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The Task Table

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In this lesson, you will learn:

  • What the Task table is
  • How other tables extend Task
  • The fields every task shares
  • Why this matters for admins

1 Work = tasks

Incidents, problems, changes, requests, catalog tasks… they’re all different kinds of work. But they have a lot in common: a number, a state, someone assigned, and notes about the work. ✅

So ServiceNow puts these shared parts in one base table called Task.

Key term: Task table

A base table, called task, that holds the fields all kinds of work share. Many other tables are built on top of it.

Key term: Extend

When a table is built on top of another table, it extends it. It gets all the parent’s fields, plus its own.

2 The task family

The Task table family. At the top, the Task table with shared fields: Number, State, Priority, Assignment group, Assigned to, Short description, Work notes, and Active. Below it, tables that extend Task: Incident, Problem, Change Request, Requested Item, and Catalog Task. Each child table adds its own fields, like Caller on Incident and Risk on Change Request.
Figure 1. Child tables get all of Task’s fields, plus their own.
Table System name Its own fields (examples)
Incident incident Caller, Category
Problem problem Known error, Workaround
Change Request change_request Risk, Planned start date
Requested Item sc_req_item Item, Quantity
Catalog Task sc_task Request item

3 Fields every task shares

  • 🔢 Numberlike INC0010001
  • 🚦 Statewhere the work is
  • ⚡ Priorityhow urgent
  • 👥 Assignment groupwhich team
  • 👤 Assigned towhich person
  • 📝 Work notesnotes about the work

⭐ Remember: An incident is a task. So is a problem, a change, and a catalog task. They all share Task’s fields.

4 Why admins care

  • Change once, apply everywhere: a new field on Task shows up on every child table.
  • One list for all work: the task.list shows incidents, changes, and more, together.
  • Shared tools: features built for Task, like SLAs, assignment rules, and approvals, work for all its children.

⚠️ Heads up: Because every child gets Task’s fields, adding a field to Task affects many tables. Only add a field there if all kinds of work really need it.

📝 Note: You’ll learn much more about parent and child tables in Chapter 29 (Advanced track).

5 Let’s try it: see all tasks

  1. Type task.list in the All menu filter and press Enter.
  2. Personalize the list and add the Task type column (it may be called Class). What kinds of tasks do you see?
  3. Open an incident from this list. Notice it opens the Incident form, with Caller and Category.

6 Quick recap

  • Task (task) is a base table for all kinds of work
  • Incident, Problem, Change Request, Requested Item, and Catalog Task extend it
  • Child tables get Task’s fields, plus their own
  • Shared fields: Number, State, Priority, Assignment group, Assigned to, Work notes
  • Changing Task affects every child table

7 Check yourself

Think of your answer first. Then tap to check.

1 Is an incident a task? Show answer

Yes. The Incident table extends the Task table.

2 Why does a change request have an Assignment group field? Show answer

It gets it from the Task table, which it extends.

3 What happens if you add a new field to the Task table? Show answer

Every table that extends Task gets that field too.

Nice work! You finished this lesson. 🎉

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