern Content First

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In this lesson, you will learn:

  • Where to search for existing patterns
  • What counts as ‘close enough’
  • What SNWR found

🔁 Quick look back: Last time: The Customization Decision: Do We Really Need a Custom Pattern?. You learned how to decide if a custom pattern is worth it.

1 The Problem: You Might Build Something That Already Exists

ServiceNow ships many patterns and updates them often. On other projects, teams built patterns that:

  • Already existed in a newer content version.
  • Needed only a small extension.

🎯 The problem: You might build a pattern that already exists.

👉 The fix: Search current content carefully before building.

Flow of the content search.
Figure 1. Searching for an existing pattern.
  • The pattern list, by name and by process.
  • The release notes of Discovery and Service Mapping Patterns and Visibility Content.
  • The ServiceNow Store and community.

3 Close enough?

If a pattern exists for a similar product, you might extend it instead. If nothing identifies the app, you need a new pattern.

💡 Good to know: Need a refresher? See Before Kickoff › Checking Pattern Content and MID Compatibility for keeping content current.

4 Project Clear View: How We Implemented It

📍 Situation: Before building, you needed proof nothing existed.

🧭 Decision: Update content and search thoroughly.

🛠️ Steps we took:

  1. Confirmed both content apps were current on snwrdev.
  2. Searched patterns for ‘archiver’ and the process name.
  3. Read recent content release notes.
  4. Found nothing close. The app is in-house.

✅ What we verified:

  • The search is recorded with dates and versions.
  • Hana accepted the result.

📁 Evidence: Search record attached to DD-D06.

5 Quick recap

  • Update content first, then search.
  • Search by name, process and release notes.
  • A close match may only need an extension.
  • Record what you searched and when.

6 Check yourself

Think of your answer first. Then tap to check.

1 What should you do before searching? Show answer

Make sure both content apps are current.

2 What if a close pattern exists? Show answer

Consider extending it instead of building new.

3 Why did SNWR find nothing? Show answer

The archiver is an in-house app.

Nice work! You’ve proven a new pattern is needed. 🎉
Next up: Choosing an Existing CI Class Before Creating One

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